Planting seeds of responsibility
ORIGINATING in Northern America, Arbour Day holds a long legacy of espousing the importance of trees in everyday living. It is celebrated in 40 countries all over the world and is a day when people come together to plant trees.
Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) dedicated February 11 to this purpose, which also marked the culmination of the school’s Eco Week activities.
ECiM’s Eco Week saw students engaging in exciting efforts of environmental consciousness such as recycling, field trips to the mangroves and a schoolwide competition among houses to reduce the school’s carbon footprint.
Granville house emerged champions of this “Blackout Day”, much to the delight of head of house Daim Hishamuddin.
“Many basic necessities such as breathing in clean air and drinking pure water are taken for granted,” said Daim at the Arbour Day event. “It is up to us to do something to protect the world.”
ECiM’s Arbour Day celebration kicked off with an assembly in the school auditorium, where audience members were entertained by a moving rendition of a song by the Prep School choir.
This was followed by a speech by Datuk Kenneth Kolb, chairman of Friends of Epsom College in Malaysia (FoECiM). FoECiM is a
EnterolobiumCyclocarpum
volunteer committee comprising parents and friends connected to the college and it had earlier championed a fundraiser to purchase the Arbour Day trees.
“It is a special day that allows us to appreciate trees and what they do for us,” said Kolb. He added that it was important for parents to work together with the school to impart important lessons in children and to lead by example.
The tree-planting ceremony took place outside the cricket pavilion, where two mature 40ft (12.2m) tall Enterolobium Cyclocarpum trees (commonly known as elephant-ear trees and
native to the Americas) were planted along with a time capsule containing memorabilia from the Prep School, Senior School and the boarding houses.
ECiM encourages a healthy boarding life with a myriad of activities and lessons both inside and outside the classroom. Activities such as Arbour Day not only instil an appreciation and understanding of environmental issues in students, but are also an innovative break from their routine.
Headmaster Martin George was pleased to find students participating in the Eco Week activities with great positivity and enthusiasm.
“As much as children want to be independent, they look to adults for a lead. If we can instil in them a sense that this type of activity is important, then there is a greater chance that we will also instil an appreciation for the environment,” said George.
“It’s been about raising awareness not just of environmental issues faced by the world but also this important point – small things can make a difference,” he added. “There is a tendency for children in particular to think ‘What can I do to make a difference?’ We are trying to get people to realise that collectively, we can make a great change. Then we are more likely to educate a generation that will get things right.”
Indeed, this sense of appreciation is echoed by the student body when the students participate in activities such as these.
“The future is in our hands and we are the torchbearers of tomorrow,” said head of college Chai Su Chi. “All that we do today is for the future.”
Beyond environmental education, Arbour Day and Eco Week have displayed how students at ECiM fully utilise opportunities to establish tradition within the school that will be part of the legacy they leave behind for generations to come.