for a living planet - WWFawsassets.wwf.org.my/downloads/green_heart_jan_08.pdf · for a living planet ... DR ARUN VENKATARAMAN, conservation director CHOON BOW BOW, ... WWF-Malaysia

PP12747/2/2008 ISSUE 01 • 2008

for a living planet®

GREEN HEART wwf.org.my2

PANDA SYMBOL©1986 WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (FormerlyWorld Wildlife Fund) ® WWF registered trademarkowner

for a living planet®

ISSUE 01, 2008 GREEN HEART is a quarterly magazine published by WWF-Malaysia (PP12747/2/2008), 49 JALAN SS23/15TAMAN SEA, 47400 PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR D.E for its supporters.

©text (2007) WWF-Malaysia. All rights reserved by WWF-Malaysia and none of the contents of this publication may be reprintedwithout the permission of WWF-Malaysia.

Printed by: Percetakan Imprint (M) Sdn Bhd (62044-X) No. 566, Jalan 20, Taman Perindustrian Ehsan Jaya, 52100 Kepong, SelangorD.E.

WWF-Malaysia, the national conservation trust, currently runs more than 75 projects covering a diverse range of environmentalprotection and nature conservation work. Since 1972, WWF-Malaysia has worked on important conservation projects, from savingendangered species such as tigers and turtles, to protecting our highland forests, rivers and seas.

GREEN HEART

advisorsDR ARUN VENKATARAMAN,conservation director

CHOON BOW BOW,director of marketing

contributorsWWF-Malaysia writersANUAR JAAFAR, CARELL CHEONG, JENNIFERNEOH, LAU MIN MIN, LIZ LIEW, MARINA AMANSHAM, NIK MOHD MASERI, NORLIZA ANUAR,RIVER FOO, SARA SUKOR, SHEEMA ABDULAZIZ, SUAN TAN

DR FARIDAH IBRAHIM, CENTRE FOREDUCATION, TRAINING AND RESEARCH INRENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

MR ROBERT LEONG HO FOOK, DEPARTMENTOF FISHERIES MELAKA

photos STEPHEN HOGG

partially sponsored byDIGITAL IMPRESSIONS SDN BHD,design directionPERCETAKAN IMPRINT (M) SDN BHD, printing thank you!

editorial committeeDARIA MATHEW, HS HARUN,KHAO YEN LING,PREETHA SANKAR,SHANI LING

editorSUAN TAN

consultant MAHA DHURAIRAJ

patronDYMM PADUKA SERI SULTAN PERAK DARULRIDZUAN, SULTAN AZLAN SHAH

presidentTAN SRI RAZALI ISMAIL

vice-presidents emeritusDATO’ SERI TENGKU ZAINAL ADLINMR KEN SCRIVEN

chairmanTAN SRI DATO’ IR SHAHRIZAILA ABDULLAH

treasurer MS YIP JIAN LEE

legal advisor MR LOONG CAESAR

trustees PROFESSOR DATO’ DR ABDUL LATIFFMOHAMED, MR CHONG CHIEW YIN,DATO’ FARIDAH MERICAN,MRS ANGELA HIJJAS, MS KATE LIM,DATO’ MURAD HASHIM, DATO’ NAZIR ARIFF,DATO’ SRI HAJI SAFRI AWANG ZAIDELL,MS ROSEMARY TAN, MS CAROLINE RUSSELL

executive director/CEODR DIONYSIUS SHARMA

HEARTGREEN

Contents

COVER: Morning in Royal Belum State Park.Photo: ©WWF-Malaysia/River Foo

For donor enquiries, contact us attel +60 3 7803 3772fax +60 3 7803 5157email [email protected] wwf.org.my

FEATURES 04Wetland Wonders in Setiu

COVER STORY 06First Forest Adventure

NEWS 10Tiger and Kill Caught on Camera Trap

Enhancing Environmental Citizenship

Renewable Energy’s Impact on Our Living Planet

Whale Shark Brings Hope

Building Local Community Skills

“Circle hooks” for Turtle-friendly Fishing

Fraser’s Hill International Bird Race

Alliance Bank Supports Endangered Animalsthrough Savings Campaign

Fabulous Fundraisers: Haircut for Nature

Thank You, WWF-Malaysia Supporters!

