Heavy rains did not stop aspiring young scientists from attending Scientists in Schools to listen to Dr. Damasa Macandog and Dr. Nathaniel Bantayan.
The Scientists in Schools program, which aims to “inspire the next generation of Filipino scientists,” was organized by the Australian Embassy.
Students from Los Baños National High School, Los Baños Community National High School and Los Baños Integrated School attended the event held at Makiling Botanic Gardens, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños campus.
Macandog discussed her study, “Drivers of Land Use Changes in Laguna Lake Subwatersheds and their Impacts on Terrestrial, Environment, Biodiversity and Group Water Quality.” The research looked into the sources of pollutants in Laguna Lake and how further damage to the important body of water could be avoided.
Macandog is a professor and university scientist at UP Los Baños. She obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Botany (Plant Ecology) degree at the University of New England, New South Wales, Australia.
Bantayan, also a professor at UP Los Baños and director of the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems, talked about the importance of forestry and of Science in explaining phenomena. Bantayan, who obtained his PhD in Engineering from University of Melbourne in Victoria, introduced student participants to plants found on Mount Makiling during a walk in the botanic gardens.
PHILIPPINE-AUSTRALIAN Alumni Association Los Baños chapter secretary Jong Belano introduces Damasa Macandog and Nathaniel Bantayan.
He encouraged the students to study Forestry and become champions of biodiversity.
Bantayan said there was a high demand for foresters in government agencies and the private sector.
Macandog told students about the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers that made the soil acidic and destroyed crops. She discussed how pollution was damaging Laguna Lake. She said pollution at the Santa Rosa Watershed led to the death of some water species and had harmful effects on residents of Laguna.
Macandog and Bantayan advised the students to listen to their parents, read more and forget about gadgets and Facebook. They said that if students had gadgets, they should use them to read books.
“Gadgets are good; use them in a productive way. Be conscious of the things around you. When you focus on your gadget you become a zombie and you don’t know what’s happening around you. (You may just find when you look around that) the environment is already gone,” Bantayan said.
The Scientists in Schools program aims to promote appreciation for Science education, research and innovation among high school and college students through lectures by Australian scientists and Australian-educated Filipino scientists.