I am very grateful to live in an area with many forests

2 March 2021 Forests in photos

This month’s photo in the spotlight is “Morning Activities”, the winning image of our 2020 ‘Experience Forests, Experience PEFC’ photo contest.

The winning photographer, Keril Chairil, tells us why he loves but also worries about the forest and what makes the place where he took his photo so special.

How do you feel about forests, both professionally and personally?

The forest is an area of life for all types of living things, and all life starts from the forest. Personally, I am very worried about the forests, especially in Indonesia, where they are decreasing very fast. Indonesia used to be rich in forests, but now we are entering a crisis over forest land. Hopefully it will be resolved quickly.

How did the forest inspire you to take your winning photo?

I took this photo in Situ Gunung in the Gede Pangrango National Park in Sukabumi, Indonesia, that is surrounded by tropical rainforest.

I am very grateful to live in an area that still has many forests that can be immortalized in photos. One of them is the forest on Mount Gede Pangrango which has a lake we call Situ Gunung. This lake provides an extraordinary view when we are here in the morning – just like on the photo I took. With this photo, I can show how beautiful the natural atmosphere here is.

What do you think about the work that an organization such as PEFC/IFCC does to care for forests?

I am very grateful for the existence of PEFC/IFCC. The organization works very hard to protect forests, and I hope it will be able to solve the concerns of people like me, who also want to preserve and protect forests. Finally, I hope that this competition can be a way for PEFC to give people a sense of care and love for forests.