Myths and Factors that Influence Medicinal Plant Center Development on Mount Lawu, Java Island, Indonesia

Traditional knowledge on medicinal plant cultivation and utilization have long been existing and a significant part of the culture of Indonesian people. Such traditional knowledge, however, is slowly disappearing which threatens the potentials of medicinal plants as well as the values of social capital of local communities. This research describes the myths and the factors influencing the development of a medicinal plant center on the slopes of Mount Lawu with the aim of reconnecting and sustaining the local wisdom and the values of social capital of the local community for their own benefits as well as for their environment. The research used qualitative method to gather detailed and holistic information about the myths that exist in the community, and quantitative method to discover the factors that influence the development of the medicinal plant center. The quantitative data analysis uses multiple linear regression. The research results show that the mythicizing of medicinal plants is a strategy used by the mountain community to transfer local knowledge to the next generation. Social capital, local wisdom, social quality, age, and education have a positive regression coefficient which means they have a significant effect on the development of the medicinal plant center. Keywords: Community, local wisdom, medicinal plant center, myths, social capital, traditional knowledge.