2020 – The Habitat Foundation

Hosting our international guests – a glimpse into Shorebird Peninsular Malaysia Project (SPMP)

webadmin — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:09:00 +0000

These weary travellers rely on the continued presence of feeding grounds and safe roosting sites to enable them to renew their strength and to complete their migration further south. As long as we preserve this important wetland stopover site, we will be able to continue to witness the inspiring spectacle of their migration.

To this end, The Habitat Foundation is proud to support the Shorebirds of Peninsular Malaysia Project in documenting the annual arrival of the shorebirds species and promoting greater awareness of their importance through its education programmes. This project is led by Dr Nur Munira who is one of the recipients of the THF Research and Conservation Grants for 2019/2020.

Macaca Nemestrina Project

Rong — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 09:43:00 +0000

Macaca Nemestrina Project is a long-term behavioural and ecological study of Southern pig-tailed macaques which has been conducted near the Segari Melintang Forest Reserve (SMFR), Perak, Peninsular Malaysia since 2013.

Here, two groups of habituated macaques, numbering approximately 80 individuals move between the forest reserve and the oil palm plantations bordering its South-Western edge.

Researchers supervised by Dr Nadine Ruppert of the School of Biological Sciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia are presently engaged in a 3-year research project entitled “Enhancing oil palm sustainability through primate conservation and stakeholder engagement”. The aim of the project is to improve sustainable practices in Malaysian oil palm plantations by protecting the forest habitat of plantations through forest corridors and stakeholder engagement.

Rats form a significant proportion of the diet of the macaques in the Segari area. Photo by Macaca Nestrina Project.

Recent findings that the macaques of this area prey upon rats, which are pests in adjacent oil palm plantations, has helped to nurture receptivity and interest in retaining forest patches and corridors for the ecosystem services they provide. Further research and stakeholder engagement with the agricultural sector in conjunction with these findings could provide the basis for natural habitat conservation within large private landholdings, with positive impact on flora and fauna occurring within these forest patches. This research is supported for its potential to change industry norms and practices to be more tolerant of wildlife ranging from forest patches into plantations.

This THF Research Grant will enable Macaca Nemestrina Project to complete the fieldwork for the final component of six research components of the project. This component will gather data to test the effects of conventional pesticide use (i.e. herbicides and insecticides) in plantations on the health of macaques who frequently feed in plantations. It will also support the continuous engagement of stakeholders of the oil palm sector to design management strategies for pig-tailed macaques around their estates through forest corridors and training of workers to handle macaque conflicts.

This study is expected to show how conventional pesticide use in oil palm plantations affects the health of macaques that are now known to be beneficial biological pest control agents. This project will contribute data to generate willingness among oil palm planters to apply more environmentally-friendly practices, including the tolerance of macaques in plantations and ultimately the preservation of forest patches/corridors and permission for wildlife to move about the plantations. In the long-run, this study may generate new information and fresh perspectives that can influence best practices among the oil palm sector with benefits for both farmers and wildlife.

Adult pig-tailed macaques from one of the family groups grooming a juvenile macaque.

This research has previously received grants from USM, the Malaysian Ministry of Education, University Leipzig, The Rufford Foundation, and a Disney Conservation Grant.

Watch the video as the project is covered by TV2 Galeri Mandarin:

Testing the Potential for the Effective Food Waste Composter (EFWC) to Reduce Waste on Penang Hill

Rong — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 10:07:00 +0000

THF Conservation Grant

Assc. Prof. Dr Che Zalina of UPSI’s Dept of Engineering poses with one of the EFWC prototypes and local community partners.

This EFWC is an invention of Assoc. Prof Dr Che Zalina Zulkifli from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and is designed to provide an efficient option to accelerate the transformation of food waste into compost.

This project is being supported as an innovation under our sustainability pillar. It aims to provide a solution to reduce the amount of food waste produced on Penang Hill that is disposed as general waste and finds itself in the state landfill. It will involve working closely with Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) to install two Food Waste Composters (EFWCs) which will serve food vendors, cafes and restaurants on the hill.

The EFWC is able to process 50 kg of organic waste per-load. Assisted by heat, in-built fan, and microbes, and with a combination of brown waste in the form of leaves and clippings, compost can be harvested every five days. The project will involve the training of partners on how to use the system, conduct ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the system, and document this initiative for publication in a high-impact journal.

The EFWC has already been successfully trialled in selected schools and restaurants in Seberang Perai and George Town. It has received favourable reviews because of the ease of use and the cost-effective nature of the machines. The Council has ordered new machines and plans to extend the system to other areas. Currently there are 10 in use.

