The density of Tongke-Tongke Mangrove

Perhaps not many areas in our place we could enjoy the beauty of the coast, hearing birds hirrup, seeing the bat fly, or observing the crab behaviour under the thickness of mangrove. We convince the village of Tongke-Tongke in the subdistrict of Sinjai Utara, South Sulawesi, has the atmosphere like that.

Early last January, the party of the reporter who is facilitated by Agency of Information Study and the mass media visited the region. There we saw how beautiful the scenery in this territory.

In the morning, when the dawn breaks, the tinge of orange colour in the horizon covers the mangrove forest planting by the Tongke-Tongke local residents. Likewise in the afternoon, when the sun is down.

The clear sunlight ray appears beautiful penetrate the stick mangrove. From the wooden road which passes the middle of the thick mangrove forest, the appearance of sunlight ray becomes very beautiful. Birds warbling in the morning makes the atmosphere become very peaceful. In the distance, apparently also the bats hang down at the buds of mangrove.

Walking on the wooden road in the middle of the forest mangrove, from time to time we examined the crabs going in and out of the muddy land. And when the afternoon came, we did not feel the hot of sunray because of the sway of coastal wind and the thickness of mangrove.

At the end of the wooden road, we will see coastal scenery with forest mangrove spreading almost as long as the coast. it is fascinating then to see the calmness of sea water and the fisherman's ship which one by one leave the coast towards the sea.

Several of us were unsatisfied just enjoying mangrove from the end of the wood footbridge. They want to saw it from the distance on sea. Of course this was not a difficult thing. The fisherman and local residents prepared the small boat to be used for travelling to the sea. Of course, don't forget to give them money for buying diesel fuel. In fact, it is far more beautiful seeing mangrove from the sea in the middle of the boat machine sound.

The Mangrove tour became more complete because we accompanied with several public figures
and the elder of Tongke-Tongke village. They enthusiastically explained about their beautiful area and about the mangrove itself.

"it began with the community's concern when the abrasion threatened our village in the 1980's. At that time, every wave season, the village mainland gradually was eroded by the wave. Various methods were carried out by the community to keep the wave including making defence fortress from the coral stone. In fact, coral was not strong enough to keep the wave raging," said Mustafa (63), one of the public figures of Tongke-Tongke.

Preventing Flood
The high tide flood was a clear threath when the west season. It could not be counted how many fisherman's boats broken because of the wave blow. Then on the resident's agreement, during 1984 planting mangrove was stimulated. Briefly, after planting mangrove, the residents was avoided from all the disasters resulting from the high tide or the wave blow.

"Realizing that mangrove can prevent their homes from the wave, the resident finally continued to plant mangrove as many as possible. Later, they built the small passage in order their boat be able to tether close to their settlement. So not only their homes that are protected, but also their boats," explained Thayyeb.

At this time, forest mangrove has almost covered the coast in their village and the width has reached 45 hectare. In order to be able to enjoy the forest mangrove, they made footpath from the wood in the middle of the forest mangrove. The length of it is around 1 kilometre counted from the coastal lip. Officially, Government Tourism Agency added it by making wooden post at the end of the wood alley. The agency also built another wood footbridge. But unfortunately, this wood house at this time has already destroyed because of its poor construction.

At this time Tongke-Tongke becomes the centre of the research mangrove in South Sulawesi. In the middle of the destruction threat of the South Sulawesi coastal territory resulting from the reduction mangrove from the year to the year, Tongke-Tongke and surrounding area continues to develop this plants as the guard of their coast. This regency at this time also has become the main example of the prospective mangrove in South Sulawesi.