Mystique Tropicals
SAAT FAIR, November 29 – December 1, 2024 (9 am – 7 pm)
Location: Connexion (Green Building), Diamond Island
Photo by DC-Cam Staff
Documentation Center of Cambodia Archives
Documentation Center of Cambodia Participates in the SAAT Exhibition on Ornamental Plants and Their Medicinal Uses
By Min Sannas
From November 29 to December 1, 2024, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) showcased ornamental plants that purify the environment and possess medicinal properties in the SAAT Exhibition. This event was organized by SAAT and the Old House Community at Connecxion Green Center (Koh Pich).
The SAAT Exhibition highlighted sustainable businesses, green innovations, ornamental plants, architecture, creative products, and local enterprises with a focus on environmental awareness. Additionally, the event brought together entrepreneurs, leaders, and experts who played significant roles in sharing knowledge about business and plants.
The Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) has conducted research on plants for medicine for many years, aiming to identify certain species that can be used medicinally to promote the health of genocide survivors affected by the Khmer Rouge regime. DC-Cam has established a plant research laboratory to study rare Cambodian flora and various plant species from other countries for breeding and medicinal purposes. Survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime may utilize these plants to improve their health. Furthermore, these plants help purify the atmosphere, create natural beauty, and foster a refreshing environment amidst ongoing climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, which currently impact approximately 40% of the global population.
The research on ornamental and medicinal plants is conducted by Cambodian volunteer students from CamboCorps, including Chey Virak and Ang Sok Heng of Mystique Tropicals. The plants cultivated and propagated by Mystique Tropicals have also been displayed in exhibitions on ornamental and rare plants in Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.
Chey Virak and Ang Sokheng, students from the American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP), who oversee plant research and the laboratory at DC-Cam & The Queen Mother Library, emphasized that rare plants at risk of extinction in the future require urgent breeding and propagation efforts to preserve their species. After cultivating and propagating new and rare plants, DC-Cam plans to plant these species at its branches in several provinces across the country.
