ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TRAINING OF TRAINERS

Training is the process of acquiring the knowledge, skills, and attitude that are needed to fill
the gap between what people want to do, and what they are able to do now. It is considered as one of the way on how people gain new knowlegde or upgrade their knowledge. 

In order to dissimenate knowledge on wetlands and tropical rain forests to the teachers, Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)  organized a 3 day- 2 night teachers workshop on Environmental Education Outdoor Activities. The workshop was held at FRIM-MNS-Shell's Nature Education Centre, here in Kepong. The participants were School Nature Club teachers from Terengganu, Pahang and Penang. My daughters, my wife and I also joined the workshop that had been held on 3 to 5 of April 2009. (We also joined the same workshop a week before that conducted to the teachers from Johor, Melaka and Negri Sembilan).

During the workshop, we did a lot of activities such as environmental game, nature trail trekking along Denai Sebasah, wetlands flora and fauna identification activities, night walk, blind trail and presentation on Science Garden and 5 R's activities. We also being brought to experience the canopy walk. At Denai Sebasah, the participants also managed to plant several trees and for my team, we managed to plant a Gapis tree (Saraca spp.). 

I also took the opportunity to conduct a short meeting with the teachers from Terengganu state regarding this year activities planned for Terengganu School Nature Clubs members.

To all facilitators and teachers, thanks for the opportunities given to my family and I to join this valuable workshop.

Workshop for Teachers on Plant Tissue Culture Techniques

A sweet memory at FRIM ..................

Curriculum Development Division officers with Dr. Kodi of FRIM & Ms Mahaletchumy of MABIC


Acacia hybrid planting session


Briefing on culture media by Dr. Kodi


The preparing of tissue culture media bottles


The Flame Beauty plant

At the GreenHouse






En. Aziz Saad, our Department Head is giving his speech




I am planting the Acacia hybrid plants

Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) and Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC) organized a fruitful workshop for Biology and Science teachers within Klang Valley regarding the Plant Tissue Culture Techniques on 26 August 2008 at FRIM Auditorium, FRIM Tissue Culture Laboratory and FRIM Tissue Culture GreenHouse.

The workshop was officially opened by the Y.Bhg Dato' Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Penyelidikan FRIM. Together with the teachers were the officers from Science and Mathematics Department, Curriculum Development Division, Ministry of Education Malaysia, lead by En. Aziz Saad, the Department Head.

In this workshop, the participants were given a fruitful information on the topic of plant tissue culture by FRIM tissue culture expert, Dr. Kodi Isparan Kandasamy through his presentation entitled "Plant Tissue Culture and Its Application in Forest Biotechnology".

We then continue the workshop with practical sessions on tissue culture techniques that being held at tissue culture laboratory. We managed to learn and experience the tissue culture work with the help of several researchers and research assistants. We were given the opportunities to do the plant tissue culture work by using Flaming Beauty (Carphalea kirondron)  and Acacia hybrid tissues. I got a special request from Dr. Nor Hasnida Hassan, a Senior Research Officer to do the tissue culture on Tongkat Ali / Long Jack (Eurycoma longifolia) and I do not know either my cultures are succesful or not. (I can't upload the photos while we were at the laboratory as taking  photograph is prohibited here).

The final event for this hands-on activities was the replanting session of the provided tissue cultured Acacia hybrid  plants at the tissue culture greenhouse. We managed to plant five young plants per person and we planted for about 150 young plants. Yes, we had support the 'planting tree campaign'. Dr. Kodi also gave a tissue cultured Wild Ginger plant (Zingiber malaysianum) for all participants as souvenir.

At the end of the workshop, the participants then received their attendance certificate after the official closing ceremony. 

I take this opportunity to thanks Mr. Anandan of Curriculum Development Division, Dr. Kodi, Dr. Nor Hasnida and all tissue culture unit staf, Ms. Maha of MABIC, teachers and CDD officers for the fruitful event. Thank you....... and please remember this, "teacher is the forefront to dissiminate information".