Conservation – The Habitat Foundation

THF 2022 Conservation Grant recipients

ahmadamir — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:15:00 +0000

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.

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.

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.

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.

Community-based Mangrove Restoration in Cherating and Chendor, Pahang

ahmadamir — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 00:13:00 +0000

Mangroves are an important nature-based solution to the current climate crisis. In addition to sequestering carbon they are vital and productive ecosystems that support local economic activity.

This project invests in restoring mangroves in the wetlands of Chendor and Cherating, a popular destination for community-managed ecotourism. Besides its importance for local livelihoods, the area allows people to learn about the role of mangroves in coastal and fisheries resource protection, and as a nature-based solution to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Well-managed ecotourism to the Cherating mangroves demonstrates how economic benefits can responsibly flow from nature. Additionally, the mangrove swamp’s proximity to Club Med Cherating and other resorts draws a steady stream of visitors and provides them with an opportunity to learn about this important ecosystem.

Nature-based tourism along Sungai Cherating: visitors are drawn to the propsect of experiencing magical firefly tours, but come away with new appreciation of mangrove ecosystems.

Funding from The Habitat Foundation will strengthen Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Pahang to build a stronger collaborative framework between academic institutions, government agencies such as the Pahang Forestry Department, and the local community, who are stewards of this ecosystem. This project will involve ongoing volunteer mangrove planting activities and various initiatives to enhance the communication and outreach capabilities of MNS.

Conserving the Migratory Shorebirds and Wetlands of Teluk Air Tawar-Kuala Muda Coast

Rong — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 18:17:00 +0000

A Great Knot seen foraging on the Teluk Ayer Tawar mudflats bears a tag – a reminder that shorebird conservation is, by necessity, a global effort.

THF Conservation Grant

Spanning an area of around 500 hectares, in the northern region of Seberang Perai, lies one of the few remaining intact wetlands in Penang. The Teluk Air Tawar-Kuala Muda (TAT-KM) Coast is an internationally recognized Important Bird Area (IBA) and part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Its mangroves and mudflats annually attract shorebirds migrating from Siberia to Australia, providing a vital stopover along this epic journey—scientists and nature lovers having recorded flocks of 10,000 to 12,000 at a single site during the peak of migration.

Shorebirds congregating at the edge of the Teluk Ayer Tawar mangroves during the peak of the migration around January

This location, however, is also targeted for jetty construction and conversion to aquaculture farms, activities that may severely compromise the health of the mangroves and mudflats and the vital roles they play in enhancing fisheries, protecting coasts and sequestering carbon.

The Shorebirds Project of Peninsular Malaysia led by Dr Nur Munira will use its Conservation Grant to continue monitoring and documenting the abundance and diversity of birds visiting the TAT-KM Coast. This data will communicate this to shorebird researchers worldwide. Using an integrated approach combining research, community engagement, and education and outreach to engage with key agencies and stakeholders in support of the protection of the remaining mangroves of the coastline and socialize the potential value of this area for nature tourism with benefits to local livelihoods.

Follow Shorebirds Project of Peninsular Malaysia‘s conservation journey by following updates on their FB page.

Taking inspiration from Hong Kong’s Mai Po Nature Reserve, a model of successful wetland conservation, this project will bring new perspectives to managing the TAT-KM Coast. It is hoped that this will contribute to important decisions to protect these important ecosystems and safeguard fisheries resources.

Watch her video here: