13.3.5 Environmental education collaborate with NGO
Srinakharinwirot University provides environmental education in collaboration with external non-governmental partners. Under the project “Preserving Arts and Culture, Conserving the Environment, and Promoting Public Mind”, the Behavioural Science Research Institute organised a study-visit and learning programme at the Toyota Green Town Learning Center in Ayutthaya, an environmental education centre operated by Toyota’s sustainability initiative. Staff participants engaged with five key thematic learning stations: (1) expanding green spaces through sustainable Miyawaki forest planting to increase oxygen and absorb CO₂; (2) water conservation using rainwater harvesting tanks and permeable surfaces; (3) sustainable mobility through electric vehicle car-sharing (Toyota Ha:mo), hybrid technologies and promotion of cycling to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions; (4) alternative energy via solar power parking canopies and smart-grid building systems using reused hybrid car batteries; and (5) integrated waste management focusing on reducing, separating, recycling and upcycling “orphan waste” into useful products such as chairs, pavements, plant pots and compost. The project also strengthened understanding of how waste reduction and proper waste management contribute to mitigating climate change, while fostering volunteer spirit, public-mindedness and continuous learning among university staff in partnership with an external environmental education organisation.
