The ‘Green Minds: Biodiversity and Climate Youth Awareness Programme’ is a new collaborative initiative by the Universiti Brunei Darussalam Botanical Research Centre (UBD BRC) and the Brunei Climate Change Office (BCCO), designed as a hands-on learning experience where young people can explore nature and learn about climate change right in the heart of the UBD campus.
The programme was officially piloted on 6th August 2025 and brought together 31 students from Pusat Tingkatan Enam Meragang.
With an overarching goal of educating and inspiring Brunei’s younger generation to become environmental stewards, this youth-focused educational programme aims to help young people better understand the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, two of the most significant challenges the world is facing. Focusing on the impacts of these issues on Brunei, the programme highlights the country’s unique plants and animals and the importance of nature. The programme also shows how caring for nature and fighting climate change are closely connected, and how these efforts support Brunei’s goals for a better, more sustainable future.
The programme has four main objectives: to help students understand what climate change and biodiversity loss are, how they affect the world and Brunei; to show how these issues are connected to each other and to global goals; to build appreciation for Brunei’s rich natural environment; and to encourage students to take action to protect nature and the climate.
Through fun and interactive activities in the botanical garden including talks, group discussions, guided walks through the UBD BRC Kerangas forest trail, and hands-on activities on forest ecological studies, students learned how climate change and biodiversity are connected, and why these issues matter in their daily lives. The experience helped them think more deeply about the environment, appreciate nature, and feel inspired to take action.
The Green Minds programme will be offered by the UBD BRC in four sessions and will be open to students from secondary schools and higher education institutions across the country. Schools and higher education institutions interested in the ‘Green Minds: Biodiversity and Climate Youth Awareness Programme’ can contact the UBD Botanical Research Centre for more details on upcoming sessions and registration at office.brc@ubd.edu.bn.
For more information on the programme and other events or activities, follow UBD BRC’s Instagram @ubd.botanicalgarden.