ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY (2015 -2016)
The Department of botany is well equipped with talented faculty members and sufficient infrastructure facilities required for teaching and research. The department has organized various programmes in the year 2015-16 under Botany association and Environmental club.
Botany Association Activities
1. As part of World Environment Day celebrations, the department of Botany along with NSS unit of our college planted Fruit trees orchard in the campus. Principal Dr. Sheela Mary Xavier addressed the students emphasizing the importance of Environment Day celebrations and planted the first tree sapling. A total of 27 tree saplings were planted. The orchard was named ‘Eden Garden’
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2. Botany Association activities for the year 2015-16 was inaugurated by our Principal Dr. Sheela Mary Xavier on 19th August 2015. The manuscript magazine ‘Green Iris’ prepared by DCII Botany students was released by the principal on the occasion. Documentary film “Wonders of Plant Kingdom” was screened on the occasion.
3. Nature Outreach program
The department of Botany initiated annual ‘Nature Outreach Program’ this year. The aim of the program is to extend class room teaching to outside campus, taking students to various ecosystems in Nature. This year 44 students along with 4 members of the faculty visited the mangrove forest at Ayiramthengu, Kollam to study mangrove ecosystem on 6th February 2016. They also visited the beach at Thirumullavaram, Kollam and collected various algal samples.
4. An Exhibition on ‘Treasures of Nature’ was organized by the department on 2nd February 2016. The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr. Shirly Rachel Anil, Senior Scientist, CTCRI. The students exhibited various models and charts on Evolution of plant kingdom, Types of ecosystem, Threats to Nature and Conservation strategies. Best model awards were given to the students by the Principal.
5. Campus Flora Photography Competition – Interdepartmental Campus Flora photography competition was conducted by the department on 2nd February 2016. Ms. Sreeraghi A S of final year B.Sc. Botany received the Best Campus Flora photography award.
6. A ‘Food Fest’ was organized by the department on 19th February 2016 as a fund raising program for the department.
7. ‘Know Our Plants’ campaign is being conducted by the department to provide knowledge about locally available plants
8. Study tour was conducted for final year students to Kodaikanal, Cumbum, Theni & Vagamon from September 1 - 4, 2015. The students were accompanied by our faculty members Dr. Nisha K K and Smt. Cinthya Christopher
Academics
9. Our student Ms. Aathira Sree S. got III rank in the Botany examination at under-graduate level conducted by Kerala University
10. Four final year Botany students along with two faculty members Ms. Sharanya K P and Ms. Lekshmy participated in the lecture organized by JNTBGRI, Palode in commemoration of 100th year of Gamble publication on 18th December, 2015.
Environmental Club Activities
Environmental club activities of our college are co-ordinated by the Department of Botany. During the academic year 2015-16, following students were selected as office bearers for the smooth conduct of the activities
President – Sujitha T S (DC II Botany)
Vice-president – Roshna Jobi (DC II Botany)
Secretary – Krishna Murugan (DC II Botany)
Joint-secretary – Jeslin Jobe (DC II Botany)
1. Eco Discussion Forum
Members of the club meet every Thursday for an eco discussion forum. Members present and discuss various topics on environmental issues.
2. Fern Dale
Members are actively involved in setting up of a conservatory for ferns in the campus named ‘Fern Dale’. Ferndale consists of different members of Pteridophytes which include Selaginella, Psilotum, Pteris, etc. Through this activity students get an opportunity to know and study more about these vascular cryptogams as well as it creates an awareness among students about the need of conserving such lower plant groups.
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3. Maintenance of Medicinal garden, Nakshathra Garden and Mahatmaji Jaivodhyanam is done by the members of the club. Name boards were established for the trees in Nakshathra Garden
Extension Activities
1. ‘Inter-University Competition on Water Resources Management’ Programme
TERI University and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) conducted an ‘Inter-University Competition on Water Resources Management’ programme. The programme was focused on students at the undergraduate level. The programme followed a competition mode with sub-national level (5 Regions of India) and national level competitions. The main aim of the programme was to encourage students to develop a multi-stakeholder, evidence-based, participative, practically implementable Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) proposal.
Our college participated in the competition. The team comprised of 5 students from different disciplines under the mentorship of Dr. Nisha K K of the department of Botany
Team Members
1. Ms. Helda Susan Shaji, DCII Economics
2. Ms. Helen Mary Shaji, DCII Economics
3. Ms. Keerthana J J, DCII Chemistry
4. Ms. Rinnu Maria Jose, DCII Zoology
5. Ms. Roshni A S, DCIII Botany
6. Ms. Sunitha S K, DCIII Botany
Mentor - Dr. Nisha K K, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Botany, All Saints’ College
Out of a total of 90 proposals, 75 teams from colleges across India which had proposed innovative solutions for water management and sanitation issues with a focus on water bodies in their immediate vicinity were selected. Regional selection of teams was organized in 5 nodal centers across India to shortlist 2 best teams from each center to compete at next level of the competition- the national stage. Our team competed in the Southern Region Competiton organized at Hotel Gokulam Park at Kochi on 16-17 September 2015 and came first.
The national stage of this competition had about 10 teams. As a reward to the selected teams, the team along with a faculty mentor was invited for an edu-excursion Camp from Oct 25 to Oct 31 2015 at Lemon Tree Premier Hotel, Gurgaon, Haryana. During the camp the team members had an opportunity to get guidance to improve their proposal ideas from national and international subject experts.
National Competition was held on 28th January 2016 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Our team participated and competed along with 9 other teams from all over India.
2. YUVA MEET 2016
Youth Unite for Voluntary Action (YUVA) is an annual youth meet organized by TERI to bring together college students, youth groups, experts and stakeholders working towards environment conservation. The theme of YUVA Meet 2016 was “Developing Skills and Social Entrepreneurship: Vision to Action for a Sustainable Future”. The meet focused on understanding social entrepreneurship and innovation as guiding principles for sustainable development. More than 250 youth participants from colleges/ Universities, NGOs, NSS participated in the Meet this year. Three students of our college along with Dr. Nisha K K of the department of Botany participated in the meet.
3. An awareness campaign on water resource management was done along with the students of Inter University Competition on Water Resource Management
4. Students gave PowerPoint presentations on relevant scientific topics in connection with the Journal club activity.
5. All India Global Energy Students Parliament
The Isa Viswa Prajnana Trust and the State Institute of Languages, Govt of Kerala, in association with the Government of India (CRWC), organized the All-India Students Energy Parliament at the Old Assembly Hall, State Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram on February 25, 2016. The topic of the Students Energy Parliament 2016 was “Total Education.” Student and faculty representatives from prominent national Colleges and Universities were invited to become Members of Parliament and collectively developed Resolutions of Parliament on “Total Education.” Two members of faculty from our college along with three student representatives participated in the parliament. Prof. Divya Grace Dilip of the department of Zoology was the faculty minister of Life science and Ms. Sandra Satheesh of DCII physics was the student minister of Physics. Dr. Nisha K K of the department of Botany along with Ms. Jemima John (DCIII Communicative English) and Ms. Anu Xavier (DCII Commerce Finance) participated as Members of Parliament. Ms. Jemima John received the III Best Student Parliamentarian Award.
