Adopt, Nurture and Replant: UC Botanical Garden welcomes new students
The 'UC.Plantas' initiative promotes the integration of first-year students into the academic community through science.
The University of Coimbra Botanical Garden (JBUC) is once again welcoming first-year students with the initiative UC.Plantas – Learning to Plant the Future, which will take place on 24 September at 18:00 at Avenida das Tílias. This year, 250 native plants, including trees and shrubs, will be made available for new students to care for throughout the academic year.
Launched in 2017, the project has already involved over 800 students, promoting biodiversity and the restoration of national forests. According to Joana Cabral Oliveira, from JBUC’s Educational and Communication Service, “UC.Plantas invites all first-year students at the University to adopt a small plant that they will care for until March.”
For Oliveira, the initiative is more than a symbolic adoption: “It is a different way of welcoming students to the University and reminding them that being a student is not just about focusing on academic achievements, but also developing other skills, such as connecting with nature, sustainability, and our Botanical Garden.”
Support is provided throughout the academic year. “Students take the plant home, but they will not be left to care for it alone. They will receive weekly newsletters from the Garden with care tips and challenges linked to themed days,” explains Joana Cabral Oliveira.
The plants return to the Garden in March, but their final destination is already planned: “The idea is to place them in a green space in our Central region, so that students can contribute to reforestation. That is why this adoption comes with a planned return,” she concludes.
Interested students can complete the online form until the end of the day, or go to Avenida das Tílias at 6 pm. More information here.
O acompanhamento é garantido ao longo do ano letivo. “Os alunos levam-na para casa, mas não vão ser abandonados com a planta. Vão receber newsletters semanais do Jardim com dicas de tratamento e desafios alusivos a dias temáticos”, explica Joana Cabral Oliveira.
As plantas regressam em março ao Jardim, mas com destino final definido: “A ideia é levar estas para um espaço verde da nossa região Centro", para que os estudantes possam contribuir para o reflorestamento. "Daí esta adoção ter de ter um regresso anunciado", conclui.
Os interessados podem preencher o formulário online até ao final do dia ou dirigir-se diretamente à Avenida das Tílias, a partir das 18h00. Mais informações aqui.