IPB University Student Becomes a Mentor for Junior High School (SMP) Students during the Fungi Exploration in Mount Gede Pangrango

Mega Putri Amelya, a student from the Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) of IPB University, loves the world of fungi. Her hobby in exploring nature and finding diversity of fungi is channeled through social media named Instagram. Because of this hobby, Mega became one of eleven mentors requested by SMP PB Soedirman to guide their students in the context of exploring biodiversity in Mount Gede Pangrango, last August. Mega was one of two mentors from IPB University while the other mentors were from ITB, UNJ and UNTIRTA.

"They were very enthusiastic, even though they were still junior high school students. From this activity, some students began to be interested in knowing more about the Biology Department," she said. This was her first experience in guiding junior high school students to explore directly in nature. Mega realized that the attitude of loving nature must be instilled since childhood.

"One thing that I always asked and emphasized to them was how they feel if the natural wealth in Indonesia is managed by outsiders. It will be pitiful. So this is our duty to protect our nature," she added.

According to her, biology is very broad and unlimited. Fungi are also very interesting to learn and explore, especially in Indonesia with its biological richness. "Fungi are funny, so let us often bend our head to see Indonesia's natural wealth," she added. (ASK/Zul/zsp)