21 Oct CTC Internship: Marine Conservation Lessons From the Field

By Rizky Bagas Pranata, International Relations Student, Brawijaya University

As a student at the University of Brawijaya, I was required to do an internship to try to implement my studies in the field of work and so it happened that I took 47 days of work in Coral Triangle Center. Forty seven days is just a short while, but the lessons I took, and the experiences I had will never be replaced.

I was assigned to the Marketing and Communications department and in my first day of work, my supervisor, showed me around and introduced me to the whole team in CTC. I then started working on CTC’s Instagram, newsletter, and helped in translating documents. The days at the office were all fun and awesome, but the trip to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida was the highlight of my internship. I was lucky to be given the chance to participate in a mangrove tour visitor survey in Nusa Lembongan and join the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area (MPA) monthly patrol with the MPA Management Unit, Indonesian Navy, and Water Police.

When I went on the patrol and the survey, I learned a lot of things. First, I learned about the beauty of our land. I also learned that environmental issues are closer to us than we thought. Even with all the laws that we have, people still look for excuses to get themselves the most profit and forget that this environment belongs to all people. While doing the survey, I learned a lot from tourists and visitors. They talked about how beautiful the place is, how peaceful it is, and how supportive they are about the conservation efforts made by the community. It makes me realize that the environment is one of the things that connects us as human beings.

For just a brief moment, I feel like I just came and went. But even so, this office, with all the great people in it have made me standing here right now. The talks, the jokes, and the chatters have helped me through these days on my internship. We may and may not meet again, but either way, I sincerely thank them all for everything, and I wish them all the luck in the world.