A total of 90 students from PAUD and TK Lab School Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) participated in learning activities and introduction to urban farming at Rumah Hidroponik UNNES Ecofarm. This activity is part of an effort to educate the environment from an early age while introducing the concept of modern, environmentally friendly agriculture.
In this educational visit, students were introduced to the hydroponic farming method which does not use soil, but instead utilizes measured water and nutrients. The children seemed enthusiastic when invited to see firsthand various types of vegetable plants such as lettuce, kale, and pakcoy that grow well in the hydroponic system.
This activity was guided by intern students from the UNNES Conservation Subdirectorate from the Biology Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA). The instructors of the activity included Bilqis Alfisyahani, Ambar Wati, Dinda Danissa Trisno Aviolta, Alifa Nadya Nawang Wulan, Rasyid Bima Andanu, Shifa Ramadhanti, and Wildan Abid Hakam.
According to Bilqis Alfisyahani, one of the instructors, this activity aims to instill environmental awareness and introduce environmentally friendly agricultural technology from an early age. “The children seemed very interested, they asked a lot of questions and were happy when invited to hold plants. This is a good start to introduce the concept of sustainability to the younger generation,” she said.
In addition to learning about plants, students were also invited to do fun activities such as watering plants and planting seeds directly. Mentoring from the students made the learning process fun and interactive.
This activity is part of UNNES’ commitment as a conservation campus that continues to encourage environmental education across ages. It is hoped that through activities like this, children can love nature more and have an awareness to protect the environment from an early age.
