Lawsuits, lack of awareness, logging and lethargy. These are some of the threats not just to the environment, but also being faced by organisations trying to save green spaces. And when a lawsuit runs into the millions, NGOs are always on the back foot, says Pasupathy Jayaraj, Chair of the Malaysian Nature Society Selangor Branch.
     MNS Selangor’s specific legal experience was its battle to stop the East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) from cutting through the Gombak Selangor quartz ridge, which is unique, biodiverse and delicate.
     MNS sued the government and won a six-month stop work order, but the win was short lived, Pasupathy told the Tapir Talks Public Forum Series, which held its second session in October. “We found that the company was countersuing us, and they said if you want to discuss (the matter), please put RM52.4 million on the table.” She said this put a full stop in the proceedings due to lack of funds and lack of support by residents of affected areas.
     Conservation, however, is a game of losses and wins, as the audience heard during Tapir Talks 2.0 with its theme, “80 Years of MNS: Trials and Triumphs”, focusing on MNS Branches of Selangor, Johor, Kedah and Kuching, Sarawak.  
     For Selangor, other losses included the closure of the Sepang Environmental Interpretive Centre to make way for road development, as well as forest clearing for housing development in Bukit Bayu and Bukit Lagong.
     The wins, though, do happen. The main item, Pasupathy said, was Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad remarking on the uniqueness of the Gombak Selangor quartz ridge and a push to make it a heritage site, which would hopefully protect its biodiversity. Others included the active nature of the Branch’s nine Special Interest Groups; collaborations with other NGOs and Councils, such as Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya; publication of a bird book; and participation in MNS events and scientific expeditions.
      Down south in Johor, Branch Chair Abbott Chong related that river and shoreline pollution continued to plague the state, leading to dire issues such as pump shutdowns, low fisheries yield and dwindling numbers of birds on related shores, one such being Danga Bay. Actions taken by the Branch included awareness activities, engagement with the public and schools, workshops and working visits, participation as technical advisors in the Raja Zarith Sofiah Wildlife Defenders Challenge themed “Johor’s Mighty Rivers”, beach clean-ups, mangrove rehabilitation activities and tree planting.
     There were also highs and lows at the Panti Bird Sanctuary, one of the top birdwatching sites in Southeast Asia, Chong said. The troughs were the diminishing bird count, which was attributed to loss of forest connectivity, heavy trucks plying the area, and army training. He added that the sanctuary was officially opened a decade ago with a multi-million-ringgit complex meant for conservation and education, but this facility remained unusable due to lack of water and electricity supply.
     Chong said the Branch had been pushing the authorities without much success until recently. “We secured the cooperation of the Forestry Department and sought help from Nature Society Singapore to start a scientific expedition,” which kicked off in March 2019 with more than 100 volunteers and the utilisation of camera traps. The positives have included fewer reports of poachers, illegal campers, heavy trucks and army exercises, he said, leading the Branch to be optimistic about the future of Panti.   
     Up north, the audience heard about MNS Kedah Branch’s efforts to save the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve, which is threatened by logging, with Branch Secretary Phang Fatt Khow outlining the importance of scientific expeditions in pushing for the protection of forests.
     “The strength of MNS is that when we propose a place to be conserved, we back it up with scientific data,” he said, citing the success of Endau-Rompin and Royal Belum as inspiration to save 160,000 hectares of forests that provide water to the states of Kedah, Perlis and Penang, irrigate the rice bowl of Malaysia, and ensure industries prosper.
     Then there is the question of biodiversity. Phang said preliminary surveys had recorded 111 species of mammals, 305 birds, 63 reptiles, 50 amphibians and 33 freshwater fishes, while they had only scratched the surface with regard to the riches of the area’s flora, especially new species or those with pharmaceutical properties.
     The presentation also detailed the steps taken so far to make the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition a reality, especially the highs when it gained attention from state entities and also the Menteri Besar, and plans to urge the Kedah government to gazette Ulu Muda forests as a State Park.
     In the final presentation for Tapir Talks 2.0, MNS Kuching Branch reported on the Rapid Assessments of the Helmeted Hornbill in Sarawak, which were carried out in July and August 2019. The objectives were to identify key helmeted hornbill sites, assess their feasibility for long-term conservation, identify current and potential threats to the species and other biodiversity, and conduct interviews on local community knowledge of the distribution, local use, hunting and cultural beliefs regarding the helmeted hornbill.
     Presented by Youth Member Ng Jia Jie, the Branch outlined the methodology and survey areas of the assessment, as well as the findings, which included photographic evidence of birds in certain areas and notation about bird sounds in other spots.
     It concluded that despite data still lacking about the helmeted hornbill population in Sarawak, the assessment had confirmed the presence/absence of this critically endangered bird in the sampling sites, while the local community survey was beneficial in understanding threats to the species. The report called for the sites to be revisited, and sampling conducted on a longer duration and by surveyors with respective expertise.

