New Year 2010: Merrymaking in the Mangroves and Mudflats!

(This entry is posted after the conclusion of the Blog4FT contest and the events herein were not conducted in Kuala Lumpur. This blogpost is posted for the benefit of the followers of this blog and contributors to the Shoebox Project.)

Sometime in the final week of 2009, I decided that at least 40 of the surplus shoebox gifts I received from our generous contributors could go to the hardworking and deserving children of Kelab Alami, a nature club set up by Cikgu Bakhtiar and Cikgu Zurina, dedicated teachers who I met while volunteering with Save Our Seahorses (SOS Malaysia), in Tanjung Kupang, Johor. The club is assisted and co-coordinated by my dear friend, Serina, and the members of the club are local children who mostly come from the fishing community.

Most of the children come from low-income families, and some are from truly disadvantaged backgrounds. The objective of the club is to inculcate a love of the environment in the children and provide them with basic knowledge in natural history and ecology. Among the projects they have undertaken this year include data collection visits to the seagrass beds and mangrove forests and the establishment of an organic vegetable patch. Since the children have worked hard all year, I made plans to throw them a New Year's Day party and hand out shoebox gifts filled with school supplies and other treats.

My buddy Zawalan was roped in to assist and we started our journey on the morning of New Year's Eve. Serina had also informed us of pollution having occurred in the vicinity of the seagrass beds and I wanted to accompany her to visit the site to collect samples.

We arrived at Pendas Jetty in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, at 1730h. Serina, some of the children and teachers, and our marine scientists Alfian and Leena, were already waiting in the boat. Off we went to visit the seagrass beds to see what could be done to mitigate the damage done to the ecologically-sensitive area.

31 Dec 2009
Serina took her charges, Udin and Amal, along with us to visit the affected seagrass bed in Tanjung Adang.




31 Dec 2009
A sea squirt at the seagrass bed in Tanjung Adang, looking rather poorly.



31 Dec 2009
I checked on yet another poorly-looking "chocolate chip" starfish at the pollution site.



31 Dec 2009
One of the club members, Jannah, inspects the sections of pipe planted in the seagrass bed 2 months ago as part of an experiment on seaweed and seagrass habitats.



31 Dec 2009
Ebony and Ivory... Live together in perfect harmony...



31 Dec 2009
We went out for our New Year's Eve dinner at Awana restaurant in Gelang Patah, as there were no shops and eateries open in the village after dark.
From left to right: Alfian, Leena, Serina, Lan and Zawalan.



1 Jan 2010
Serina's kampung house is the only one in the entire village with a Christmas tree. The kids were absolutely fascinated by it. For many, it was the first time they have seen a Christmas tree in the flesh.



1 Jan 2010
The Kelab Alami organic vegetable patch, maintained by the hardworking children and teens of Kelab Alami Tanjung Kupang, behind Serina's rented pad.



1 Jan 2010
The children started arriving for the party in the afternoon and Serina required a few of them to complete a natural history survey.



1 Jan 2010
To keep the youngsters who have completed their surveys occupied, I organised a nature-related Scavenger Hunt outside and instructed the children to search for specific stones, fruits, leaves and grasses. The first child to bring me the correct object receives a prize. This game had the children running all over the streets and climbing trees and over fences. I gave out over 20 packs of stickers, writing equipment, felt-tip pens and chocolates, which were loose items left over from the Shoebox Project.



1 Jan 2010
The entire village was our playground on New Year's Day. Due to space constraints indoors, we took our Pass-the-Parcel game outdoors. My version had a natural history / Green Living component, for which the youngsters had to answer questions like "Name one way to conserve water at home" and "Name one way to improve fuel economy" before they could have the goodies buried under each layer of paper.



1 Jan 2010
The feline club mascot had a field day begging scraps from everyone.



1 Jan 2010
Tea-time for the Kelab Alami youngsters does not have to be an elaborate affair. I paid for the fried noodles, green bean soup and iced syrup. Serina supplied a watermelon and lots of apples and oranges. A friend, Desmond, contributed chocolate wafers and biscuit bars.



