Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Faculty of Biology initiates the founding of Botanical Garden (mini botanical garden) in the UGM Training, Research and Development Garden (KP4). In March, various types of natural orchids from all over Indonesia will expectedly arrive in the place. Dr. Endang Semiarti, M.S., M.Sc., Person in Charge (PIC) Program Coordinator of Indonesia Managing Higher Education for Relevance and Efficiency (I-MHERE) for Faculty of Biology, said that later the botanical garden will become a kind of educational tour for children in kindergarten even for college students.
"It will become an education and research tourism as well as community empowerment. Because in addition to the orchids conservation, it can be benefitting commercially, so it will increase community’s income," said Endang on Dissemination and Kick Off I-MHERE Program at the Faculty of Biology, Wednesday (25/1).
Endang added the botanical garden that will occupy an area of 2.5 hectares will be equipped with a showroom, research laboratory as well as natural and hybrid orchids from all over Indonesia. Besides, a range of training and orchid seeds trading will be conducted there.
"Of course, this will contribute and increase income for the UGM as a Regional Center of Excellence (RCE)," said Endang.
She explained the establishment of botanical garden is one of the 42 activities funded from the I-MHERE program for Faculty of Biology in the years 2010-2012. Endang explained the main activity carried out through program I-MHERE is the funding of 5 lecturers of Faculty of Biology in Germany, Korea, Australia, and Japan.
Endang specified events in 2010-2012 consist of 13 events in 2010, 15 events in 2011 and 14 events in 2012.
"In 2012 actually there are 12 activities, but there are two additional activities using efficiency fund of the previous year that are not absorbed," said the Faculty of Biology’s Vice Dean of Student Affairs and the Research.
In the dissemination, presentations were then carried out by each PIC of I-MHERE program for Faculty of Biology. They are: PIC activity 1, Dr. Niken Satuti Nur Handayani, M.Sc. and Dra. Rarastoeti Pratiwi, M.Sc., Ph.D., PIC activity 2, Dr. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr.Sc., PIC activity 3.1, Slamet Widiyanto, S.Si., M.Sc. and PIC activity 3.2 and 3.3, Dr. Diah Rachmawati, S.Si., M.Sc.