By Ahmad Ismail, Malaysian Nature Society President

AS WE KNOW, Malaysia is one of the top 17 mega-biodiverse countries in the world. Thanks to a location in the tropical region and good climate, our country is rich in biodiversity. Yet, the flora and fauna that have been listed are just part of our unique ecosystems and living organisms in complex rain forests.
     There is a lot more that we need to know about our biodiversity and habitats, therefore more research needs to be conducted. The findings will provide information not only towards listing flora and fauna, understanding habitats, interactions and effects of environmental changes and creating conservation strategies, but will also help decision makers solve conflicts between development, demand for public needs and nature conservation.
     Habitat protection and conservation is one of the important pillars that concern the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS). Malaysia must have enough forests that are protected and preserved as important habitats for wildlife and unique plants, and other functional ecosystem services for the benefit of human beings.
     The Malaysian government has an expansive plan in this regard – the Central Forest Spine (CFS) initiative, which sets out to link all the main  forests in Peninsular Malaysia to support the home range of large animals, aside from ensuring 90% of the population’s water supply.
     In protecting and conserving wildlife  and their natural habitats, MNS welcomes the government’s planning  for CFS. Big animals such as the elephant, tiger, tapir and some birds  need extensive space to roam and forage, not just for food, shelter and propagation of the species, but maintaining quality population for the future.
     When talking about declining populations of wildlife such as the elephant, gaur, tiger and tapir, protecting a sufficient expanse of habitat is just as important as addressing the poaching threat.
     Malaysia’s tiger population is at the critical stage, and the fewer than  200 individuals remaining in the wild  is a severe threat to their population. This has attracted quick attention by  the government, and the National  Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP) was established specifically to conserve the national emblem of Malaysia, the Malayan tiger.
     MNS will support the government in all actions towards the conservation of the country’s wild animals. When we protect habitats for wildlife, we will consequently protect all other biodiversity of plants, insects, herpetofauna, birds, mammals and other living organisms. Improving connectivity in CFS is very important for wildlife conservation, and the initiative’s successful implementation necessitates collaboration between federal and state governments.
     Malaysians are also getting more knowledgeable about values of biodiversity and ecosystems. MNS is very active in environmental education through programmes with KPA (Kelab Pencinta Alam) schools, involving school children, university students and the public, to create awareness on nature protection and conservation.
     Here, state governments must act to respond to public concerns and demands for nature conservation. It is incumbent upon all state governments to support the CFS initiative, especially in following guidelines on gazetting and de-gazetting forests. Demand for fast economic growth needs to take into consideration natural resources, especially in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. Once important reserve forests are destroyed, the flora and fauna may follow.
     Therefore, replacing degazetted reserve forests with another forest is not an issue. That is why the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) is very important and must be done by the experts and  be open for public comment. Important reserve forests such as Ulu Muda  Forest Complex, Belum-Temengor  Forest Complex and Endau-Rompin Forest Complex must be a model National Park. Active research and education programmes must be  carried out to highlight why forest complexes are important.
     The protection and conservation of reserve forests is mainly for future generations, so that Malaysians will continue to enjoy ecosystem services of tropical rain forests, rich biodiversity, sufficient water supply and ecotourism.
     Providing continuous education programmes, increasing public awareness and fostering effective training and leadership calls for a special programme for future leaders in nature protection, conservation and management. MNS’s KPA for Youth initiative is well suited for this purpose, in line with the Malaysia Young Leader Programme recently launched by the government.
     KPA for Youth was launched in 2012 at Universiti Putra Malaysia, as an extension of the school-level KPA. The initiative encourages university students to volunteer in nature protection and conservation, and the members can participate in education, research and public awareness programmes organised by MNS. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and we should instill in them the qualities of nature leadership, to ensure that down the line, Malaysia is still recognised by the world as a megabiodiverse country.

