YOGYAKARTA – What do we have in mind if the Student Field Practice (KKN) program is done in a museum? What will happen to the museum with student activities? Moreover, student service is usually done in open locations such as villages or hamlets in remote areas and even schools. That’s what today can be found at the Museum of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada.
Free collection of dozens of types of grains such as corn, rice, soybeans, water spinach, longan, pumpkin, jackfruit, and beans are exhibited at the museum from 22-29 August 2010. The collections are the result of KKN PPM UGM student’s work unit 97 in cooperation with Karangtaruna Wirogunan.
"For the exhibition, we have more than 40 types of Indonesian typical grains. All of them are collected from a number of traditional markets in Yogya," said exhibition committee chairman, Zoechrova (Biology Dept student year 2007), Monday (23/8).
Ova, her nick name, added that the exhibition is the first activity to be done in museums because up to now the museum specializes in only of flora and fauna collections. In the exhibition, a collection of elephant teeth, lichens and amphibia (several species of frogs) are also exhibited.
"This is the first exhibition of its kind because previously the museum only specialized in the collection of flora and fauna," she said.
Meanwhile, Mahya Nur Rochmah(Biology student class 2007) added that the event is in line with their field practice’s theme of improving the role of museum as media of education. Besides the exhibition, the previous activities conducted by 20 UGM students of Unit 97 were waste and compost management, visiting the Great Commander General Sudirman museum located adjacent to the Museum of Biology, as well as the story writing competition about museum for primary students.
"For elementary schools there was the story writing competition “I love museum”, biodiversity poster competition for junior high schools and wall magazine competition for senior high school students," Mahya said.
Students in Unit 97 are also from Forestry, Psychology, Agricultural Technology, Chemistry, and Philosophy Faculties.
The UGM Museum of Biology was opened on 20 September 1969 to coincide with the anniversary of Biology Faculty of UGM by the Rector Prof. Dr. Soeroso H. Prawirorahardjo, M.A. It was opened to the public since January 1, 1970.
This museum’s collections includes a number of herbarium collections of fruit 3752 (mounted) in the form of dried and wet herbarium, skeletons, and fossils. A total of 70% is plant preparations, while the other 30% is animal preparations. The collection mostly came from Indonesia, some from overseas, which were contributed by researchers, lecturers as well as the community.