Sleman, 7 October 2025 — The Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), through the 2025 Desa Mitra Program, carried out a community service activity at SDN Pusmalang, Wukirsari Village, Cangkringan Sub-district, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. The event was held on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, from 08.00 to 10.30 AM, with the theme of introducing microalgae and fish diversity to elementary school students.
The program is part of the Desa Mitra initiative in Wukirsari, coordinated by Prof. Rina Sri Kasiamdari, S.Si., Ph.D. The academic team from the Faculty of Biology UGM attending the event included Prof. Dr. Diah Rachmawati, M.Si.; Prof. Dra. Tuty Arisuryanti, M.Sc. Ph.D.; Dr. Utaminingsih, S.Si., M.Sc.; Dr. Eng. Thoriq Teja Samudra, S.Si., Bio.Cur., M.Sc.; Dr. Aprilia Sufi Subiastuti, S.Si.; and Dr. Wiko Arif Wibowo, S.Si. In addition, the event was also attended by doctoral student representative Sidiq Permana Putra, M.Sc. as well as master’s program student representatives Ulil Albab and Putri Syah Astari.
The first session was delivered by Dr. Eng. Thoriq Teja Samudra, S.Si., Bio.Cur., M.Sc., who introduced microalgae as microscopic organisms that require a microscope for observation. Several types of microalgae were presented, along with their ecological roles, such as producing oxygen through photosynthesis and serving as a natural food source for fish.
This topic was followed by a session on fish diversity, presented by Prof. Dra. Tuty Arisuryanti, M.Sc., Ph.D. She introduced common ornamental and aquaculture fish species and showed live examples, including catfish (Clarias), tilapia (Oreochromis), and goldfish (Carassius auratus).
At the end of the program, students were asked to draw fish based on their imagination. Three selected drawings were awarded with the opportunity to bring home the fish specimens used in the demonstration.
The event received positive enthusiasm from SDN Pusmalang students and is part of the ongoing community service agenda of the Faculty of Biology UGM in Wukirsari. The program aims to strengthen scientific literacy among young students and foster collaboration between academia and the community. This program contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).