Getting the public talking about forests
The inaugural session of the Tapir Talks MNS Public Forum Series, themed “De-gazettement of forest reserves and protected areas”, was held on 23rd April 2019 at Rimba Ilmu, Universiti Malaya. The session was moderated by Malaysian Nature Society President Prof. Dr. Ahmad Ismail, with MNS Senior Advisor and renowned forester Tan Sri Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor, forest activist Lim Teck Wyn and youth environmental activist Michaelle Phoenix as panellists.
     Tapir Talks is mooted as a talking point for issues relating to Malaysia’s forests and its flora and fauna, towards capacity building non-state actors in forest governance. The series will be spearheaded by the MNS President, with the panel comprising a selection of individuals from government agencies, expert speakers, media organisations, civil society organisations, advocacy groups, youth advocates and the public.
     A series is also aimed at raising the profile of MNS and its conservation work, through public and media engagement over a selection of hot-topic environmental themes as well as issues affecting Malaysia’s natural heritage. – Text and images by MNS Conservation Division 

​ISSUES SURROUNDING the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve in Kedah are long-standing, with logging bringing about a loss of biodiversity, pollution and water supply woes among states relying on this water catchment.
      There have been plenty of calls to action, including in 2017, when the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and nine other NGOs urged that the whole Greater Ulu Muda Forest Complex covering 162,000ha be given permanent protection as a state park, similar to the Royal Belum State Park in northern Perak.
​      In October 2018, the state government announced that it would stop logging activities in the reserve as well as parts of other permanent forest and water catchment areas, which has been received well. The MNS Kedah Branch, however, is planning to take this a step further by exploring the area’s biodiversity, and in this way push towards greater protection of Ulu Muda.       

By Ezanor MK

THE LAKE is placid, the surface ruffled only by the wake of the boat up front. There’s no breeze blowing, and the afternoon sun beats down mercilessly as we take a short boat tour of Muda Lake following the launch of the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition by MNS Kedah.
      Of wildlife, there’s only a solitary eagle to be seen. However, MNS Partnership Manager Raffi Ismail tells the boat’s occupants – aside from myself, two MNS Kedah members and the PA to Kedah Exco member Ooi Tze Min – that there is wildlife here. “When we were here, we saw some elephants near the lake edge,” he says of a reconnaissance carried out in January.
      Of course, Muda Lake is only a small part of the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve that boasts a variety of flora and fauna. Scientific studies over the years have put the number at 111 species of mammals (17 large mammals); 305 birds; 63 reptiles; over 50 amphibians; and 33 freshwater fishes.
​      The strength of Ulu Muda could lay in the numerous salt licks within the 162,000 hectares of large forested areas, and being part of the contiguous forest extending into southern Thailand, thus supporting the trans-boundary movement of large animals. We’re talking those magnificent beasts – tigers, leopards and tapirs, aside from the peek-a-boo pachyderms. 

