BY HSARENA
UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK hosting the tree planting program at Takasago-UNIMAS Educational Forest in UNIMAS West Campus yesterday.
This annual event is an initiative between the collaboration of UNIMAS, Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd and Japan-Malaysia Association.
An area of 10 hectare has been allocated for the establishment of educational forest within the campus of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) for research and training purpose. At present, around 2 ha of the area has been planted with more than 3000 trees from various species. For the next 5 years, it is expected that around 20,000 trees from various species will be planted within the campus from this project.
Takasago-UNIMAS Educational Forest aims to become an exemplary model forest for teaching, research and training of young generation towards promoting effort in restoring and conserving the tropical forest in Sarawak. With the theme of “Takasago-UNIMAS Educational Forest: empowering the importance of forest through education”’ the tree planting activity in return could create and develop potential environmental education programme among UNIMAS students in which fulfil the global agenda especially the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by year 2030.
Other than organising annual tree planting program which will involve joint participations by volunteers from Japan, local schools and communities, among the activities planned for the establishment of education forest are 1) conducting field teaching and learning exercise for education and research purpose for the students from Faculty of Resource Science & Technology, UNIMAS 2) establishment of plant nursery to raise tree seedlings for educational purpose and tree planting activities and 3) organise related environmental education program which can help further enhance students awareness on the importance of greening our planet earth.
In this year’s tree planting program, the event will be participated by volunteers and representatives and delegates from local and international organizations namely from Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd. (Headquarter office in Japan, TTE Engineering Malaysia, PT Takasago Thermal Engineering Indonesia, Takasago Thailand Co. Ltd, Takasago Vitenam Co. Ltd, Takasago Singapore Pte. Ltd., Japan-Malaysia Association, UNIMAS stafs and students from Faculty of Resource Science and Technology and Faculty of Engineering, UNIMAS.
This year, school students and teachers from SK Ibnu Khaldun, Kota Samarahan as well as local communities surrounding Kota Samarahan will also be joining in this tree planting event. All participants will gather and plant a total of 1000 tree seedlings from various various local indigenous and fruit trees for planting.
It is hoped that through this program will value-add the human capital buidling that values the importance of greening our environment and at the same time, can contribute to promoting sustainable reforestation activities in Sarawak as an exemplary efforts for the future.