The Seberang Perai Municipal Council shared its experiences at an environmental fair organised by the Penang Green Council

Earlier this year, THF conducted an Assessment of Food Waste Production on Penang Hill as a baseline study to gather data on current waste generation and standard waste disposal protocols. The study which involved observations and interviews with vendors at Astaka, Bellevue Hotel, The Habitat, and David Brown’s, found that for the volume of waste generated, two EFWCs can adequately address current needs. One of the EFWCs will be donated by Think City, and another newer prototype (the SMART-EFWC with Internet of Things (IoT) capability) will be purchased under the project.

This project tackles a very visible problem and will help demonstrate practical steps towards sustainability in conjunction with the Penang Hill UNESCO Man & the Biosphere Reserve. In addition, the project will also explore how compost generated from the project can be utilised to help with the revegetation of slopes affected by landslides. There is also the option of providing it to middle-station farms as an incentive to reduce their use of pesticides.

Ethnomycological Study of Local Wild Edible and Medicinal Fungi

Rong — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 06:58:00 +0000

A research team from the School of Biological Sciences at USM, led by Dr Rosnida Tajuddin, has been awarded a THF Research Grant to document the historical uses and sociological value of local wild edible and medicinal fungi. They will also analyse the mycotoxin potentially present in wild fungi growing in association with the roots of dipterocarp trees, to help determine whether it is safe for human consumption.

This study will enhance our understanding of the conservation status of mushrooms in Malaysia and the significance of the biological relationships of fungi within the surrounding forest.

A tangible expression of the collaboration between The Habitat Foundation and USM, support for research on Penang Hill will certainly further demonstrate synergies between our access to pristine rainforest on Penang Island and the sophisticated research facilities and top-notch faculty at USM. THF is excited to continue to develop further rainforest research and training on Penang Hill in conjunction with the nomination of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man & the Biosphere Reserve.

Watch her video here:

The Hidden Diversity of Subaerophytic Cyanobacteria on Penang Hill

Rong — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 06:44:00 +0000

During the Penang Hill BioBlitz in October 2017, many rare and relatively unknown cyanobacteria species were detected among the algae samples collected. To understand their contribution to ecosystem functioning, and potential role in biotechnological developments, further study is necessary.

This research, led by Dr Faradina Merican of the School of Biological Sciences at USM will compare the diversity of cyanobacteria at the study site with existing records from comparable environments. It is expected to draw attention to rare, endemic and little understood taxa whose presence, abundance and biological conditions may be used to make inferences about the quality of the environment.

Samples of cyanobacteria will be collected along the pathway at The Habitat Penang Hill, observed through a microscope and identified. Cyanobacteria cells will also be cultivated under controlled conditions, and DNA will be extracted from the cultures of each strain and duplicated via a polymerase chain reaction. DNA sequences that are similar to the studied strains will be characterized based on data from the NCBI database and then used in phylogenetic analysis, a method of assessing the evolutionary relationships of species.

Findings from this research will help promote the importance of microbial species and Dr Faradina also anticipates the identification of several new species. Funding from this Research Grant will go towards covering equipment, fieldwork and laboratory costs. A combination of traditional, ultrastructural and molecular approaches will be used to study cyanobacteria found in Penang Hill’s forests.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthesizing microorganisms. They are not only important because they create energy for organisms that are unable to create their own, they also convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use. They are known to play essential roles in producing organic molecules that are not essential for their growth, development and reproduction, but are highly valuable to other living beings, including in medicinal purposes for humans. The research will improve our knowledge of their distribution and diversity in this ecosystem.

Watch her interview here:

Connecting Cats: Assessing the Population Connectivity of Apex Predators

ahmadamir — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 01:09:00 +0000

This study led by Kate Allberry of The Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), University of Kent working with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) will evaluate the genetic diversity of tigers, leopards and clouded leopards in Peninsular Malaysia to assess how effectively designated forest corridors are facilitating gene flow and movement between small populations.

If wild carnivores cannot move between habitat patches they will likely become functionally extinct due to inbreeding.

The Malayan tiger is currently classified as Critically Endangered under the IUCN Red List—only one step away from being extinct in the wild. In the 1950s, there were around 3,000 tigers in Malaysia. Today, less than 200 remain. This study is crucial to understanding whether or not the populations are sufficiently connected and will help to identify which corridors are most effective. This will also help to inform the allocation of limited resources on the ground for enforcement and habitat management. Wild population genetics studies have been conducted in other tiger-range countries but never within Malaysia, making this the first of its kind.

The project focusses on the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex in Perak and the Kenyir region in Terengganu. These priority areas lie within a Class 1 Tiger Conservation Landscape which are large contiguous areas of suitable tiger habitat able to support a minimum of five adult tigers.