      Then there’s creating awareness, getting the scientific community involved, and fundraising, that last one MNS President Ahmad Ismail says to focus on industries that rely on Ulu Muda’s clean water. It’s the buy-in that’s a win-win, he says: “It’s an investment in what you will get.”
​      With the studies, seminars and discussions, the end product of the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition is a recommendation for future management of Ulu Muda into a potential site to be gazetted as a state park, something the Kedah government is already leaning towards. In this, MNS has experience in two similar scientific expeditions – Endau-Rompin in the 1980s and Belum-Temengor a decade later – both successfully carried out and resulted in a level of protection both forests had not enjoyed before.
      Yes, the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition will take some time – two to three years, says MNS Kedah. Maybe even longer. A conservationist once lamented that he participated in the Belum-Temengor expedition in the 1990s, and yet the full protection of the Royal Belum State Park was only finalised in 2007. That’s some 27 years – and doesn’t include the southern part of Belum-Temengor.
​      It is, he said, a long game. And one for generations. Here, MNS’s focus on education, schools and children, even primary pupils, may pay dividends in the future. Teach them well, and they will grow up to be conservationists of the future. If Ulu Muda is still unprotected 10, 20 years hence, they may be the ones lugging their tents into the forests to collect samples, camera trap animals, and fight for the survival of Malaysia’s wildlife and protection of the country’s natural heritage. ​​​

     These are not para-biologists in the strictest sense. They come of their own free will, to spend four days in the BelumTemengor Forest Complex (BTFC) and play a part in the MNS Hornbill Volunteer Programme. However, their four days, and especially data collected during the count, goes towards the larger Hornbill Conservation Project, which seeks to protect these “farmers of the forest” and the landscape at large.
​     The morning watch begins at 7am, when the hornbills leave their roosts in search of food. Then it’s back to base, the Orang Asli village of Kampung Chuweh, one of the settlements in the Temengor side of BTFC.
     There, the volunteers take part in activities with the Orang Asli villagers, including learning about the blowpipe (sumpit) and the tree resin that lends to the poison tip of the dart, and traditional methods of cooking in bamboo. Participants are also encouraged to engage with the children in education or play. In one session, a volunteer brought with her small packs of toothbrushes and toothpaste, and spent time teaching the kids a song about brushing their teeth.
​     The evening watch runs from 5pm to 7pm, or until it is too dark to see. Scores are then tabulated and recorded into the larger database of the count, which has been undertaken for several years during the 15-year run of the Hornbill Conservation Project. 

     A glance at the rough results is disheartening – where a 90s count  once recorded 2,000 hornbill individuals, recent surveys have been in the hundreds, double digits, and even  zero. And the takeaway is, this is  mirrored on terra firma, with declines being recorded in Malaysia’s forests, especially among large mammals. Remember Tam the rhino?
     The choice of hornbills as the iconic species in MNS’s conservation efforts  in Belum-Temengor is no accident. Aside from BTFC hosting 10 species  of hornbills (the highest congregation  in one area, alongside adjacent Ulu Muda), the birds are easier to track,  as we read in the previous article  about para-biologists.
​     Just think, a few hardy trackers in the form of MNS Orang Asli Hornbill Guardians and a slate of nature-loving volunteers willing to give up a few days of their time, can go a long way towards the conservation of hornbills, the forest landscape, and other wildlife under its canopy.

By Yeap Chin Aik

​IN MANY parts of the world, wildlife continues to face perilous times in the new millennium. Many species are threatened by habitat loss, habitat degradation, poaching and hunting. The 2018 assessment by IUCN for its Red List of Threatened Species puts the number at 26,000 species around the globe. On 6th May 2019, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) launched its 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, which further painted a bleak future for all life on the planet if we continue to ignore signs of Mother Nature’s distress. 
      Hornbills are no exception in these threatening times. In 2004, only one out of 10 hornbill species in Malaysia was classified as threatened. Fast forward to 2019, seven more have joined the list. Yet, there could be hope, as a generation of para-biologists are being created and fostered within the Belum-Temengor forest landscape, and among the Orang Asli (indigenous peoples) community living under the same canopy. 
      Once the domain of mainly ecologists and conservationists, field (or ecological) surveys and researches are now embracing these new champions. Parabiologists are not “real” biologists in the professional sense, but are mainly indigenous peoples and local community members who are involved in protecting and monitoring any forms of biodiversity.

