Foto udara kanopi hutan Megamendung saat pagi berkabut

Yayasan PASEBAN · Est. 2024

Protecting Megamendung, from root to canopy.

Rooted in a 40-hectare organic farm established in 2009, PASEBAN restores forest and returns wildlife to the buffer zone of the Cibodas Biosphere Reserve — a UNESCO-recognised corridor linking Gunung Gede Pangrango and Halimun-Salak.

21,831Trees planted & mapped

2Javan Hawk-Eagles released

2,000+Aviary breeding capacity

10Timoor Deer Conserved

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Story

From an organic farm to
a conservation foundation.

Arista Montana Organic Farm was founded in 2009 by Andy Utama, an environmentally minded entrepreneur. Across 40 hectares, the farm developed non-invasive organic agriculture while restoring degraded land and recovering the hydrological function of the Mega Mendung area.

An in-situ aviary built within the farm can house the breeding of more than 2,000 individual animals of rare and critically endangered status — a concrete commitment to restoring pollination services and the region's biodiversity.

In 2024 the work was consolidated into Yayasan PASEBAN, giving the landscape a formal institution to carry restoration, wildlife recovery, and education forward together.

2009

Arista Montana founded

Non-invasive organic farming on 40 hectares in Mega Mendung.

28 Jul 2024

Yayasan PASEBAN established

Conservation efforts consolidated into a formal institution.

26 Apr 2025

10,000th tree planted

Marked with Arista Montana on Earth Day, attended by Wiratno and Andy Utama.

13 Aug 2025

First anniversary

Celebrated at Manggala Wanabakti with Ministry of Forestry officials.

9 Jun 2026

Three programs launched

The Director General of KSDAE inaugurated the eagle release, deer breeding facility, and Lembah Aviary.

Programs

Four workstreams,
running in parallel.

Carried out with Ditjen KSDAE, BBKSDA West Java, the Kamojang Eagle Conservation Centre, Cikananga Conservation Foundation, and Perum Perhutani KPH Bogor.

In-situ conservation Foto Elang Jawa terbang

Javan Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi)

Two individuals — Agni and Beta — were released after years of rehabilitation at PKEK and YCKT. Agni carries a satellite GPS tracker so her adaptation in the wild can be followed.

IUCN status: Endangered · the bird behind Garuda Pancasila

Ex-situ conservation Foto interior Lembah Aviary

Lembah Aviary

A macro-net dome that mimics native tropical forest, where endangered endemic birds undergo rehabilitation, breeding, and research before returning to the wild.

Inaugurated by the Director General of KSDAE · 9 Jun 2026

Ex-situ conservation Foto kandang penangkaran rusa Timor

Timor Deer Breeding

A controlled breeding facility for the Timor Deer, serving as a means of wildlife rescue, ecological recovery, and education for researchers and the community.

Inaugurated by the Director General of KSDAE · 9 Jun 2026

Landscape restoration Foto lahan pertanian organik berteras

Farming & Reforestation

Continuing the Arista Montana legacy: replanting degraded land, restoring hydrological function, and organic farming that supports the surrounding community's livelihoods.

Total planted: 21,831 trees, >200 species

Partners

Built through collaboration,
driven by a shared vision.

On 9 June 2026, the Director General of KSDAE at the Ministry of Forestry, Prof. Dr. Setyawan Pudyatmoko, visited Megamendung in person to inaugurate three conservation programs at once. A partnership to expand the area with Perum Perhutani, covering roughly 100 additional hectares, is still being formalised.

Looking Ahead

A phased plan, not a one-off target.

Short Term

Post-release monitoring

Regular monitoring of Agni's movements via GPS tracker
Quarterly reports to BBKSDA West Java and Ditjen KSDAE
Evaluating habitat suitability & the need for further intervention
Regular field surveys for Beta, who carries no tracker

Medium Term

Running the aviary & breeding facility

Strengthening the technical management team
Developing quarantine & animal-health SOPs
Collaborative research with universities
Scheduled education programs for schools & the community
Phased release from the aviary into natural habitat

Long Term

Expanding partnerships & financing

Finalising the Perhutani partnership for the ±100 ha area
Financing via PES, biodiversity credits & carbon mechanisms
Updating the Megamendung Total Economic Valuation study
Exploring international donor & CSR/ESG partners

We hold a simple but ambitious goal: to bring Megamendung as close as possible to the ecological condition it was known for a hundred years ago. We may not fully restore the past, but we can recover its ecological functions, strengthen wildlife habitat, protect water sources, and pass on a better landscape to the next generation.

Andy Utama — Yayasan PASEBAN

Come see the landscape, or talk to us about partnering.

Whether for a field visit, research collaboration, or funding support — we're open to talking about Megamendung.

Contact Yayasan PASEBAN → See the programs again

Protecting Megamendung, from root to canopy.