Local Orchid Development by ULM Faculty of Engineering in Meratus Geopark

Batulicin – The Faculty of Engineering, Geological Engineering Study Program, Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) has carried out planting and conservation of local orchids from Meratus Geopark in the Engineering Techno Park, Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan. Member of the Regional Representative Council of Indonesian Orchid Lovers (DPD PAI) of South Kalimantan, Philip Recardo Sugiwan, through a press release in Batulicin on Tuesday, stated that the hybrid dendrobium orchid named Geology FT ULM South Borneo is a new type submitted by the Chairperson of DPD PAI South Kalimantan, Arinda Dian Susanti, to the Geological Engineering Study Program.

Geology FT ULM South Borneo is now the first study program in Kalimantan to have an orchid name and has been patented internationally at the Royal Horticultural Society London. In this activity, DPD PAI South Kalimantan also involved the Dean of the ULM Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Iphan Fitrian Radam, a geological engineering student, Secretary of the Geological Engineering Study Program, Rudy Hendrawan Noor, and an engineering lecturer, Arica Nefia, to develop local orchid species in the Banjarbaru Faculty of Engineering environment and in the Meratus Geopark. According to Prof. Iphan Fitrian Radam, orchids are one of Indonesia’s endemics that have a lot of diversity and are widely distributed in the Meratus Geopark, South Kalimantan. “We from the ULM Faculty of Engineering strongly support the development and conservation of orchids to preserve the orchids of the Geopark,” said Prof. Iphan. He considered that orchids have strong adaptation and can live in various places. As a pioneer of orchid campus, let us protect and preserve the local orchid species of Meratus,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. “We hope that this event will be an encouragement for geological engineering students to preserve and care for the local orchid species of the Meratus Geopark,” requested Prof. Iphan. He also hopes that orchids, which are known as the Indonesian flower, will not only be developed by the Geological Engineering Study Program, but also by other study programs, so that ULM can become the first orchid campus on the island of Kalimantan.