malaysian naturalist, september 2016
Text and images by MNS Conservation Division
THE NURSERY at MNS headquarters was created in response to the ever growing disaster following forest degradation and the need to save our endangered native species, says the key man of the Urban Community Forest (UCF) initiative.
Balu Perumal, Head of MNS’s Conservation Division, says the environmental NGO has over the decades been involved in reforestation activities and this conservation method is in need now more than ever owing to the serious state of the nation’s green areas. However, these efforts have been hampered by issues including the cost of saplings from providers and lack of supply. “Sometimes the situation is not conducive, as there is no supply of saplings, or lack of funds to buy them, when our members want to carry out replanting activities,” he says.
“The nursery is meant to solve these problems, in that we want to have a healthy supply for whenever replanting is planned by our members, volunteers of even the school Nature Club (Kelab Pencinta Alam or KPA) members,” he says. “Our target is to have 10,000 saplings for planting at any one time,” which can be provided by request, and all the applicant needs to do is fill out a form stating their intentions and needs, and send MNS a report of the successful planting. Applicants can also buy these saplings, donate an amount to the cause or volunteer their time and effort towards the running of the nursery.
“We want to nursery itself to be a volunteer activity, where MNS members, affiliates or supporters come and help out with the planting, and then take the saplings for their planting activities,” he says, adding that parties already involved with the initiative so far include MNS’s Green Living special interest group and students from Monash University. The nursery also accepts any plants that the public wishes to drop off. “We had one member drop off some orchids, so we’re open to caring for unwanted plants. Some other visitor might be happy to take them, so it’s a good give and take.”
Read more about the UCF Bukit Persekutuan initiative
THE NURSERY at MNS headquarters was created in response to the ever growing disaster following forest degradation and the need to save our endangered native species, says the key man of the Urban Community Forest (UCF) initiative.
Balu Perumal, Head of MNS’s Conservation Division, says the environmental NGO has over the decades been involved in reforestation activities and this conservation method is in need now more than ever owing to the serious state of the nation’s green areas. However, these efforts have been hampered by issues including the cost of saplings from providers and lack of supply. “Sometimes the situation is not conducive, as there is no supply of saplings, or lack of funds to buy them, when our members want to carry out replanting activities,” he says.
“The nursery is meant to solve these problems, in that we want to have a healthy supply for whenever replanting is planned by our members, volunteers of even the school Nature Club (Kelab Pencinta Alam or KPA) members,” he says. “Our target is to have 10,000 saplings for planting at any one time,” which can be provided by request, and all the applicant needs to do is fill out a form stating their intentions and needs, and send MNS a report of the successful planting. Applicants can also buy these saplings, donate an amount to the cause or volunteer their time and effort towards the running of the nursery.
“We want to nursery itself to be a volunteer activity, where MNS members, affiliates or supporters come and help out with the planting, and then take the saplings for their planting activities,” he says, adding that parties already involved with the initiative so far include MNS’s Green Living special interest group and students from Monash University. The nursery also accepts any plants that the public wishes to drop off. “We had one member drop off some orchids, so we’re open to caring for unwanted plants. Some other visitor might be happy to take them, so it’s a good give and take.”
Read more about the UCF Bukit Persekutuan initiative
The second prong of the nursery’s aim is to look at issues regarding the country’s endangered native plant species, especially the trees. “There is a decline in some native species, and we need time to save these rare species. That is our priority,” Balu says. At the moment, the nursery is home to seedlings and saplings of the merbau hardwood (Intsia palembanica), sourced from seeds collected by the orang asli in Gua Musang, Kelantan.
This commercial timber tree grows in river basins, and is at risk from land clearing and changes in land status, leading to development where they once grew freely. “Now most river basins have changed, leading to the species being threatened. This is the time to plant the species, to being the riparian forests back,” he says.
The nursery also complements the society’s work at Kuala Selangor Nature Park, the seaside haven for wildlife on the North Central Selangor Coast, which is an Important Bird Area for migratory species. There, MNS runs a mangrove nursery supported by the Forestry Department (Peninsular Malaysia), which will supply members with saplings for coastal mudflat planting activities.
The two nurseries thus cater to the dry forest and wetlands, and Balu hopes success of the venture means more species can be saved, so that replanting can happen in any area, from the coastal wetlands to the country's dry inland forests . It’s a small consolation to the damage humans are inflicting on nature, but from small movements it is hoped that awareness about deforestation can occur, and thus be checked for the future of the country and planet.
This commercial timber tree grows in river basins, and is at risk from land clearing and changes in land status, leading to development where they once grew freely. “Now most river basins have changed, leading to the species being threatened. This is the time to plant the species, to being the riparian forests back,” he says.
The nursery also complements the society’s work at Kuala Selangor Nature Park, the seaside haven for wildlife on the North Central Selangor Coast, which is an Important Bird Area for migratory species. There, MNS runs a mangrove nursery supported by the Forestry Department (Peninsular Malaysia), which will supply members with saplings for coastal mudflat planting activities.
The two nurseries thus cater to the dry forest and wetlands, and Balu hopes success of the venture means more species can be saved, so that replanting can happen in any area, from the coastal wetlands to the country's dry inland forests . It’s a small consolation to the damage humans are inflicting on nature, but from small movements it is hoped that awareness about deforestation can occur, and thus be checked for the future of the country and planet.