WORKING WITH FRIENDS 16YTL Corporation Commits to Conservation

Make Time for Nature

Nestlé Helps Setiu’s Women

Cielo Supports Conservation

WORKING PORTRAITS 18Setiu Wetlands Conservation Team

“THE WATER HORSE”CONTEST 19

TAKE ACTION FOR NATURE 20Tea for Trees Event

Help Save Turtles

As we turn our forest into farms, tiger habitat gets smaller. Displaced and starving, tigers attack our livestock, or worse, us. In return, we kill them. To resolve this conflict, HSBC and WWF-Malaysia are educating affected farmers on better livestock management and tiger-proofing paddocks. Together, we can save the tiger from being killed just for trying to stay alive.

Development is inevitable. But if we make it environmentally sustainable, there'll only be more for everyone in the future.

Issued by HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad (Company No: 127776-V)


Features

Many Malaysians know that it is important to conserve wetlands because theyprovide many ecological services, including regulating stream flow for our watersupply, water purification and flood control. Moreover, the 2004 tsunami thatdevastated large parts of South and Southeast Asia highlighted the critical need formaintaining coastal wetlands, such as a mangrove forest zone, to serve as a bufferbetween sea and land that acts as shoreline protection and storm protection.

However, few people have heard of the Setiu wetlands, which is a shame because thisstretch of wetlands extending for 23,000 hectares along the Peninsula’s east coast providesa valuable opportunity to observe both freshwater and marine ecosystems in one site. InSetiu, these two ecosystems influence and interact with each other, creating a highly uniqueand biodiverse area in constant flux, and of great ecological significance.

The complex web of life found here is spread across many different wetland habitats:mangroves, riverbank forests, peat swamps, freshwater Melaleuca swamps, and a brackishlagoon which, at 22 kilometres, is the longest lagoon in Peninsular Malaysia! This lagoonhouses a diverse collection of sandy beaches, vegetated sand islands and seagrass beds.It’s exciting to imagine what natural treasures lie here tucked away from human eyes.

Such a wide array of habitats provides refuge to a vast collection of wildlife. Biodiversityassessments carried out in the area have confirmed the Setiu wetlands as an importantrepository of flora and fauna, including 29 mammal species, 28 reptile species and 129 birdspecies.

Wetland Wonders in SetiuBy Sheema Abdul Aziz, Peninsular Malaysia Programme Communications Officer

Juvenile female painted terrapin.

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The power to conserve The Setiu wetlands and paintedterrapins is in your hands. Thank you for donating to WWF-Malaysia.

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The Setiu wetlands.

ISSUE 01/2008 GREEN HEART 5

In fact, during a joint bird survey conducted with the Terengganubranch of the Malaysian Nature Society, the globally threatenedlesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) was sighted here. It was anexciting discovery, as this bird hadn’t been seen on the east coastsince 1968! Such a sighting marks an important comeback,showing that these wetlands are healthy enough to house animportant species with great ecotourism potential.

The area is also an important breeding ground for both freshwaterand marine fish as well as nesting grounds of the criticallyendangered painted terrapin (Callagur borneoensis). Indeed, ithouses the largest breeding population of this species in Malaysia.This reptile’s fate depends on the continued existence of thesewetlands it calls home. Moreover, the conservation of Setiuwetlands is crucial because the area’s naturally occurring grouperjuveniles and oyster seeds help to drive a big part of the Peninsula’sfisheries industry. You wouldn’t want to be faced with a suddenshortage of delicious seafood, would you?

A quick observation of Setiu’s local communities shows just howmuch people still depend on these wetlands for their livelihood.They are primarily involved in cottage industries producing seafood-based delicacies such as fish crackers, dried anchovies, belacan(shrimp paste) and the well-known Terengganu budu (fermentedfish sauce). The socioeconomic benefits of these wetlands aresimply enormous.

In addition to this, the natural features and elements of the Setiuwetlands make the area a prime candidate for ecotourism. Potentialactivities could include nature watching, honey harvesting in theMelaleuca swamps and recreational fishing. By engaging the localcommunities in conservation and ecotourism, alternative incomesfor them could be generated, thereby releasing them from totaldependence on the fisheries sector.

In terms of direct value, Setiu’s natural resources are estimated tobe worth a whopping RM12 million a year. When ecosystem andaesthetic value are added into the mix, that figure is likely to doubleor even triple!

The Setiu wetlands must be protected from uncheckeddevelopment and a comprehensive sustainable management planfor the area must be developed. Revenue generation in the Setiudistrict is one of the poorest in the state, and there are plans toimprove local living standards through agriculture and aquaculture.Yet this would involve conversion of the wetlands and infrastructuredevelopment that would likely cause significant ecological impact.As such, an integrated approach needs to be adopted which willconsider development, socioeconomics and conservation on equalterms.

