2021 – The Habitat Foundation

SMART-Effective Food Waste Composter Pilot Project for Penang Hill

Rong — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 09:15:00 +0000

Continuing the sustainability initiative by the Foundation which started last year, the Effective Food Waste Composter (EFWC) developed by Professor Dr. Che Zalina from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has now been installed at The Habitat Penang Hill, where the machine is monitored by the staff.

Currently, the brown waste such as leaves, twigs and coffee ground and the green waste such as egg shells, fruit and vegetable peels are collected from the Penang Hill park, the staff working at The Habitat and some nearby food vendors. Thus far, two batches of composts, rich in nutrients, were produced with the machine.

The process of composting has gone through a few rounds of trials. Our team has provided some feedback to Prof Dr Zalina on the functionality of the prototype and the quality of the composts produced. Meanwhile, the staff are working diligently on obtaining the ideal proportion of the brown and green waste to yield compost, with the ideal humidity and texture, regularly.

Green Waste collected for composting.

Once the process is streamlined, The Habitat aims to expand our waste collection to the residential community around Penang Hill as well as other stakeholders on the hill.

Diversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies on Penang Island

Rong — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 10:06:00 +0000

The Habitat Foundation is pleased to support a research on the diversity of dragonflies and damselflies through our 2021 Research Grant. Dragonflies and damselflies are categorized under the order of Odonata and they are one of the least known species of Penang Island. This study aims to document the diversity of Odonata within the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve and to produce an Odonata species list for the Biosphere Reserve.

Dragonflies and damselflies are charismatic representatives of insect diversity. They may look similar from afar with their slender bodies, big compound eyes and membranous wings, but each group has its own unique features that can easily tell them apart. Their iridescent wings and body that come in all shades of colour is what attracted Dr Choong Chee Yen in the first place to learn more about them.

Dr Choong Chee Yen, who is the Associate Professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and also one of the leading experts on Odonata in Malaysia started studying dragonflies and damselflies since 2005. As a macrophotographer, he was drawn into the details of the Odonata and is mesmerized by their colours. His growing love for dragonflies and damselflies has driven his passion as a scientist to document the species diversity and he has since then dedicated himself to this field.

Dr Choong Chee Yen, whose love for dragonflies and damselflies, has driven him to be a researcher on Odonata.

For this study, Dr Choong has made a few visits to several freshwater habitats within the study area to collect his samples. In determining the field sites, he takes into consideration different water bodies environments such as clean flowing water, brackish water, stagnant water and elevation. Thus far, he has collected about 40 species of dragonflies and damselflies and 7 new Odonata species were identified after cross-referencing with previously published records on Penang Island. These 7 species include:

Scientific Name	Common Name	Location
i) Acrogomphus malayanus	Malayan Hooktail	The Habitat Penang Hill
ii) Leptogomphus risi	Ris’ Clubtail	Titi Kerawang
iii) Orthetrum luzonicum	Marsh Skimmer/ Slender Blue Skimmer	Tiger Hill
iv) Nepogomphus walli		Titi Kerawang
v) Zygonyx iris malayana		Titi Kerawang
vi) Coeliccia erici		Penang Botanic Garden
vii) Echo modesta	White-faced Clearwing	Titi Kerawang, Moniot, Penang Botanic Garden

New records of Odonata species on Penang Island found within the Penang Hil Biosphere Reserve.

Ris’ Clubtail (Leptogomphus risi)

Coeliccia erici

White-faced clearwing (Echo modesta)

Dragonflies and damselflies play an important part in our ecosystem. As some species depend on clean freshwater bodies for their life cycle, their presence has become synonymous with healthy ecosystems. Certain species only occur in clean flowing water while some can tolerate polluted water. Thus based on the species found, the water quality of that habitat can be determined. According to Dr Choong, the common green metalwing (Neurobasis chinensis) and common flashwing (Vestalis amethystina) are two examples of Odonata species for clean water bioindicators found on Penang Island.

Common flashwing (Vestalis amethystina)

By nature, dragonflies and damselflies are also good biocontrol for pests. Long existed since millions of years ago, the Odonata has evolved to be carnivorous. The flying adults eat mosquitoes and other insects while their larvae or nymphs also feed on mosquito larvae, tadpoles and even small fishes.

