Cultivating knowledge: Sarawak students and UK partners share insights at Oxford Botanic Garden

School students from MRSM School Kuching, Sarawak, visited Oxford Botanic Garden alongside members of the Sarawak Orchid Society and pupils and teachers from their UK partner, Writhlington School. MRSM School has had a focus on orchid conservation, science, and propagation since the creation of the school’s micropropagation laboratory in 2019 with help from Writhlington School in Somerset.

Plans are now in place to develop ‘mini botanic gardens’ in schools across Sarawak, and the team visited Oxford to learn lessons from the UK’s oldest botanic garden. Deputy Director and Head of Science Dr Chris Thorogood gave an interactive tour of the Botanic Garden, identifying modern approaches to public engagement and ideas for the new botanic gardens in Sarawak. Sarawak group leader Dr Tengku Auvaroza Tengku Abraham described the visit as 'enlightening' and hopes that 'links between Oxford Botanic Garden and our project in Sarawak will lead to many positive outcomes'.

Photo: Dr Simon Pugh-Jones