Students mix soil, sand, and compost in a 3:2:1 ratio.
BINTULU (Sept 14): A green sustainability programme initiative took root at Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu campus (UPMKB) recently.
Driven by the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Education Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG), it involved 80 students enrolled in CHS2501 – Ornamental Plants and Landscape Horticulture.
Under the guidance of Dr Owen Yeo Thian Seng and Manggi Rabong from the Department of Crop Science, as well as senior assistant agriculture officer Anila Brahim, the students set out on a mission to plant the seeds of sustainability.
The programme focused on propagating a variety of ornamental plants, including Sansevieria trifasciata, Antigonon leptopus, Wodyetia bifurcate, Ixora coccinea, Helicona rostrata, Zephyranthes rosea, and Chlorophytum comosum.
These plants were meticulously chosen for their dual role in enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the surroundings and contributing to a greener, healthier environment.
This initiative aims to inculcate in students an appreciation for environmental stewardship and the significance of sustainable development.
By actively participating in the vegetative and seed propagation of these ornamental plants, participants learned the complexities of horticulture and its essential role in achieving broader sustainability goals.
Students place the plants in polybags.
In just two hours, the students successfully propagated 400 ornamental plants.
“Our mission is to educate and motivate the next generation to become active sustainability champions,” said Yeo, who spearheaded the initiative.
“These students have demonstrated this by putting their knowledge into practise.”
Anila stressed the importance of such initiatives in addressing global sustainability issues.
“Sustainability is a global imperative, not an abstract concept. Engaging students in such practical initiatives equips them to be positive agents of change,” she said.