Recognising this, WWF-Malaysia and Universiti MalaysiaTerengganu recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding topromote the conservation, integrated management and sustainableuse of the Setiu wetlands. (This event was featured in Green Heart4, 2007).

WWF-Malaysia has been working in Setiu since 1993, incollaboration with the Department of Fisheries to conserveterrapins, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and their habitats.However, lack of funds forced us to cease all field activities there in2002.

Other partners have followed your commendable example: In 2006,funding from the Malaysian Wildlife Foundation enabled us to re-start turtle and terrapin conservation work for two nesting seasonsuntil 2007. Currently, Nestlé Malaysia is helping to fund a 5-yearcapacity-building program to support and enhance women’s socio-economic development through sustainable utilisation of wetlandsresources. Also, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmenthas awarded WWF-Malaysia a grant for coastal wetlandsrestoration. This will allow the planting of mangroves and othersuitable coastal tree species to be carried out, with the involvementof local communities.

The Setiu wetlands are an inspiring story of how caring Malaysianscan help to drive environmental conservation in our homeland.Together, with the support of the government, real steps can nowbe taken to secure a better future for the Setiu wetlands.

WWF-Malaysia sincerely thanks you, our valued individualsupporters, for contributing to the conservation of the Setiuwetlands. Turn to page 15 and see how many crucialconservation projects you have made possible! ■

WWF-Malaysia could not resume efforts to conserveSetiu wetlands until mid-2005 when heroic Malaysianslike you saved the day! Between 2002 and 2005, WWF-Malaysia’s fundraising arm worked hard at raising funds forconservation by engaging the Malaysian public. Now, there isa 3-year “Sustainable Management of the Setiu Wetlands”project in place – all made possible by you, our individualsupporters from among the Malaysian people!

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The Setiu wetlands.


Cover Story

I was awakened by the distant noise of cracking bamboos at an ungodly hour. The fire thatwe had made earlier was slowly dying, threatening to plunge us into complete darkness. Anirrational fear of wild elephants ravaging our base camp popped into my mind. Frantically, Itried to get out of my sleeping bag to add more wood. Thankfully, our ever-responsible teamleader Pak Mat beat me to it and attended to the fire. Watching the flame grow stronger, myeyelids slowly getting heavier, I then fell back into a deep sleep. We were exhausted aftertrekking for over five hours; and it was only the first day. The hard work began the momentwe were dropped off at our survey area by boat. We braved steep terrain and swift streams,and also performed a circus-like balancing act on a fallen tree trunk while carrying veryheavy backpacks containing our food rations and necessities for the next nine days! Sobegan my WWF-Malaysia Rhino Expedition in Royal Belum State Park.

First Forest AdventureBy River Foo, Donor Relations Executive

Royal Belum State Park is part of the largerBelum-Temengor forest complex, one ofthe largest remaining forest blocks inPeninsular Malaysia. This tropical rainforestis the habitat of large mammals likeelephants, gaurs, tigers, sun bears andtapirs. The area is also home to theendangered Sumatran rhino. This historicalexpedition was a crucial exercise toestimate the number of rhinos there. Itwould also help to identify illegal activitiesand poaching that threaten Royal Belum’swildlife.

With no field experience, I was lucky to beincluded in this expedition and teamed upwith amazing people, including Pak Matfrom Perak State Parks Corporation,Ravindran from the Malaysian NatureSociety as well as Gudil and Mat, veteranWWF-Malaysia field officers. The eventfulnine-day expedition was truly a life-enriching experience.

Tricky Terrain Expedition participants need good staminabecause it involves a lot of trekking,trekking and more trekking throughdifferent terrains, traversing rock-filledstreams, negotiating ridges and otherphysically taxing tasks. Thanks to my three-times-a-week gym visits over the past fourmonths, it wasn’t a problem for me to trekabout 6 to 8 kilometres daily, although therewere still occasions when I struggled tobreathe.

It was especially tricky trying to cross themany streams and muddy areas byhopping on slippery rocks to avoid gettingmy shoes wet. It’s annoying walking withwater trapped in your shoes. This requiredgood balancing and rock-choosing skills,and I didn’t always get to the other side dry.One time, I slipped and landed ungracefullyon my bottom in the water. I had to trekwith the bottom half of me wet and my rightankle bruised. However, that wasn’t as badas walking covered up to my ankles withmud after having mistaken a muddy patchfor dry land. Despite these adventures, Iwas luckier than Ravin who fell and

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(Left to right) Ravin, River, Mat, Gudil and Pak Mat holding up ahoneycomb that had fallen to the forest floor as they pose withthe huge tree by the salt-lick.


sprained her ankle on the first day while crossing a stream with herheavy backpack. She was forced to rest at base camp for two daysbut heroically completed the expedition with us nonetheless.