1 Jan 2010
The youngsters were all shiny-eyed and excited over the lovely gifts they received. Most boxes had high quality school supplies in Cartoon Network/Disney themes that our rural children could not afford or could not find in their local shops. The school supplies made practical but fun gifts for the children of Kelab Alami. Once again, I would like to thank our generous sponsors for their thoughtful gifts!



1 Jan 2010
After the party, Shoebox Elves Serina, Jannah and Cikgu Zurina helped me sort and label the remaining gifts for the children who could not attend the party. Most village children either had household chores to do or had to work at little jobs during the school holidays.

We also decided in the evening that some of the remaining gifts could go to the very needy Orang Asli (indigenous) community in Kampung Simpang Arang in Gelang Patah the following day. We opened up the boxes to make the items easier to distribute, as there would not be enough boxes for all, and even if there were, entire boxes full of school supplies would be of limited use to children who do not attend school.



2 Jan 2010
The following morning, we dropped by Kampung Simpang Arang in Gelang Patah to distribute presents and treats to the children. I tried to make them queue up so that I could hand out school supplies to those who do attend school, and hand out presents according to age, gender and need, but it soon descended into anarchy. No one was listening to my pleas to queue up anymore. It was an unpleasant experience as I have hitherto had only positive encounters with our friends from the indigenous communities.

The children of Kampung Simpang Arang were patently impoverished. Many were sickly and clad in rags. Some had such sore and infected eyes that I was surprised they could see what I brought them. They screamed, snatched and fought with each other over the toys. I am glad we made the decision to hand out individual items rather than entire boxes and expect them to share. For our next visit, I think it would be wiser and better for us to give them clothes, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes instead.



2 Jan 2010
One of the boys in the Kg. Simpang Arang Orang Asli Village had found an abandoned baby otter and decided to hand-raise it until it was strong enough to be released. Thankfully, no one tried to sell it to us and the people seem determined to nurse it back to health.

We left Johor on the afternoon of 2nd January and made our way back to Kuala Lumpur. It has been a productive and enjoyable trip, and I was pleased to have spent my New Year in the company of dear friends. Work and the City beckons, and next weekend I will be back at the SPCA animal shelter and be kept busy henceforth for the rest of the year with work and coordinating other projects.

2010 is off to a good start!

Sunshine and smiles at the Eco Kids Junior Day Camp

It had rained all week, but the sun had been kind to us on Saturday, December 5, the morning of the Eco Kids Junior Day Camp at our Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Urban Nature Centre in Jalan Kelantan.



Fair weather greeted us when we arrived at our Urban Nature Centre.

Sometime in October, I had proposed the idea of a free-of-charge Eco Kids Day Camp for children aged 4 - 8, as they are often inadvertently excluded from MNS' more challenging activities. I worked out the preparations and requested the assistance of trustworthy volunteers in coordinating the Camp.



Volunteers John and Brian spruce up Heritage Trail a day before the Camp. "Anything for the little dears", teases Nature Guide Ashleigh.

(Photo credits: Ashleigh)

We were able to keep the project zero-cost and zero-waste by requesting that participants bring their own lunch, drinks, mosquito repellent, and basic art equipment such as palettes and brushes. There was no necessity for packed lunches, goodie bags and disposable packaging. Nature isn't supposed to be a Happy Meal With A Free Toy Inside! It was also a good way of leading by example, and teaching the children that when we put the Planet first, everyone wins! 31 children registered for the Camp and turned up at our gates bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with parents in tow.



Children can be makeshift tables when there are indemnity forms to be signed! Judging by the way Tobey Isaac is giggling, the pen must have tickled!
(Photo credits: Cindy Chen)



Hadif leaned away as his mother, Tiara, applied mosquito repellent on his arms prior to the Nature Walk. I first met Tiara during an island holiday in Pulau Tinggi in 2001 and we have kept in touch since. I was delighted when Tiara decided to sign up for a Malaysian Nature Society membership and enroll Hadif in our Camp.
(Photo credits: Cindy Chen)




Pasupathy Jayaraj, more fondly known as Pasu, our engaging Nature Guide, explains jungle ecology to the children during their guided walk through Heritage Trail, which forms part of Federal Hill. Green lungs such as Federal Hill form buffer zones that encourage urban biodiversity, create opportunities for nature recreation and provide ecological services such as improving air, water and soil quality.
(Photo credits: Cindy Chen)



Nature Guide Ashleigh looks every part the Mountain Man as he explains wilderness survival techniques to the fascinated children and parents.



