STRENGTHENING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY USING LEAFLET MEDIA THROUGH EDUCATION ON UTILIZING SAWDUST WASTE AS BIOCHAR FOR WOODCRAFT ARTISANS AND FARMERS

Wood sawdust from woodcraft workshops in Jeding Hamlet, Junrejo Village, Batu City, is often burned or discarded, while local farmers report declining soil fertility. This community service report describes how Educational Technology students designed and used a printed leaflet in an educational session on using sawdust waste as biochar, as an initial effort toward strengthening environmental literacy. Here, "strengthening" refers only to an early effort in providing information and dialogue, not to a quantitatively measured increase in literacy. The session lasted about two hours and was held on 18 August 2026. The activity followed five stages: needs analysis, design, production, implementation, and evaluation. Ten participants took part: two woodcraft artisans and eight farmers, all around 50 years old. The leaflet guided the explanation and was complemented by a demonstration of mixing biochar with manure in planting bags. Evaluation was qualitative, based on the implementing team's observation of attention, questions, and responses to the leaflet; there was no pre-test, post-test, or comparison group. The team observed that the leaflet helped structure the explanation, that participants asked application-oriented questions, and that participants suggested enlarging the images for older readers. Because the leaflet cannot be separated from the lecture, demonstration, and discussion, and knowledge was not measured, the findings do not demonstrate improved knowledge or environmental literacy. A critical review of the leaflet also identified points to correct before reprinting: the term "burned", the recommended dose, claims without references, and missing safety information. This report documents the design process and lessons for improving printed media for adult farmers.