Peking University, May 2 2017: From April 25 to 26, the PKU Laboratory and Equipment Management Office, School of Life Sciences, Campus Service Center and organ divisions of the Labor Union jointly organized the fifth "Knowing Plants in Yanyuan" event in line with the 48th Earth Day theme. The activity called on every PKU student to cherish the natural resources on campus, and work together for the sustainable development of the Yanyuan environment. Three teachers from the School of Life Sciences, Rao Guangyuan, He Xinqiang and Meng Shiyong, were invited to introduce the plants, and nearly 100 teachers and students participated in the event.
Activity site
There are around 300 kinds of plants in Yanyuan, which ranks high among Chinese universities. People are often enchanted with the beauty of Yanyuan. Yanyuan’s species, well preserved for hundreds of years, shows its history to generations of PKU students.
From the library to Boya Tower, Weiming Lake to Jingyuan Courtyard, teachers and students followed the guiding teachers to learn and identify seemingly ordinary but interesting plants, and to explore the colorful world of plants in Yanyuan. The guiding teachers occasionally put forward some questions about the plants, for example, how to distinguish between shrubs and arbors? How to identify peony and Chinese herbaceous peony? How does the plant reproduce? How does the parasite live? Teachers and students who knew plants well actively interacted with the guiding teachers, and the right answer came out after discussions. For students who did not know much about the plants, they praised the colorful and lovely world of plants, and were surprised by the beauty of Yanyuan even more after the introduction.
Mr. He Xinqiang introducing plants in Yanyuan for teachers and students
Mr. Meng Shiyong introducing plants in Yanyuan for teachers and students
Mr. Rao Guangyuan introducing plants in Yanyuan for teachers and students
"Green pines, light green willows, the poplar with big leaves, and the locust tree with leaflets, come into the line side by side. Weiming Lake is full of green water with no ripples, which looks like a mirror." This is a quotation from one of Mr. Ji Xianlin’s articles. We cannot help but think of it while walking along the river. Campus Service Center contributed a lot to the wonderful environment of Yanyuan with their professional preservation work. The landscaping department of Campus Service Center is responsible for the arrangement of flowers and trees, lawn pruning, conservation, regular fertilization, de-worming and such activities. Also, the beautiful environment of Yanyuan cannot be preserved without the care of PKU teachers and students.
Plants in Yanyuan
Finally, the team gathered on Jingyuan lawn to mark the end of event. But teachers and students’ enthusiasm seemed to be unabated. Many of them gathered around the guiding teachers, and asked various questions about the plants. "This event is very meaningful. I hope I can participate in it again next year!" said a teacher to the staff of the Environmental Protection Office.
Group photoWritten by: Qian Kang
Edited by: Wang Yuqing/Gan Zhonghao