Cerys can't wait to begin her trail walk.



The Green Living Guessing Game piqued the children's curiosity, sharpened their sense of smell, touch and hearing and created opportunity for discussion on the environmental implications of each object.

Where does this object come from? Is it man-made? Can it be easily recycled or composted? What can you reuse it for? What is it a good alternative for?

(Photo credits: Cindy Chen)



"You said I can't say it out loud, but I sure can act it out!"
(Photo credits: Cindy Chen)



The children took only minutes to warm up to each other and became friends with each other by the end of the first game.



Aloysius tries spinning a top made of a 'kas' seed and bamboo skewer. The toys made out of natural materials fascinated the children the most.



Lara complains, "I can't see!", while Matthew responds: "That's the whole point!"

Tiara helped me out with blindfolding the children. As is appropriate with International Volunteer Day, the parents provided valuable help.



Lillian whips out a piece of iguana skin for the children to feel, and to provide an interactive lesson on why reptiles like snakes and lizards shed their skin.



The art project proved a little too challenging for the children. For that, I apologise. I should have chosen an easier project. I guess we all learn through trial and error.



The children created 'spray paint art' using unwanted plastic combs and old toothbrushes dipped in poster paints.



Time for an active game! The children hunt for paper caterpillars in a game that teaches them about insect camouflage and protective colouration. Some of the children took my advice to ‘pretend you are a bird’ literally and actually chirped and flapped their arms as they went about in search of prey.



The children were supposed to bring their caterpillars back to me for comparison, but two little girls decided to make a 'nest' out of pebbles to keep their caterpillars safe in.



Volunteering is a rewarding pastime, as Pasu will no doubt tell you! Pasu is the recipient of the 2007 MNS Branch Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions as a volunteer and is an extraordinary trainer of nature guides. I guess you can retire a teacher from active service, but you can never truly take the teacher out of them! Pasu was a former school headmistress but now devotes her time mostly to nature guiding and Malaysian Nature Society activities.

I had initially started the Eco Kids programme for the MNS Selangor Branch as a value-added programme in 2006 to keep the Society relevant for families, but it has since evolved into a programme encompassing the following beliefs:
i. That nature is for everyone, not just the physically fit among us;
ii. That nobody is too young to learn about and practice environmental conservation;
iii. That a love for our natural environment requires more than just exposure to flora and fauna,
and children should be equipped with basic knowledge about conservation practices such as the 3Rs (reducing, reusing and recycling) and water and energy conservation; and
iv. That young voices should be heard.

I would like to thank the following volunteers for their invaluable help in making the Eco Kids Junior Day Camp a success. All shortcomings and failings remain my sole responsibility:
Ashleigh, Pasu, Brian, John, Li Li, Li-Kim, Ili Fatimah, Lillian, Maye and Hashimi.

Many Thanks and A Happy International Volunteer Day to all.

Froggy Encounters in Gasing Hill

It was on Deepavali morning that I agreed to go frogging at Bukit Gasing with Hurnain, Lillian and gang that night.

I informed Lillian that I would be at the SPCA animal shelter in Ampang all afternoon until after 7.00 p.m., as I had volunteered to stay back to feed the animals and clean up so that the Hindu staff could knock off a little earlier. The gang agreed to wait for me.

When I first informed Raj and our other friends during the Deepavali lunch that I would be going frogging at night and invited them to come along, they were incredulous.

"Frogs? What, to eat?" they exclaimed in surprise and curiosity.

Hey, just because I am of Chinese ethnicity doesn't mean that I eat everything with four legs except a table!

Frogs and toads are fascinating, and are good indicators of the environmental health of an area. Since amphibians are particularly susceptible to contaminants and are very sensitive to the changes in their environment, a decline in the amphibian population is a warning to us humans that an area may not remain safe for human occupation for very long.