     The idea is not entirely new. However, it has gained traction as more ecologists and conservationists work in partnership with indigenous or local para-biologists. For example, the para-biologists from the Mro ethnic group work in partnership with the Creative Conservation Alliance in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. 
​      By doing so, they have documented and uncovered many species in their area. The Mro para-biologists were able to set up camera traps to survey and monitor biodiversity, monitor hunting and consumption of bush meat in their village, protect hornbills and act as community leaders. Their role in these activities are formally recognised through co-authoring of scientific papers (Dasgupta 2018).
     Are para-biologists “recognised” or even encouraged in Malaysia? The answer lies within our National Policy on Biological Diversity 2016-2025 of which Target 2 of Goal 1 says “by 2025, the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities, civil society and the private sector to the conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity have increased significantly”. This explicit mention of “indigenous peoples and local communities” clearly shows our national policy supports not only their participation but also to “increase significantly”. 
     The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) supports the national policy and its recommendations and this is demonstrated through its work alongside indigenous peoples and local communities in conserving some of our iconic fauna such as fireflies, Malayan sun bear, Malayan tiger and hornbills.  The Belum-Temengor Forest Complex (BTFC) is one of Malaysia’s 55 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) and holds the distinction of having all 10 hornbill species within its landscape.  Only two other sites in the world share this distinction.   
​     BTFC and MNS are connected historically since the 1990s, when  the Society organised the first scientific expeditions in the forest complex. These expeditions later catalysed the establishment of the MNS Hornbill Conservation Project (MNSHCP) in  2004. Fifteen years to date, the MNSHCP is still going strong, signalling MNS’s long-term commitment towards improving the conservation of BTFC  and its hornbills. The MNSHCP owes much of its success and longevity to  our para-biologists – our Jahai/Temiar MNS Hornbill Guardians. 
     Protecting hornbills by indigenous peoples and/or local communities is not new. This idea was pioneered by Dr. Pilai Poonswad and her team, who managed to persuade hornbill poachers in southern Thailand to turn over a new leaf and become hornbill nest protectors. Today, they “guard” more than 100 nests and at the same time monitor them to collect nesting data. Their efforts are rewarded financially through the Hornbill Nest Adoption Scheme. 
In India’s Nagaland, the Naga tribe emulated this model under Dr. Aparajita Datta, successfully reducing hornbill hunting levels. A hornbill festival is also held annually to celebrate this bird, much like Raptor Watch in our own coastal forest of Tanjung Tuan, Melaka.
     Closer to our shores, Rangkong Indonesia, an NGO dedicated to  hornbill conservation, is attempting to engage the Dayak villagers in Kalimantan through “hornbill tourism” as an alternative to hornbill hunting. Collectively, these efforts would only  bear fruit if engagement with the indigenous peoples or local communities are sustained, consistent and built  upon trust. 

