Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) continues to lead science-driven conservation efforts to ensure that the guardians of tomorrow are well-equipped to protect Malaysia’s precious marine heritage.
The university recently organized the Nature Conservancy Knowledge Transfer programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kompleks Seberang Takir, involving 120 primary school students, to transform them into the next generation of environmental stewards.
The event aimed to cultivate a sense of responsibility in the younger generation, turning them into proactive ocean advocates to safeguard local marine biodiversity.
Participants rotated through activities that included trivia challenges on nature’s fun facts, an educational game about mangrove litter management, and physical races where they imitated marine animal movements.
Students also learned to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy mangrove nurseries through survival role-playing, explored biodiversity via a creative board game and practiced classifying aquatic life by matching species cards to their respective habitats. This hands-on pedagogy effectively illustrated complex concepts like marine food chains, aligning the initiative with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water).
A unique highlight of the event was the participation of 15 international students as facilitators. They are from the UMT TROPIMUNDO programme, which is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystem programme funded by the European Commission. UMT serves as one of the global partner and host institutions.
Also acting as mentors and facilitators were UMT’s own postgraduate and undergraduate students. The team provided the students with a global perspective on biodiversity and also helped them develop essential soft skills such as communication and teamwork through collaborative interactions.
by Ts. Dr. Siti Tafzilmeriam Sheikh Abdul Kadir
Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS) &
Dr. Siti Mariam binti Muhammad Nor
Faculty of Science and Marine Environment (FSSM)