Twenty selected high school students and educators from the Department of Education (DepEd) Naga Cebu Division participated in the 2nd Nursery Management Training organized by the Biodiversity, Environment, and Natural Resources Research Center (BENRC) and the Soil and Water Conservation Foundation (SWCF), held from August 27 to 30, 2025, at the CTU-Argao Campus.
Facilitated by BENRC Director Hemres M. Alburo, the four-day training featured lecture sessions on the fundamentals of nursery establishment, followed by hands-on demonstrations and field-based experiential learning.
During the opening day, DepEd Region 7 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Coordinator Ranilo Edar reminded participants of safety precautions and emergency measures to observe throughout the training. Moreover, SWCF Executive Director William G. Granert also attended the event and led a short but meaningful demonstration.
Notably, the first round of this training was conducted in January 2025, with participants from the Philippine Science High SchoolโCentral Visayas Campus, Carcar City Division, and Cebu Province Division. Like the previous batch, the group is expected to proceed to another four-day training focused on biodiversity monitoring in Nug-as, Alcoy.
The Foundationโs Field Activity Coordinator, Sheena R. Pino, revealed that the follow-up training is tentatively scheduled for October or November, with either the same or new students from selected high schools in Naga, Cebu, depending on the discretion of the students, teachers, and their respective schools.
These trainings are part of the ongoing Internal Climate Initiative (IKI)-funded campaign titled Youth Hands-on Biodiversity Conservation and Management Project. /Melvin T. Benemerito