Through this study, we hope to gain more insights into the health of aquatic ecosystems on Penang Island and to further showcase dragonfly watching as a new area of specialty ecotourism in Malaysia.

HUGS Project in Safeguarding Our Caves in Merapoh

Rong — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 22:23:00 +0000

The Habitat Foundation Sustainable Tourism Grants are about supporting community-based tourism because it also strengthens conservation. HUGS Project received a grant in 2021 to organise specialised workshops for local cave guides from the remarkable limestone landscape of Merapoh, Pahang.

After months of movement restriction control throughout Malaysia, we have finally managed to make a trip to visit the caves in Merapoh in December to understand and support the work of our grantee, Laili Basir, who is working alongside with the local people to safeguard our limestone caves in Merapoh and its vicinity. The local people here have long served as the guardians of the caves. With the support of this grant, we hope to better equipped them with the best practices in cave conservation and paleontology to be cave guides and co-researchers to experts from the Paleontological Society of Malaysia.

This training was conducted by Laili Basir and our local zoo-archaeologist expert from University Malaya, Lim Tze Tshen. The guides were briefed with basic geological and palaeontology knowledge before conducting work at the field sites. They were brought to a few unexplored caves in Merapoh to study the quaternary mammal’s fossils and to practice extracting fossils. The 2-day expedition has yielded an impressive array of wildlife fossils from hedgehog, leopard cat, muntjac to serow, gaur, rhinoceros, elephant and many more. One of the most exciting finding was a fossilized tooth of Orang Utan, as it can only be found in Borneo today.

Tools given to the local guides for fossil extraction which includes a hammer, a chisel, a compass, a measuring unit and a brush.

Fossils from a diverse group of species were extracted throughout the 2-day expedition

Ah Tshen explaining to the local guides on fossil identification

Fossilized tooth of Orang Utan

These archeological findings within such a short span of time show how little knowledge we have on the remarkable caves in Malaysia which are not just a time capsule but also evidences of how humans and animals have adapted to the past environment and prehistoric ecological changes such as climatic changes and sea level changes. These geologic archieves could help in the prediction of future climatic change and help us to improve our ability to predict what lies ahead.

Cave paintings that show the evidence of human settlement in one of the caves in Merapoh

With so much more yet unknown to us, these caves must be preserved and continually protected from unsustainable development and human activities that could bring about any damage to the caves. Through supporting community-based ecotourism, these caves with its own unique ecosystem and wildlife can continue to be preserved while the ecosystem services provided by the caves will also safeguard the livelihoods of the local people.

The team of local guides and our THF staff who joined the 2-day cave expedition

Fuze Ecoteer: Leading Sustainable Tourism in Marine Environments

Rong — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 02:01:00 +0000

Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures is a Malaysian registered tour operator with experience in conservation and research. It is recognised as a social enterprise that focuses on marine conservation projects.

Fuze Ecoteer believes that people play an important role in nature conservation and that through education and providing opportunity to people of all ages to experience nature are the most appropriate ways to conserve nature.

Fuze Ecoteer is based in Perhentian Island, Terengganu, one of the famous Malaysian islands. As the recipient of The Habitat Foundation Sustainable Tourism Grant, they are funded to bring people closer to marine environment and to educate public on the importance of sustainable tourism. Their project focuses on community engagement especially in involving young people from the local community who are potentially pioneers of marine conservation rapid response team. To appeal to the younger generation, they share their project with the community through social media platforms.

The Marine Park and several local dive shops in Perhentian Island play an important role in this project as they provide training to the youths who are interested to be part of the team. The youngsters are equipped with basic diving skills and knowledge through a weekly training programme on topics such as introduction to corals, marine biodiversity, and identification of fish, which also sets their course to become marine conservationists.

Another major initiative is the development of a management system for the entire island. The funds will help to form, together with other stakeholders, a pioneering group of young people who will be involved in the joint management of the island and this project will also serve as a platform to build trust between all stakeholders involved in this initiative. In line with this effort, the team holds regular small group discussions with the villagers, hotel management, and dive shops on the island who are the important stakeholders to ensure the success of this project.

Throughout the project, the local youth team showed great interest in the activities carried out. Nevertheless, the restrictions in Malaysia due to the pandemic have led to delays in some of their projects and adjustments have to be made to the original plans. Dive shops are not allowed to open and all physical skills training had to be postponed. However, they still carry out their weekly online training regularly.