The MNS Herpetofauna Special Interest Group , under the leadership of Hurnain and Lillian, has been conducting nocturnal frogging excursions in Bukit Gasing, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) and other secondary forests in the City for years, for the purposes of data collection and research, and to inculcate greater appreciation for nature and indigenous reptiles and amphibians among city-dwellers.

The Bukit Gasing Forest Reserve is special in that it straddles the border of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. It is a secondary forest and green lung covering over 100 hectares. It is worth noting that 36 hectares of secondary forest in the Petaling Jaya side were gazetted as a greenbelt in 1961, while the Kuala Lumpur side remains unprotected. I hope that the Ministry of Federal Territories accords this issue with the importance that it deserves and takes steps to gazette this green buffer zone in the City.

The last time I conducted a Green Living - Eco Kids Day Camp here was in 2007. The beneficiaries were the able-bodied children from the Taman Megah Home For Handicapped Children.

Happy faces after our Day Camp in 2007. The children received their certificates after making their Green Living pledges. I had initiated the Camp and was, and still am, very grateful for the support of my key volunteers: Yanty, Serina, Mariam, Hui-Min, Christine and Mohala.

Tonight, there would only be a handful of us. I pulled up at the entrance of the trail and joined Nain and Lil, pockets bulging with flashlights and mosquito repellent.

The local authorities must have thought it was a good idea to put these rock gabions here and create an embankment for our little stream. Perhaps their intention is to reduce or control soil erosion, but it has created siltation and reduction of flow in the stream and affected fauna that relies on the natural foliage growing on the riverbanks for shelter and food.

Lillian remains an active volunteer despite being in her fifth month of pregnancy. Her spirit of volunteerism is infectious!

Rana Raniceps / Hydrophylax Raniceps, commonly known as the Copper-Cheeked Frog. See how its beautiful skin glistens in the night!

Lillian showing little Cerys the proper way of holding and handling a Copper-Cheeked Frog. Nature awareness and education should begin as early as possible.

Bufo Parvus: We learned to identify it from the hourglass-like marking at the back of its head.

Hurnain and Lillian trying to locate the position of the frogs by their calls.

We heard Hurnain hissing to us from 10 metres away and squelched up the stream to see what he was so excited about. It was worth the hurry! Hurnain had spotted a Dogania Subplana! What luck! It hasn't been spotted in Bukit Gasing in ages!

Dogania Subplana: Malayan Soft-Shelled Turtle

The Dogania perceived us to be a threat and tried to get away by burrowing under the sandy stream bed. There was a plastic bag in the way and I offered to remove it. Hurnain and Teck Wyn cautioned that the Dogania would attack, and that it has a very painful bite.

I was adamant that the plastic bag be removed, and was not worried about being bitten. After all, I get bitten at the SPCA by new arrivals and nervous animals at least once every six months. I tugged gently at the plastic bag until it came loose and we collected other plastic litter from the stream.

L-R: Hurnain, me and Lillian with a message for joggers, picnickers and hashers: Please do not leave your litter behind. Littering is a poor return for the enjoyment you have derived from our natural spaces.

We saw another Dogania a little further upstream. This really is a serendipitous night for us to have spotted two in the same hour. This is a good sign that the water quality is good enough to create liveable conditions for wildlife.

While we were photographing another Bufo Parvus, I spotted another frog, sitting very still, next to it. It took a while for us to realise that it wasn't another Bufo Parvus but a frog which we have never seen before and could not identify. We proceeded to take photos of it from all angles to help in its identification.







Little Cerys was exhausted from her long day of Deepavali visiting and trekking, and so we made the decision to pack up for the night. We brought the litter we collected out with us, congratulated each other on a productive night of nature observation, and promised to come back again soon.

Our Deepavali wish would be to see green spaces given due protection against unnecessary development. There are enormous environmental and economic costs associated with the destruction of forests, such as an increase in the incidence of landslides and flash floods and the rise in tropical diseases. Similarly, there are enormous benefits to be gained from the preservation of rainforests and their ecosystem services such as carbon capture and as water catchment zones. A well-cared for green lung or forest reserve will also have great tourism potential and will be an asset to any state!

May we all tread gently upon the good Earth and show love and respect to other beings that share our Planet!