Enhancing Students’ Local Knowledge Through Themed Garden Project

Abstract

Traditional or local knowledge is a major issue to be focused on,particularly since the implementation of the Strategic Plan forBiodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi Targets ``Living in Harmony withNature{''}. According to the strategic goals, by 2020, conservation ofbiodiversity and its sustainable use incorporate what local andindigenous communities have within their traditional knowledge,innovation and practice and their customary use of biological resourcesare respected at all relevant levels. The older generation among thelocal people usually use medicinal herbs for various ailments, healthcare and other cultural purposes. However, encroaching industrializationand the changes in today's life styles are responsible for thedecreasing practice in the local use of herbs especially for healingpurposes. It is, therefore, felt worthwhile to encourage younggenerations such as school children to gain knowledge about these localherbs and record the native uses of these herbs before the informationis lost. One biodiversity education program was conducted to facilitatesecondary school students to set up a themed garden and find out thelocal knowledge of the plants they grew in their garden from theirfamily members or communities. The findings revealed that students'local knowledge on healing improved after they joined the program.Therefore, it is proposed that the themed garden project can enhancestudents' local knowledge.