Empowering the Next Generation of Community Leaders

Rong — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 08:56:00 +0000

It is no mistake that two of the 2021 Sustainable Tourism Grants are to empower initiatives being spearheaded by young people who are conservation leaders and represent the next generation of decision makers.

Giving them the exposure, skills and encouragement they need now will help them demonstrate their capabilities and lay the foundation for future impact. We are delighted to be working with Kelab Alami Mukim Tanjung Kupang in Johor, and the new Rapid Response Conservation Unit of Fuze Ecoteer in the Perhentian Islands of Terengganu.

Fuze Ecoteer (FE) has been working in the Perhentian Islands since 2007 and has run environmentally-focused school programmes since 2010. Its work in Perhentian is part of a larger project in collaboration with Reef Check Malaysia (RCM) and NOAA to develop the management plan for the Perhentian Islands on behalf of the Marine Park Division. FE is the on-ground partner with the role of actively consulting and involving the local stakeholders to get their input.

The Perhentian Islands are home to abundant marine life but the hard-coral cover has declined from 50.5% in 2016 to 35% in 2019 (Reef Check Malaysia, 2019). Uncontrolled tourism has had a role in this. There is a need to socialize more eco-conscious tourism practices among locals and visitors alike to help reduce heavy impact on the marine environment.

The Sustainable Tourism Grant awarded to Fuze Ecoteer will be used to establish and train a youth-led Rapid Response Conservation Unit. This Conservation Unit is expected to play an important role in the future management of the islands. The Conservation Unit would assist Fuze Ecoteer in managing the Reef Care site at Teluk Keke and the Village beach. Local eco-snorkel guides will also focus on developing new snorkel tours that promote good snorkelling behaviours. This will play a role in encouraging greater awareness and more conscientious practices among locals and visitors alike.

A portion of the budget will be allocated to seed a conservation fund which will be used to fund rapid response conservation needs such as boat fuel to remove ghost nets from the reef. These rapid response interventions are beneficial to all tourism businesses on the island.

Ghost nets and other marine debris can be a real hazard to corals and marine life. The Rapid Response unit would aim to remove them where possible.

New co-management initiatives with the Department of Fisheries through the project are a step in the right direction and are giving local people the opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of local community empowerment.

By strengthening capacity for introducing better ecotourism experiences in the marine environment, the project aims to reduce impact on the coral and marine life from mass tourism. Fuze Ecoteer is convicted that once the Rapid Response Conservation Unit has had the opportunity to operate and demonstrate its value it will be able generate sustainable finance from resorts and tourism players on the island.

Kelab Alami has been active in Tanjung Kupang for over 12 years. They have focussed on enabling the coastal community of this area to understand and appreciate the natural habitats in their backyard. Over time they have been able to use this knowledge to earn supplementary incomes in the face of depleting traditional livelihoods based on fisheries. The ultimate aim has been to strengthen capacity within the local villages for community management and conservation of the area. They are well known for their seagrass, island, and mangrove habitat immersion tours, as well as village cycling, river and market tours and cooking classes. Their proximity to the cities of Johor Baru and Singapore make them well-suited for education programmes and field visits.

Kelab Alami hosts educational tours to seagrass and mangroves in their backyard.

More recently, Kelab Alami has been given the opportunity to refurbish an abandoned building and site owned by the Johor Port Authority (LPJ) with funding from the Iskandar Region Development Authority (IRDA). This will become the Kelab Alami Nature & Heritage Centre which is due to be ready by January 2021.

The grant will enable them to train more youth guides to better share their natural & cultural heritage with guests. It will also enable them realise the vision of local people leading habitat co-management efforts by bringing together multiple stakeholders at the new Nature & Heritage Centre to co-create and commit to a conservation management plan. The plan will be an important framework for future ecotourism plans and ensure that the community can constructively participate in it for their long-term livelihoods and benefit.

The Habitat Foundation is honoured to support Kelab Alami at this exciting milestone in their journey which has been many years in the making. Young people are now poised to fully take ownership and drive the conservation, education, and livelihood programmes in Tanjung Kupang.

Ecosystem Services Provided by Bats in Ricefields

Rong — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 02:02:00 +0000

The study to be undertaken Dr Nurul ‘Ain of the School of Biological Sciences, USM focusses on the insectivorous bats of the Gunung Keriang area of Kedah.

