The loud sound of the sea waves marks the start of the day for the people of Torosiaje Village, a settlement inhabited by descendants of the Bajo ethnic group. Slowly, the sunlight begins to rise, illuminating the floating village located in Papayto Subdistrict, Pohuwato Regency, Gorontalo. That morning, Ayah Jack walked slowly through the narrow alleys of the villagers’ settlement. In his hand, he carried a bag containing a traditional ceremonial outfit called “badu tikolo ada” (traditional ceremonial clothing), which he would later wear to greet the mangrove forest.

As the village’s customary leader, Ayah Jack is a respected figure. Villagers often call him “Ayah,” a term of respect for older individuals who are influential in the community. After dressing up, Ayah Jack began preparing the boat. He wasn’t alone; he was accompanied by Siding Salihin, a “sandro,” whose position in the traditional institution is below that of the customary leader.

Siding slowly boarded the boat that Ayah Jack had prepared at the Rahmat Gobel Bridge. Siding went straight to the front of the boat, while Ayah Jack sat at the back, starting the engine. The boat began to move toward the mangrove forest, located about three kilometers from the settlement. Just like the sea, the mangrove forest is inseparable from the people of Torosiaje Village because mangroves hold cultural and traditional significance for them.

“Mangroves indeed have a connection with several of our traditions, in the form of rituals. It’s a belief that we still practice to this day,” said Ayah Jack recently.

Near Torosiaje Village, there is a mangrove area that is considered sacred, and it is forbidden for anyone to enter without permission. There, they perform rituals to honor the spirits of the mangrove forest’s inhabitants. Preserving the mangrove ecosystem is akin to preserving all the beings living in the mangrove, including the invisible ones.

This belief has been passed down through generations. There are three specific locations where the “guardians” reside. These guardians also have names that no one is allowed to utter, and only a few people know them.

The villagers are required to greet the guardians by offering offerings attached to trees. They believe that by doing so, they will be protected from misfortune, including disease outbreaks.

“They (the guardians) can also cause disturbances and lead to various diseases. This is the consequence if we don’t greet them and provide offerings. Once the ritual is performed, everything is safe. The key is the ritual,” he explained.

In addition to the spiritual connection, the mangrove forest also provides numerous environmental benefits, such as preventing coastal erosion, preserving aquatic ecosystems, supporting the food chain, and serving as a habitat for wildlife. The villagers also play a role in protecting the birds living in the mangrove area.

As a wetland area, the mangrove is home to various species of water birds. In Indonesia, water birds are divided into two groups based on their movement: resident birds and migratory birds. Resident birds spend their entire life cycle within Indonesia, while migratory birds regularly move between breeding and non-breeding locations. Migratory shorebirds, mostly from the Charadriidae and Scolopacidae families, stop in Indonesia to feed, so their eggs and offspring are never found here.

Some resident birds breed solitarily, like the woolly-necked stork (Ciconia episcopus) and several species of ducks (Anatidae). Others breed in colonies, either with their own species or with others, such as the herons (Egretta spp.) that nest in tree branches. However, some species build their nests on the ground, like the reef heron (Egretta sacra) and the painted stork (Metopidius indicus). There are also species that nest in tree cavities, such as some ducks.

Usually, migratory birds from the north breed between May and July, coinciding with summer in the northern hemisphere. After this period, from August to September, the birds begin migrating as winter approaches.

To protect the wildlife in the mangrove forest, the Burung Indonesia Gorontalo team provides education to the local community through mangrove ecosystem protection activities. The education also includes mangrove-based products to help the villagers’ economy. Preserving the mangrove forest has become everyone’s responsibility.

“Torang (we) take care of nature, and nature takes care of us.”