The people of Sungai Cemara Village, Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, Jambi, live in an area with a vast expanse of mangrove forests and beaches. This mangrove forest is not only an important ecosystem for the local community, but also a stopover for migratory birds and Sumatran tigers. For generations, residents have depended on the existence of mangroves and the sea as their main source of livelihood. In addition to functioning as a natural fortress that protects the village from abrasion and tidal waves, this 810-hectare mangrove area is also a fishing area for traditional fishermen, who depend on marine products such as fish, crabs, and shrimp.

In an effort to maintain the sustainability of the ecosystem, the Sungai Cemara Village Community utilized the Nusantara Fund Direct Funding to restore mangrove forests. A total of 506 residents were involved in the activity. The activity also paid attention to gender composition, by providing a large portion for the involvement of women and youth groups in nature conservation efforts.

The restoration implementation is carried out in several stages. First, the community is equipped with knowledge and skills in participatory mapping. The purpose of participatory mapping is to map which areas are included in the conservation area, identify critical land that needs to be rehabilitated, and as a basis for natural resource management. The mapping results become the basis for more organized natural resource management in the future. Furthermore, education and training in mangrove cultivation are carried out, focusing on nursery practices and planting techniques to increase the chances of survival of the planted mangroves.

The next stage, residents built a seedling house with a capacity of up to 5.000 mangrove seedlings. In this stage, women's groups have a big role, especially in the seedling and maintenance process. A total of 3.400 seedlings successfully grew healthily in the seedling house, 2.000 seedlings were then planted in critical land that had been identified through participatory mapping. After planting, supervision and maintenance are carried out periodically to ensure the success rate of mangrove seedlings until they grow bigger.

Mangrove forest restoration efforts not only provide benefits for Sungai Cemara Village, but also for surrounding villages within the same sub-district. In addition to being a natural protector - from abrasion, tidal waves, and climate change - the mangrove forest will also provide benefits as a guardian of coastal and marine biodiversity. From an economic perspective, the community is also developing the potential for mangrove-based ecotourism, which is expected to be an alternative economic support for the Sungai Cemara Village Community in the future.