It aims to ascertain whether the insectivorous bats which roost in the nearby limestones caves are consuming species that are known to be pests in rice fields.

The research methodology involves documenting seasonal insect abundance and pest availability at different phases of paddy growth. Faecal samples of bats will be analysed to understand resource partitioning among the bats of Gunung Keriang.

Equipment for measuring the seasonal insect abundance in the paddy fields.

The view of Gunung Keriang changes with the different stages of paddy growth.

The research is expected to provide conclusive scientific evidence that bats do provide essential ecosystem services in Malaysian rice agriculture. Consequently, maintaining bat roosts would demonstrate an ecologically-friendly method for controlling pests that helps increase crop production by lowering the impact of pests. The findings would also be economically important. Reducing the use of chemical pesticides in ricefields can slow down pesticide resistance among pests and helps MADA and other relevant authorities from spending money for pest control. This would also reduce the harmful impacts of pesticides on the environment.

In addition, the study also has a social component. It will document the awareness level of the local farming community on bats. The findings of this study will provide information to indicate the need for future educational programmes in this area.

Dr Nurul ‘Ain plans to undertake this research with her students over a period of 1.5 years.

This study fits the Habitat’s theme of understanding the ecosystem services provided by wildlife wherein the presence of the bats will help to reduce the amount of pest in the rice field without using any chemical pesticides. This study could also lead to the reduction of harmful chemical pesticides in the environment.

Different species of insectivorous bats that are known to roost in Gunung Keriang

Microplastic Loads in Fish and Invertebrates in Malaysian Rivers

Rong — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 07:40:00 +0000

This research grant will support researchers from University of Nottingham, Malaysia to evaluate the presence and impact of microplastics in our river ecosystems.

The lead researcher is Dr Christopher Gibbins, a Professor of Hydro-ecology and sustainable river management at the School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia. His work focusses on understanding the links between physical habitat conditions and biota in freshwater ecosystems. The study will be implemented with colleagues from Nottingham as well as undergraduate students and one PhD student.

The School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences at Nottingham University has been conducting ongoing sampling of water quality and sediment-levels of the Langat River.

This study examines the impact of microplastics on living creatures, ecosystems and human health. Despite concerns about the impact of microplastics, to date there are hardly any studies on this topic from Malaysia and Southeast Asia. The findings of this study would increase our understanding of the dangers posed by microplastics in our rivers.

The research will involve the collection of mussels, invertebrates and fish from sites along Sungai Langat that are known to have a range of contamination levels. Students will conduct gut flushing and acid digestion of sample organisms to isolate microplastic particles. They will then assess microplastic loads in organisms. These findings will be contrasted with those in published literature to assess risk to ecosystems, species, and public health.

Hornbills and Orang Asli Communities – Farmers of the Forest

webadmin — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 01:59:00 +0000

The Habitat Foundation is proud to provide a grant to the Malaysian Nature Society towards implementing a pilot initiative under its longstanding Hornbill Conservation Project to develop a community nursery that stocks hornbill (and other wildlife) resource plants and trees. The nurseries will be developed with Orang Asli from Kampung Chuweh in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex.

Advancing research in the proposed Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve

Rong — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:37:00 +0000

The forests of Penang Hill offer exceptional opportunities for ecosystem and sustainability studies. Here you will find an unbroken swathe of pristine yet accessible ecosystems from the hill and lower montane forests, to coastal mangroves and lowland forests, contained within Penang National Park. In 2019/2020 the Foundation provided Research Grants towards studies to describe the diversity of cyanobacteria, wild edible and medicinal fungi, and the endemic Penang Hill Vampire Crab.

In 2021, we are continuing to provide Research Grants that would firmly establish the proposed Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve as an international centre for rainforest research & teaching.

Investing in Building Local Capacity for Sustainable Tourism

Rong — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 23:44:00 +0000

The Habitat Foundation Sustainable Tourism Grants have been created to strengthen the links between ecotourism and conservation. It is no surprise, therefore, that two of these grants are investing in capacity building for local communities.

The grants are facilitating training by academics and science-based NGOs to equip local people to be stewards and guides to natural attractions. This will also enable individuals and community organizations to play an effective role in conservation by safeguarding fragile sites and vulnerable ecosystems, and ensure that they are able to participate more effectively in state tourism development initiatives.