<![CDATA[Coastal abrasion, mangrove degradation, and land-use conversion threaten the ecological stability of coastal communities and increase the need for participatory ecosystem rehabilitation. This community engagement activity aimed to document coastal environmental conditions, identify locally recognized disturbances affecting mangrove seedlings, implement collaborative mangrove planting, and document associated biodiversity through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach. The activity involved Biology Education students and a local environmental activist. Data were obtained through participatory observation, local knowledge identification, field documentation, and direct implementation of mangrove rehabilitation. The intervention included the preparation of planting sites, establishment of planting holes in muddy substrates, planting of 1,000 Rhizophora sp. seedlings, and installation of bamboo stakes secured with tying ropes. Field diagnosis identified approximately 30% mangrove-area damage associated with abrasion and land conversion. Local ecological knowledge identified three disturbance factors, termed “3W”: Wideng (crabs), Wedus (goats or livestock), and Wong (human activities). Field observations documented Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, and Periophthalmus sp. The activity demonstrates the potential of PAR to integrate local ecological knowledge, collaborative restoration, biodiversity observation, and experiential biology education within community-based coastal rehabilitation.]]>
