“Green Your Home” Workshop
07 October 2019
Prepared By: Patricia Liang Chooi Ling
The workshop was a two-hour event conducted at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 4 October 2019, covering various activities ranging from workshops to sharing of knowledge sessions which included demonstrations on how to grow indoor plants and other greeneries.
The goal of the project is to share ideas and knowledge about growing hassle free greens at home or in the office as well as to create awareness and cultivate interest in growing greens among UTAR students and staff.
The workshop was co-organized between the lecturers and University Green Campus Committee representative from the Centre for Foundation Studies and participated by 28 students of which 20 were from Science stream (Stream S) and the remaining from Arts stream (Stream Y). The organizing committee comprises as follows:-
Advisor: Ling Kock ShengChairperson: Goy Ling LingVice Chair: Ngo Siau WoonSecretary: Liang Chooi LingDeputy Secretary: Nalini Panneer SelvanTreasurer: Ang Chin IngDeputy Treasurer: Haslina Ahmad FauziGreen Campus Committee CFS Representative: Lee Cin Dee
We started the workshop by serving some light refreshment, sandwiches and mulberry tea which paved opportunities for participants to get to know each other. After a short introduction by Ms Goy, Mr Ling began the briefing by highlighting the benefits and importance of growing greens at home and in the office with the aim to harness the interest of the participants to green their home along with preserving the environment and encouraging sustainable lifestyle. He also shared the popular indoor plants which have exceptional air purifying properties and the simple steps on how to maintain and keep the plants fresh and healthy. In addition, he also pointed out the several methods that can be used to propagate the plants and explained the types of soils that can be mixed to attain the pH composition suitable for different types of plants.
This was then followed by demonstrations on how to mix the soil, propagate and grow the plants using recycled items such as plastic bottles, tin cans etc. During the demonstration, the students were very attentive and excited to adopt the plants as these were their first experiences for some of them. It was a hands-on and interactive session where the participants were free to mingle with friends and other lecturers to seek and share their knowledge and experiences. Ms Cin Dee took many by surprise when she shared how the germination of dragon fruits’ seeds can be grown into ornamental plants. Every participant from the workshop adopted a plant each and some adopted more than one with the hope that they will share them with their families, friends and neighbours in spreading the awareness about green environment.
Towards the end of the session, Ms Goy engaged the students to a form a student committee to ensure the continuity of the program and to provide guidance to students on how to organize events. The response was very positive as 19 out of the 28 students showed interest and registered their names to organize and participate in similar workshops or programs in the near future.
Since this was our first attempt, we had decided to reach out to a smaller group of people to ‘test the water’ and so far, the responses from both lecturers and students were quite overwhelming. Apart from planning to meet up again in the near future to update the progress and outcome of the plants that we have adopted, the organizing committee will initiate more efforts through various activities to educate and promote the awareness to a wider group of people on the ease of growing own greeneries.
The organizing committee
Briefing about greeneries by Mr Ling
Demonstration on how to propagate plants
by Mr Ling
Demonstration by Ms Cin Dee on germinating and growing plants from dragon fruits’ seeds
Students mingled and enjoyed the light refreshment (mulberry tea and sandwiches)
Ms Danielle shared with students on how to turn recycled items (tin cans and plastic bottles) into decorative vases / pots
Ms Patricia and Pn Haslina mixed the soil to
plant mulberry tree
Students asked questions about growing plants
Ms Nalini and Ms Ngo propagated the snake plants
Students helped and engaged with each other to adopt and plant greeneries
Students helped and engaged with each other to adopt and plant greeneries
Group photo of the organizing committee and participants (UTAR students and staff)