     The para-biologists in BTFC are being trained to survey and locate hornbill nests and monitor them during the January to July breeding season. Once breeding is over, the MNS Hornbill Guardians turn to monitoring the seasonal populations of plain-pouched Hornbills, one of the eight threatened hornbill species. Recently, they have also begun to monitor forest phenology and figs.
     Para-biologists are no longer just boatmen, porters or translators. Like the Mro para-biologists, the MNS Hornbill Guardians are also “co-authoring” hornbill reports, research papers and/or presentations from BTFC. This is an important step in recognising their vital contribution as indigenous peoples and elevating their status in conservation as MNS Hornbill Guardians.
     Over a period of 14 years (2004-2018), the MNS Hornbill Guardians and other indigenous informants have located 110 nests of nine hornbill species (with the exception of the plain-pouched hornbill). Many of these nests have  yet to be described for these species.  For example, a wrinkled hornbill nest was first discovered in the 1970s in Peninsular Malaysia with no mention of nest tree dimensions. It wasn’t until three decades later, in 2018, that a nest was located.
     Most of the recorded nests belong to the Oriental pied, rhinoceros and bushy-crested hornbills. This is not surprising, considering they are the most commonly encountered hornbill species in BTFC. Close (nest) monitoring of some hornbill species also showed us their preferred food resources during a crucial time of their lifecycle. Consistent annual monitoring of plain-pouched hornbills has given us deeper understanding on how these seasonal, long-distance flyers utilise the BTFC landscape and its population numbers. These long-term, consistent field efforts are invaluable in developing better conservation strategies for hornbills.
     Developing indigenous peoples and  local communities as para-biologists  is gaining momentum globally in conserving sites and species, many of which desperately need local champions. Para-biologists know their “own backyards” best. Proper training in conservation skills and knowledge can only enhance their ancestral tracking skills, allowing these Orang Asli to be better equipped to tackle conservation challenges in their respective sites  (or for specific species).
     To recognise the para-biologists’ roles in protecting and/or conserving biodiversity, species action plans and national policies need to take cognisance and embed them as one of their strategies. For example, the regional Helmeted Hornbill Action Plan calls for more key sites to develop hornbill guardianship.
​     Species conservation is no longer confined to only researchers, politicians and policymakers. For wildlife to have a future, living in the midst of changing landscapes, we will need more local champions to “speak out” for them. Para-biologists fits the bill perfectly.  

OVER THE years, you would have likely come across a variety of news about the Ulu Muda Forest Reserve. Logging issues and water woes (for states other than Kedah, too) are at the forefront, naturally, but there have been snippets of wildlife reports too.
​      In 2015, two spotted leopards were sighted in Ulu Muda, creating a stir  about an area previously thought only  to have melanistic (or black) leopards. The forest complex is also a known habitat for elephants, tigers, tapirs and sun bears, was once home to the Sumatran rhino, and most likely hosts a plethora of other creatures.
      Who knows for sure the breadth of biodiversity in the Ulu Muda? Well,  the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)  Kedah Branch plans to make a go of finding out, on the way towards advocating for protection of this  precious water catchment.
      The plan is to undertake the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition, to involve scientists and researchers, to get a buy-in from individuals, corporations and the local community, and in the end to convince the Kedah government that the forest complex would be worth saving. The payback is eco-tourism proceeds that could take the place of logging revenue.
      At the launch ceremony in February, MNS Kedah Chair Lt. Col. (R) Husamudin Yaacob said the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition aimed to study all the flora and fauna in the area, and was expected to take two to three years.
      A long time, sure, but that’s not even accounting for the Branch’s commitment to Ulu Muda over the decades, or the effort taken so far in preparation for this ambitious expedition to be announced. 
      This included several reconnaissance trips into the forest complex starting in September 2017, with the most recent in January 2019, identifying possible trails and base camp sites, marking out salt licks, hot springs and spots for camera trapping, and spotting a paw print or two.
      In the public sphere, MNS Kedah worked on outreach by promoting Ulu Muda at the Kedah Cycle for Water 2017 event organised by WWF-Malaysia, and at Expo Muafakat Kedah the following year. In January 2018, members of the public took part in a public forum and workshop on Ulu Muda that heard from such agencies as the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA), Kedah Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) and Penang Water Board, aside from MNS itself, presenting on the biodiversity of Ulu Muda.
      MNS is also reaching out to the world of academia, and so far, an agreement has been reached between MADA, the Kedah Fisheries Department and Universiti Sains Malaysia on fish and water quality studies in Ulu Muda.
      The Branch has also gone hard on its membership drive, recruiting among  them four-wheel-drive and dirt bike enthusiasts whose hobbies take them into the forests, as well as local community members such as fishermen and former poachers. MNS Kedah Vice-Chair Yani Madewnus Yunus said their expertise would come in handy for the expedition, while also serving as the eyes and ears for the Society on the goings-on in the forest complex.
      Then there’s support from official quarters. The launch was attended by Ooi Tze Min, Kedah Exco member with several portfolios including Science and Technology, and Climate Change and Environment. Standing in for Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, Ooi repeated the Kedah government’s pledge to protect the water catchment while reaping the rewards of high-quality ecotourism. This follows the much-lauded announcement by the MB that all logging licences in Ulu Muda would be revoked.
      Ooi also touched on the forest’s rich flora and fauna, the possibility of Ulu Muda still being home to the rhino (deemed extinct in the wild in Malaysia) and possible “not yet discovered” biodiversity and plants with pharmaceutical value. “This is why the Kedah government sees Ulu Muda as an ecologically sensitive area that needs to be protected, where all activities need to be sustainable,” he said. To ensure clean water flowed to the dams, logging would not be allowed near the catchment, he added.
      As part of the launch, Ooi visited the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition Centre, situated at the Muda Lake jetty in Gubir, planted a merbau sapling and released fish into the lake. He also took a short boat ride on the lake, and afterwards said it was his first time as a visitor to Ulu Muda, and wished to return for a longer forest trip, despite not being the “hiking and camping” type.
​      Ooi also urged companies and the corporate sector to help fund the Ulu Muda Scientific Expedition, and pledged to ask the state government to assist MNS in completing this advantageous study of a precious natural resource.  

