Exploring Guava (Psidium guajava) Germplasm Garden as a Living Laboratory in Sri Lanka: Educational, Conservation, and Socio-Cultural Insights

The germplasm conservation gardens at university has a potentiality to facilitate experiential learning, environmental stewardship, and the conservation of biodiversity, and thus aid in the achievement of several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of Quality Education (SDG 4), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Life on Land (SDG 15). This study utilized a qualitative method to value the educational, conservation, and sociocultural aspects of the Guava Germplasm Conservation Garden at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka. Stakeholders, who comprised 90 of the undergraduates and post-graduate students and academic and landscaping management staff, were interviewed through a variety of data collection techniques, which included semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. This data collection was carried out until thematic saturation was achieved, and thematic analyses were conducted and then coded through the NVivo software, which also facilitated the coding triangulation. Five primary themes emerged: (1) conservation of plant genetic diversity, (2) experiential and place-based learning, (3) guava's cultural and nutritional value, (4) stewardship and environmental responsibility, and (5) the garden's future challenges and opportunities. These findings point to the garden being a ‘living laboratory’ which augments learning, and promotes awareness of conservation and socio-cultural engagement. The study, however, also details the inadequate infrastructure and bureaucratic constraints that hinder the optimal use of the garden. Other suggestions are the incorporation of the garden into more curricula, enhancing interpretive infrastructure, and broadening community engagement for maximizing impacts related to the SDGs. This study illustrates the diverse possibilities of university germplasm gardens functioning as integrated sustainability hubs.

Guava germplasm, conservation of biodiversity, university landscapes, experiential education, socio-cultural values, SDGs, guardianship of the environment, living laboratories

1. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Chawla, L. (2020). Learning to love the natural world enough to protect it. Barn, 2, 57–78. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka. (2020). Fruit crop cultivation and genetic resources in Sri Lanka. Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Donaldson, J. S. (2009). Botanic gardens science for conservation and global change. Trends in Plant Science, 14(11), 608–613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2009.08.008 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). (2019). The state of the world’s biodiversity for food and agriculture. FAO. https://www.fao.org/state-of-biodiversity-for-foodagriculture/en/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Guest, G., Namey, E., & Chen, M. (2020). A simple method to assess and report thematic saturation in qualitative research. PLoS ONE, 15(5), e0232076. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232076 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. O’Donnell, K., & Sharrock, S. (2017). Botanic gardens and plant conservation: Contributions to ex situ conservation through seed banking. Plant Diversity, 39(6), 373–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2017.11.003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Ratnayake, S. S., Kumar, L., & Kariyawasam, C. S. (2020). Neglected and underutilized fruit species in Sri Lanka: Prioritisation and potential distribution under climate change. Agronomy, 10(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10010034 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Sobel, D. (2004). Place-based education: Connecting classrooms and communities. The Orion Society. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Tilbury, D. (1995). Environmental education for sustainability: Defining the new focus of environmental education in the 1990s. Environmental Education Research, 1(2), 195–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350462950010205 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Tian, M., Zhang, Q., Li, J., & Xu, W. (2021). Plant diversity conservation challenges and prospects: The perspective of botanic gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank. Plants, 10(11), 2371. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112371 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Turner, B., Wang, Y., & Li, X. (2023). Botanical gardens as living classrooms: Education, conservation, and sustainability perspectives. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14, 1182912. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1182912 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study