November 4, 2016

Her Majesty Gyalyum Tseyring Pem Wangchuck, the co-chair of the Bhutan Foundation, granted an audience to the students and teachers of Jakar Higher Secondary School in Bumthang. Her Majesty visited the school to interact with the students and teachers who were members of the Himalayan Environmental Rhythms Observation and Evaluation System (HEROES) project at the school.

Jakar Higher Secondary School is one of 21 schools in Bhutan engaged in observing and recording the seasonal lifecycle of plants at their campus. Currently, about 30 students in Jakar are actively involved in the program monitoring plants regularly and submitting data to the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE).

During the visit, the students and the faculty presented a comprehensive overview of the HEROES project and their findings to Her Majesty. The students shared how the project has positively affected their lives and their understanding of climate change. As a result, the students and teachers also shared some of their initiatives to create public awareness about climate change through community services and road shows.

Interacting with the students, Her Majesty shared her appreciation and insights on the importance of learning from nature. Her Majesty also made field visits to different plant locations at the school and listened to students’ findings about the plants.