During the pilot phase of this study, a team of Orang Asli were employed as research assistants and they proved to be adept at detecting feline scats, which is notoriously difficult. Their participation in this project has been a key factor in more effective data collection. New methods to extract DNA from paw prints were also successfully developed. This technique has not been applied to tigers or other big cats anywhere else and stands to advance methods of monitoring other elusive and critically endangered species.

Intensive fieldwork, involving surveys to collect DNA samples from feline scats found along trails, ridges and logging roads, will be conducted over twelve months together with the Orang Asli research assistants. Samples will be compared against 17 carefully selected and refined genetic microsatellite markers to identify tiger and leopards from collected scats. They will be processed promptly in between field surveys, to prevent the DNA from deteriorating.

This study is not only building the Orang Asli team’s capacity to serve as field biologists and guides, it is also creating an opportunity for local students to learn fieldwork and lab techniques with Kate Alberry.

Kate is a big advocate of women in science and will be using part of her grant to organize a Soapbox Science event in Malaysia which encourages female scientists to present their work.

Building Sustainable Schools – Engaging and Empowering Young Green Changemakers

ahmadamir — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 01:00:00 +0000

Established as a company in 2018, GreenSmiths empowers young people to create more sustainable futures and develops them into environmental leaders, by eco-engineering appropriately designed projects.

Funding from The Habitat Foundation will allow them to expand on their successful Sustainable Schools pilot project at SMK Tunku Puan Habsah in 2019, which was also funded by the Foundation under its education pillar.

Building on Think City’s Green Corridor initiative to encourage schools to use their fields for urban biodiversity gardens, this project will support six schools in composting, strengthening green corridors, and growing herbs and vegetables. Greensmiths will work with other local organizations to help mentor the schoolchildren in establishing and maintaining edible and biodiversity gardens.

Using resources generated by the Urban Biodiversity Initiative – another recipient of a THF Conservation Grant, it will develop a citizen science programme to document the species present within the vicinity of their school and any changes in the presence of native butterflies and other pollinators in conjunction with efforts to reduce pesticide use and enhance the planting of local food plants.

At The Habitat Penang Hill we are also embarking on a little biodiversity gardening ourselves! Our Grow Tong gardens on our shop roof top are designed to attract native species and also produce edibles for everyone to enjoy!

Overall, these initiatives will not only transform how schools use their green spaces but also change how students regard the potential within the green spaces at home.

Rewilding and Restoring Native Species to the Urban Landscape

ahmadamir — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 00:57:00 +0000

UBI is passionate about cultivating an appreciation for native plants which are a common part of the typical Malaysian landscape.

Urban Biodiversity Initiative (UBI) is an independent collective for urban ecology research, conservation and environmental education. Based at the Rimba Ilmu Botanic Garden at Universiti Malaya, they have received a THF Conservation Grant to implement a project promoting the rewilding of urban landscapes through education and community engagement.

This project will lay a foundation for integrating biodiversity gardening into the wider urban greening agenda, engaging multiple stakeholders and develop resources for communities, as well as local institutions and government authorities.

Urban biodiversity is threatened by intensive land-use change and current landscaping norms that aim to neaten landscapes, making them inhospitable to native biodiversity in the process. These practices are contributing to the global loss of flora and fauna from ecological communities.

Biodiversity gardening lies at the heart of a paradigm shift from a purely aesthetic landscape to one incorporating ecosystem services and cultural values—a living landscape. Transforming urban and inner-city areas into biodiversity enclaves provides welcome relief to populations lacking access to parks and other sizeable reserves. This also creates abundant opportunities for environmental education and for people to connect with nature.

Several demonstration sites have been identified in Petaling Jaya including the compound of the University of Malaya’s Centre for Malaysian Indigenous Studies in Section 16, Petaling Jaya. Others will be added on as the project launches. UBI will conduct ongoing monitoring at these sites.

The project comprises three objectives:

1. REDISCOVERY

Demonstrating the value and importance of urban biodiversity through education and by raising awareness. Running a training-of-trainers (ToT) workshop to lead communities in becoming citizen scientists by discovering and documenting the biodiversity around them.

2. REINTEGRATION

Working with institutional and community partners i.e. schools and residential groups, to transform urban spaces into native biodiversity reintegration sites.

3. RESOURCE

Creating biodiversity gardening resources and toolkits for urban communities in Malaysia. Developing a practical handbook and open-source digital resources enabling and empowering community groups and local government to independently conduct biodiversity audits and develop biodiversity reintegration sites.

Find out more from the Urban Biodiversity Initiative website.

Strengthening Capacity for Biodiversity Conservation Impact Among CBOs in Greater KL

ahmadamir — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 00:52:00 +0000

Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF) Society was established in 2011 to serve as the official community counterpart to manage KDCF, which was gazetted for protection in 2010. Today, it is regarded as a model community-managed urban forest and a demonstration of public participation (National Policy on Biodiversity 2016).

