Students and staff hard at work at the school’s eco garden.
MIRI: Tenby International School here can stand tall above other Tenby schools in Malaysia for pioneering an eco-garden that has impact on students, staff and the environment.
“After a lot of hard work from teachers, students and the school’s maintenance team, the TISM Eco Garden initiated in October 2016, is flourishing.
“The area looks amazing and the first batch of ‘test crops’ a success. We harvested huge amounts of cucumber; the butternut is looking fantastic; and the different herbs and ‘cangkok manis’ will be ready very soon,” a spokesperson said Thursday.
She said suggestions proposed were introducing fish into the pond; completion of the bug hotel; and planting new crops of fruits, vegetables, berries, herbs, spices and flowers.
“TISM is the first Tenby school to have an eco-garden and the plan is to integrate the garden into the curriculum in international and local schools to provide extra-curricular opportunities for students to learn about sustainability, self-sufficiency and practical skills such as planting, maintaining and harvesting from a garden.”
The project was funded by the school with many of the materials donated and recycled – much work on the building was done by a maintenance team.
She recalled that the project began with a competition open to the whole school where students submitted their designs for the garden. The winning design came from Naomi Lau in Year 8, and it was used for the layout.
The garden is open to the whole school with all classes to be given the opportunity to plant crops as part of the curriculum or as an enrichment project.
“Most classes have been involved in preparing the soil for planting, designing and building the stepping stones,” she said.
The garden’s produce will be used in the school canteen or given to members of the school community.
TISM Eco Garden Project has been featured in MeRoots and Shoots Malaysia’s official Facebook page.
Roots and Shoots Malaysia (established by the Dr Jane Goodall Institute) is a youth-led action programme which empowers young people to create change that benefits people, animals and the environment – encouraging them to initiate and lead projects and campaigns that make a difference.