On July 27, 2025, students of Universitas Airlangga participated in the National Tree Day, collaborating with Perth NRM in Secret Harbour, Western Australia. This event was part of “BBK International 2025” Experience, an international student community outreach program (Belajar Bersama Komunitas) at the University of Notre Dame Australia. The primary goal of the program is to undertake a vital environmental restoration project and strengthen the region’s crucial coastal dunes ecosystem. The programs brought together volunteers, students, and residents to plant 1,000 seedlings along the coast. Secret Harbour is a coastal suburb located in the City of Rockingham, since the coastal dunes ecosystem needs reinforcement to prevent erosion and prevent further degradation. This action was not only a step toward preventing erosion but also a symbol of the community’s commitment to environmental sustainability at the University of Notre Dame Australia.

This tree planting effort was aimed to achieve ecological benefits by reinforcing the fragile dunes and preventing further degradation. At the same time, the University of Notre Dame Australia (as the host of the BBK International Program) and Perth NRM in collaboration with local government, residents, and schools, focused on training local residents about environmental care to promote active conservation and personal accountability for the local environment. Ensuring that the newly established vegetation would serve as a long-term natural defense against powerful winds and rising sea levels, thus protecting the shoreline for future generations.

Besides benefiting the program site, this hands-on field experience provided a tangible link to global sustainability efforts experienced by students and staff who participated in the program. Besides, this demonstration also showed that a local action can drive international impact by supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This program contributed to SDGs 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by actively engaging the community in environmental conservation, strengthening awareness of ecological issues, and encouraging a more sustainable living community. The effort to stabilize the coastal sand dunes also provided support, as it prevented dirt and excessive sedimentation from washing into the sea. Planting trees directly helped achieve SDG 13 (Climate Action) by absorbing carbon. Also, stabilizing the sand dunes helped the ocean by stopping dirt from washing into the sea, which support SDGs 14 (Life Below Water) by protecting the ocean ecosystem.

Following the success of tree-planting initiative, students from Universitas Airlangga continued their journey by visiting the Containers For Change/Fremantle Recycle Centre on July 30, 2025, in Western Australia. The visit offered a smart waste management program designed to boost community recycling through simple, effective methods that also provide economic benefits. The system works by giving people money for trading in their used bottles and cans. This cash bonus not only helps people a little financially but also teaches the local community better long-term habits for handling their trash, which will bring benefits to the environment and support environmental sustainability. Seeing these circular economy ideas gives students a practical plan for keeping the urban environment healthy in the future and may also be applied in Indonesia.

The program’s primary objectives were to increase public awareness of the importance of waste management, significantly reduce waste sent to landfills, and establish a viable circular economic cycle by encouraging the active participation of residents, schools, communities, and the centre through actions to maintain urban cleanliness and conserve natural environments. Besides that, BBK International at the University of Notre Dame Australia supports the effort to make cities better related to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and promotes responsible consumption related to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by recycling and cutting down on waste. The program also supports the acceleration of SDG 13 (Climate Action) by the effort in keeping trash out of landfills, which lowers carbon pollution. Importantly, the overall decline in plastic and metal trash means safer oceans and land, protecting life below water (SDG 14) and life on land (SDG 15). The joint effort between University of Notre Dame Australia and Universitas Airlangga through BBK International program clearly demonstrates that involving the community is key to a sustainable future which may not only be applicable in Fremantle, but also to be applied in Indonesia and other countries.