​   These are the Kuala Baram Wetlands, located in the northern-most part of Miri and close to the Sarawak-Brunei border. Based on years of birdwatching, nature visits and intermittent surveys by the Society and other parties, MNS Miri Acting Chair Musa Musbah says the wetlands host a wide range of shorebirds, and even globally endangered ones. 
   Nevertheless, pushing for IBA status means more surveys and research, which necessitates collaboration with various parties dedicated to the protection of Sarawak’s northern shores. That was what led to MNS Miri organising a two-day Shorebirds Watching Course at Kg Masjid, Kuala Baram at the close of 2018.
   Aimed at imparting knowledge about shorebirds, specifically in awareness and birdwatching ethics, and ultimately, appreciation of these birds and wetlands, the training comprised a briefing session on the first day and a field trip on the second, to Sungai Sembilan.

      Initially, the branch designed and printed is own simple pamphlet for handing out to the public. Since 2013, we have better graphics designed into the pamphlet and printed professionally. In 2015, after many years of the same format, we broke with tradition and moved the focus of the event – all the tents and activities, into the Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve.
      Feedback on this is obviously mixed, with many people loving the more natural environment of the jungle while others preferred the festive spirit of the field.Now, although the Melaka State Government is still supporting the event in spirit, MNS has had to downgrade some of the features and has needed to rely on other sources of financial assistance. No longer do we have lavish opening ceremonies or loud music playing for most of the time. Nonetheless, it is a congenial way of meeting up with like- minded friends, old and new.
      Due to the strength of MNS Environmental Education and the Schools Nature Clubs (Kelab Pencinta Alam), ever more students are experiencing camps, guided nature treks, marine walks, mangrove ecology, slideshows and talks under Raptor Watch. 
      Also, there are a number of environmental based activities for families to enjoy, such as face painting, wildlife talks, nature painting workshops and recycling.
      On the more serious side, the monitoring of the migratory raptors and the protection of Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve gain importance with each succeeding year, as the research obtained is channelled to MNS partners at the regional (Asian Raptor Research & Conservation Network) and international (BirdLife International) levels.
      Raptor Watch also serves as a platform to create awareness on the need to protect rainforest and the adjacent mangrove areas as a valuable natural resource. Through Raptor Watch, MNS hopes to protect the incredible biodiversity supported by this rich environment.
      Finally, Raptor Watch would not have survived without the volunteers that  make it possible, mainly made up of MNS members. Apart from identifying and counting the raptors as they fly overhead and manning the booths during the event, the planning team consists of MNS members and staff coming together and working as one team. Many corporate staff and students, including international students, also helped to make the events successful.
      MNS is pleased that Raptor Watch is highlighted as a key tourism event for Malaysia, with the involvement of the State Government. As in previous years, Raptor Watch is organised by MNS in conjunction with the Melaka State Government and supported by various agencies, such as the Port Dickson and Alor Gajah District Councils; the Wildlife, Forestry, Marine Parks and Marine departments; Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor Education Departments; and Teluk Kemang Police Station.

