The Sunday's tree planting activity was done on the occasion of Earth Day.
The symbolic tree planting was led by Valerie Preseault of the University of Montreal, alongside students from ULM's Biology program under the guidance of lecturers Amalia Rezeki and Luthfiana Nurtamara.
"This is a matter of pride and honor for us, as a team of Canadian academics is able to take part in Earth Day commemorations here in South Kalimantan," Rezeki said on Sunday.
She emphasized that the activity serves as a concrete gesture of respect for nature and a call to raise awareness about the importance of caring for the Earth.
In addition to planting trees, ULM students were encouraged to build a chain of awareness by sharing their environmental initiatives on social media, inspiring others to take similar action.
Rezeki explained that the choice of the Ulin tree was due to its status as a rare and endangered species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The tree plays a vital ecological role, providing food and shelter for various wildlife species.
Moreover, the Ulin tree is a natural carbon sink, helping absorb carbon dioxide -- one of the primary greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.
By converting CO2 into biomass, the Ulin tree contributes to reducing atmospheric carbon levels as part of a climate change mitigation strategy.
The seedlings used for this event were sourced from the private botanical garden of Chendrawan Sugianto, a conservationist dedicated to preserving rare tree species in Banjarmasin.
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Translator: Firman, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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