Activity 1: ZOO COMMUNITY SERVICE

My position in this Zoo Community Services program is as a program director. I play a role in fully planning this program. I also need to make sure and help my team members to be able to carry out the planned tasks perfectly before the program date. Finally, during the program, I need to make sure the program runs smoothly and if there is a problem, I need to solve the problem immediately.

   This Zoo Community Service program is a volunteer program aimed at exposing students to volunteer activities by providing services to the community. My original purpose in running this Zoo Community Service Program was to qualify for the Baden Powell Award. However, at the same time, this program aims to cultivate the spirit of volunteerism among students and give freedom to students by participating in fun activities as well as beneficial. This is because, we know as students we do not run away from classes, assignments, tests, and so on. 

   The program has been filled with various interesting activities such as cleaning the Zoo area. Participants were given a lifetime experience by feeling how to carry out the duties of the Johor Zoo staff. Cleaning activities have been carried out at locations such as tigers, rhinos, bird cages, tapir, and so on. The cleaning activities that have been done by all these volunteers in line with the six scout laws which is scouts are kind and love animals and The UTM Graduate Attributes which are Leadership and Teamworking Skills. In addition, participants also played Mini Explorace. This game has strengthened the relationship between local students and students from abroad and also enhance their communication skills and thinking skills. In fact, with this activity, participants can cultivate a spirit of cooperation and learn more about animals in more depth.

    After running this program, I think this program is very helpful for the development of student Graduate Attributes. The activities held are very helpful for participants to cultivate communication skills, thinking skills, leadership and teamwork skills, and adaptability. For example, for zoo cleaning activities, it is very important for participants to have teamwork skills so that the activities they do can be completed in the allotted time. In fact, the large zoo area really needs good cooperation from all participants. Next, although participants play Mini Explorace just to have fun after the cleaning activity, but can't deny that this activity requires good communication skills because each member needs to communicate with other teammates in carrying out tasks and thinking skills in order to complete a given task.

  This program also has many advantages that can be obtained such as participants have an awareness of the importance of conservation and preservation of flora and fauna, participants and also committee members (committee) build a spirit of camaraderie with each other in the activities carried out, participants and committee can be given exposure to various additional information such as about the history and knowledge of the species of flora and fauna and their habitats - development of the Johor Zoo, which I believe this is a learning that is difficult to obtain in classroom learning. In fact, participants can gain a lifetime of experience to feel how Zoo staff carry out their duties every day through this volunteer program. 

   Overall, I believe this program is very helpful for participants to appreciate the flora and fauna and be able to cultivate various skills. The knowledge received throughout this program is very useful and beneficial in giving us awareness. Therefore, I hope that this program will be run again in the future.