 Text by Ahmad Ismail, Malaysian Nature Society President
​
MALAYSIA IS very fortunate to be located in the tropical region, with good temperature and humidity suitable for flora and fauna all year round. It boasts more than 20,000 species of vascular plants, more than 300 species of mammals (30 of these endemic), 785 species of birds, and more than 240 species of amphibians, 560 reptiles and 2,000 fresh water and marine fishes.
     As one of the top 12 mega-biodiversity countries in the world, it is essential that Malaysia have a good conservation plan to ensure its flora and fauna are well protected in the wild. If their habitats  are not well protected and managed,  the decline in the number of animals  and species is a certainty. We have already seen this in our tigers, tapirs  and rhinos, the latter officially extinct  in the wild in Malaysia.
Most importantly, reserve forests, policies, laws and enforcement are not enough in conservation if the people are not educated on biodiversity protection and conservation. 
     Continuous education programmes is a must. The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) is very active in CEPA (communication, education and public awareness) activities through its KPA (Kelab Pencinta Alam, or School Nature Club) initiative. MNS has nearly 500 KPA schools with active teachers, and support from the Society’s 14 branches around the country.
     MNS is also fortunate to be the country partner for BirdLife International. Through this, it has led efforts in identifying and protecting Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), an internationally recognised standing of spots with resident or visiting birds that are globally threatened, are range- or biome-restricted, and by nature congregational.
   There are 55 IBAs in Malaysia (see full list on page 24). Among them are coastal areas in the migration pathway called “East Asian-Australasian Flyway” (EAAF). For example, thousands of birds that stop at the northern Perak coast of Kuala Gula are from 48 species of eight families, the majority from the Scolopacidae (such as sandpipers) and Charadriidae (plovers and lapwings) families. The soft muddy intertidal areas are suitable habitats for benthic organisms such as polychaetes, snails, shrimps, crabs and small fishes, an important diet for migratory shore birds on thousand-kilometre journeys. This unique phenomenon also attracts bird lovers and researchers, from both the local and international arena.

Amazing little flyers
The fact that these birds, some like the red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis) weighing only about 30 grammes, can fly some 25,000km every year across the continent is such a unique phenomenon. Some species can fly for three days, non-stop, covering 6,000km and reaching speeds of 60km/hour. Thus the necessary stops, and the need to find safe places with plenty of food and resting sites. Some of these birds lose 40% of their weight after long flights, and need to regain most of it before continuing journeys threatened by hot weather, storms, haze, extreme cold at night, poachers, habitat loss and chemical pollution.
     The appeal of some of these migratory species is their congregation, in vast numbers, especially among shorebirds. Usually feeding in the same locations, these different species do not compete for food, as they prey on different types of benthic organisms. The differences in bill shape and size, and their legs, make for interesting observation, which could also determine and predict their habitat and diet.
     The combination of intertidal mudflats, complex mangrove areas and morphology of birds makes these areas suitable for migratory shore birds, and for bird lovers. Through the identification of size and shape, colours and patterns of feathers, bills and legs, together with feeding habits, bird fanciers can do no better than productive mudflats near mangrove forests at low tide.