The Society has also played a major role in building similar like-minded organisations. In late 2019, it was awarded a small grant from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) to implement a 20-month project to address urban forest loss in Greater KL and build collective capacity for biodiversity conservation and community engagement among community-based organisations (CBOs) and government authorities in Selangor and the Federal Territory.

The GEF-SGP grant will be channelled towards activities to establish a common platform to protect remaining green areas in the Klang Valley and create a more hospitable landscape for biodiversity in the sprawling urban metropolis. The Habitat Foundation is strengthening this initiative by providing co-funding to boost capacity for project coordination, networking and successful project delivery.

The project comprises four components:

1. Creating impact at the planning stage and government level

Working with the municipal council, professional urban planners, and the forestry department to identify forested areas on state land, private land, and other reserves that can be conserved as urban greenspaces. Exploring opportunities to ensure their protection.

2. Capacity-building among organizations

The project will nurture a strong network of CBOs to consolidate collective experience to offer technical assistance and support to stakeholders and agencies seeking to emulate successful models for community-based conservation and engagement. This platform will hold public meetings to elevate the need for urban green spaces at a national level and elicit firm governmental commitments to and programmes that support biodiversity conservation in urban environments.

3. Specialized training and development of resources and publications

Sustainable forest trails: leveraging off the experience of Kota Damansara Community Forest and Bukit Kiara, the project will demonstrate the power of sustainable forest trails for engaging the public to appreciate and enjoy nature. The training will comprise a combination of theory sessions followed by practical experience from building a new trail.

Bringing biodiversity back: the project will work with academics and key organizations to develop resources for ‘biodiversity gardens’ which would focus on plants that are important to support local species of birds, bees and butterflies. A publication will be developed as a ‘how to’ guide for schools as well as residential areas and a few schools will be enlisted to demonstrate the programme.

Appreciating biodiversity: the project partners will organize several specialized-training activities to teach interested organizations on how to develop their skills as Nature Guide. Programmes would include macrophotography, herpetology, entomology, birding and forest flora among others.

4. Enlisting the next generation

The forest classroom: in order to cultivate connection to nature, programmes would be run to familiarize teachers and parents with how they can organize learning programmes in the community forests among our network.

Voluntarism and community service: organizations with experience in organizing volunteer activities will share their experience and networks in order to enlarge and streamline opportunities for school groups and students working towards service awards.

Enlisting tertiary students: working with academics from local universities, and in conjunction with the Forestry Department, we would seek to develop a programme of internship opportunities in conjunction with this project so students may gain experience within our CBO network

Developing Native Tree Nurseries With Local Jahai in Royal Belum State Park

ahmadamir — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 00:23:00 +0000

The Habitat Foundation, together with the Tropical Rainforest Conservation Research Centre (TRCRC) and the Perak State Parks Corporation (PSPC), are piloting an innovative project engaging Jahai Orang Asli within Royal Belum State Park to establish native tree nurseries.

Participating Jahai villagers from Kg. Sg, Klewang will collect the seeds of wild fruit trees, dipterocarps, and other target species from the forests adjacent to their village.

Seedlings from rainforest species that have been germinated at TRCRC’s nursery.

TRCRC to conduct ongoing training and mentoring for Jahai collectors from Kampung Sg. Klewang, who will lead the programme in their village. It will also go towards establishing the native tree nurseries, monitoring and caring for the seedlings as they germinate, and the initial purchase of saplings from the Jahai. The project will secure long-term sponsors to purchase saplings from the nurseries and plant them at sites identified as being important for restoring connectivity in the Central Forest Spine.

In the past year, PSPC has made strong strides in integrating indigenous people into the operations of the park. A successful pilot project in Kg. Sg. Klewang could lead to the expansion of the native tree nurseries to other villages within the park if there is interest. Importantly, it could also present a dynamic model for local community participation elsewhere in Malaysia where Orang Asli live in the vicinity of key protected areas and wildlife corridors. This initiative could well demonstrate a framework for greater involvement of traditional peoples associated with protected areas while providing a viable option for improving local livelihoods.

Jahai communities residing in Royal Belum State Park face many challenges in improving their livelihoods. The aim of the project is to provide a sustainable basis to earn supplementary income.

THF and TRCRC team members on a site visit to ascertain local interest in participating in the project.

Recently, to take advantage of the masting event occurring every five to seven years in dipterocarp forest, TRCRC organized several sessions to collect endangered/rare/threatened (ERT) dipterocarp seeds. These were purchased from the Orang Asli participating in this programme and will be germinated in their dedicated nursery within the Amanjaya Forest Reserve.

Some of the seeds that were gathered by Jahai collectors during the masting event in October 2019.