26 Feb 2015
1000 Trees Project by MesaStila, Central JAVA - INDONESIA

Mesa Hotels & Resorts

       

February 13th, 2015, marked one year after the eruption of Mt Kelud. This day reminded us of the tragedy that took away people's home, animals, and farms – which were their sources of living.This tragedy forced them to move to a safer place and leave everything behind. Respiratory health problem also became one of their main issues since the smoke from the eruption clouded the area.

 

The catastrophic event also caused the travel industry in Indonesia, especially in Java to suffer. Following the eruption, the volcanic ash clouded both domestic and international flight routes, resulting in cancellations of travel plans, declining numbers of hotel bookings, travel warnings from some neighboring countries, and closure of tourist destinations such as The Borobudur Temple.

 

Moreover, the rising temperature caused vegetation on the surrounding areas of Mt. Kelud to be damaged. Plants were covered in ashes and lava, causing them to wither and die. In an effort to restore the lost vegetation, the General Manager of MesaStila, M Isa Ismail Rauf, initiated a program to plant 1000 trees in the surrounding areas of the resort. He admits that the impact of this program on the environment restoration is still on a small scale, but he hopes that other hotels and institutions will follow in their steps. They believe people need to start small for a bigger result.