At the heart of Melaka in Malaysia, a three-day environmental education camp brought together over 500 primary and secondary school students, igniting their curiosity and creativity for a more sustainable future. Organized by the Melaka State Education Department, the camp was designed to move beyond classroom theory, offering hands-on experiences and playful learning to deepen students’ understanding of environmental protection.

Learning Through Exploration

On the morning of July 9, students gathered at the Pusat Kokurikulum Negeri Melaka, ready to embark on a journey through the surrounding woodlands. Guided by experienced coaches, they explored the habitats of local flora and fauna, learning how invasive water hyacinths can disrupt river ecosystems and how even the most unassuming plants can have medicinal value.

Hands-On Sustainability: Turning Waste into Treasure

The camp’s activities were divided into four stations, each offering a unique perspective on sustainability. At one station, Tzu Chi volunteers introduced the 5R concept—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, and Recycle—encouraging students to consider the lifecycle of everyday items and the importance of mindful consumption.

Meanwhile, representatives from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) taught students how to transform used cooking oil into colorful, fragrant candles. Siti Rohana binti Omar, head of UTeM’s Global Sustainability Strategy Department, explained, “These candles can be both decorative and functional, and making them helps students realize that even waste can be repurposed creatively at home.”

At another station, Mr. Redzuan from the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWCorp) guided students in transforming old T-shirts into reusable bags. He highlighted the urgent issue of overflowing landfills, noting that textiles are the second-largest category of waste after food scraps. “By making storage bags, students can help reduce waste and extend the life of materials,” he shared.

Imagination in Action: Building Sustainable Cities

One of the most engaging activities invited students to imagine themselves in various professions—accountants, city planners, lawyers, programmers, engineers, influencers, writers, or café owners—and use LEGO bricks to design solutions for environmental protection in their chosen fields.

With gentle guidance from volunteers, students’ ideas blossomed. Many groups incorporated solar panels and rainwater collection systems into their models. The “lawyer” group built a courthouse to hold polluters accountable, while the “accountant” group promoted paper recycling and solar-powered calculators in the workplace.

Aleya Sheera binti Mohd Jamah, representing the influencer group, described their plan to promote environmental education in schools and install trash-detecting sensors to encourage proper waste disposal. “I once saw a fun and unique sensor in another place,” she recalled, “and thought it could be useful for detecting litter.”

Mawar Nur Jannatulmawa binti Abdul Rashiddi, a secondary student, shared her group’s vision for a green café—complete with indoor trees, solar-powered coffee machines, rainwater harvesting for cleaning, and selling fertilizer made from coffee grounds. She credited her grandmother for teaching her to minimize waste and repurpose kitchen scraps as animal feed or fertilizer.

Sonnika A/P Vigneswaran, representing the city planning group, advocated for more electric bus charging stations and improved public transport to reduce carbon emissions. She appreciated the hands-on approach, saying, “Using building blocks helps us turn our ideas into reality and share them with others.”

Everyday Environmentalism: Small Actions, Big Impact

After the creative sessions, students rotated through three practical learning zones. In the resource sorting area, volunteers demonstrated how recycling 20 kilograms of paper can save a 50-year-old tree and encouraged students to adopt five daily eco-friendly habits: eating plant-based meals, conserving water and electricity, carrying reusable utensils, and choosing sustainable transportation.

The dangers of plastic pollution were brought to life as students learned how discarded bags can harm marine life and clog waterways, leading to floods. Inspired, Syakir bin Nurmi, a young student, immediately handed his empty water bottle to a volunteer, saying, “Today, I learned not to litter and to keep the environment clean, or the earth will be damaged.”

Aish Fahmi bin Fadz and his friend Luthuwaisy were surprised to discover that plastic bottles and even foil packaging can be transformed into useful items like roofs. “We collect cans and bottles at home, but now we know they can become something new,” they said.

Jia-Min Chen (陳嘉敏), a secondary student, reflected, “Recycling isn’t just about protecting the environment—it’s about reducing waste. I didn’t realize that making 32 plastic bottles uses a whole liter of oil. I’ll use a reusable bottle from now on.”

Planting Seeds for the Future

The camp’s collaborative, interactive approach not only fostered environmental awareness but also empowered students to become problem-solvers. By connecting theory with practice, children learned that caring for the earth begins with small, everyday choices.

Tzu Chi volunteer Mee Yong Ngow (吳美容), who helped coordinate the event, observed, “Working with the Education Department and other organizations allows us to reach more children and inspire creative thinking about how to benefit people and the planet.”

Camp coordinator Mohamad Yamin bin Mohd Rawi shared his vision: “I hope to instill good values from a young age and turn our activity center into a model for sustainability, so that the next generation can inherit a better environment.”

Written by Siew Lian Low (羅秀蓮)

Source: 青少年想像力 創意融入永續