The University of Northern Philippines, through its College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), conducted a field-based ecological assessment involving 119 second-year Medical Biology students at Caniaw Heritage and Forest Park on November 11, 2026.
Conducted under the theme EcoHeritage: Documenting Plant Diversity and Cultural Knowledge across Ecosystems, the full-day activity provided students with practical experience in applying concepts from their General Ecology course to field research.
Supervised by faculty members Kezia T. Briones and Gay Anne D. Seguritan, with assistance from personnel of the host park and the Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur, the students performed quadrat sampling and transect walks to determine plant species abundance, density, frequency, and distribution.
They also documented plant morphological adaptations through ecological photography and participated in a Pulot-Walk cleanup as part of the activity’s environmental stewardship component.
The fieldwork provided students with hands-on experience in ecological observation, data collection, and assessment of plant diversity, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education), 13 (Climate Action), and 15 (Life on Land).
Article by Eden Beronilla.
