It was all action this morning as the Sarawak Orchid Propagation Project partners gathered at MRSM school for the official opening of the propagation laboratory. Students, Sarawak Orchid Society, Mayor Kuching North, educationalists and academics.

The Chief Minister’s Wife arrived at 10am and was given a very professional tour of the new laboratory by the MRSM students Elwin, Natalia, Miara and Nina. The girls explained and demonstrated replating seedlings in the flow cabinet, TZ testing for seed viability and orchid seed through the wifi microscope.

The opening ceremony and celebration included speeches, certificates (here is Chloe receiving her certificate from the First Minister’s Wife) and a meal. TV and newspaper cameras were everywhere and Orchid Project students were interviewed for Sarawak TV.

We found that we had been on TV last night and all the newspapers featured our meeting with the Mayor.

It has been a thoroughly enjoyable event as shown by the happy faces of the student team (and one of the MRSM mums)

Many thanks to the efforts of Tengku ands her committee at the Sarawak orchid Society for making today possible.

The day finished with enough time to explore the shops in the centre of Kuching and some wonderful textiles will be coming home with us at the end of the expedition.