I was nearly swept away by the rapid current of Sungai Perak. Theriver is wide, with the kind of rapids that would attract white waterrafting enthusiasts. Forest exploration veteran Pak Mat was the firstof our group to cross the river, which he did effortlessly. Gudil and Isimply could not get past the swift current, forcing us to cling to thebranches of a large fallen tree. We were in danger of being sweptaway!

It was too dangerous to try and swim to the opposite shorebecause of the large rocks; smacking into one would have beenfatal. Thankfully, Pak Mat bravely walked towards us through thewater. With him helping to pull us, we managed to get to an areawhere the rapids weren’t as strong. I made my way to shore at asnail’s pace. Standing completely soaked on land after whatseemed like ages, we all had a good laugh.

Wild Encounters Throughout this expedition, I managed to learn a few technicaldetails of fieldwork. The one I enjoyed the most was searching foranimal tracks and droppings. Wild animals are difficult to detectbecause they instinctively avoid humans. However, their presencecan be determined by their tracks. Before this, back in the office, Iwas always shown photographs of animal footprints and scat takenby my colleagues who are field officers. It was therefore anincredible experience to experience actual field work.

Throughout the survey, we came across many different animaltracks. I was tasked with photographing the evidence. Being a non-field officer, I was excited to do this as well as measure the prints oflarge mammals like elephants, tapirs, sun bears, wild boars, gaurs,deer and even tigers. Photographing tiger paw prints was anawesome experience, as the thought of them roaming the samearea as me was both amazing and slightly frightening.

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A wallow.


Features

Elephants can be easily found in Belum. We came across theirfootprints and droppings every day. Once, we came across freshelephant footprints only 50 metres away from our base camp. Thatevening, Pak Mat, Mat and I decided to head out to catch fish whileGudil and Ravin stayed back at the base camp. On our way back,we were startled by several wet elephant footprints headed towardsour camp. They had not been there just an hour ago! We hurriedback to our base camp to alert Gudil and Ravin. We added morewood to the fire and anxiously listened for any signs that anelephant might enter the camp. Thankfully, this didn’t happen.

Apart from tracking footprints, we were also tasked with identifyingsigns of poachers who illegally enter the area to hunt wild animalsand extract gaharu (agarwood). We concluded that poachers,possibly from Thailand, had encroached upon our survey area afterdiscovering Thai “Tom Yam Mama” instant noodle wrappers in thevicinity of traps and extracted agarwood.

It was also important for us to search for salt-licks and wallowsbecause wild animals like rhinos frequent these areas. Wediscovered one huge wallow but it was an old one, probably lastused two years ago, and we couldn’t determine if it had been usedby rhinos. I was overjoyed when we discovered a large salt-lick withpervasive footprints of animals, mainly gaurs. It was hidden behindtwo humongous trees that reminded me of the giant tree peoplefrom “Lord of the Rings.” Since it was a pleasant site, we decidedto have our lunch break there. All of us took turns posing forpictures with the trees and the salt-lick.

It was also in Belum that the GPS (Global Positioning System)device and I finally said “hello” to each other. Prior to our firstencounter, I had only seen it in the office or when it was carriedaround by my colleagues, but we were never introduced. Thanks toGudil and Ravin, I had a crash course on how to operate a GPSdevice. I was taught how to use it to locate and record the locationof each area we visited. It also helped in navigating our direction andthe length of our journey. In addition, I had the opportunity to studythe map of our survey area on a daily basis with help from Gudil. Allthis hunting for footprints, photographing, navigating as well asusing GPS devices and maps allowed me to fantasise that I wasstarring in a “National Geographic” or “Animal Planet” programme.

Although we were tracking large mammals, it was the smaller forestresidents that never failed to make their presence known. One inparticular was what I call the vampires of the forest: leeches. Thesebloodsuckers were pervasive and they would wriggle their way intoclothing to feast on blood. Even with my hardy leech socks, at theend of the day I still found them feasting on numerous parts of mybody: arms, legs, neck and even my navel. It still puzzles me howthey got there. After awhile though, I developed the art of flickingleeches off my body, standing elegantly on one foot with a heavyweight on my back while flicking leeches off.

Of greater concern were the wasps, bees and centipedes with theirpoisonous stings. I was alarmed when Gudil showed us a 20-centimetre-long centipede that he had caught. He pointed out thata bite from the creature could cause a person to faint. It sent chills

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River, carrying his large pack of supplies, is excited at the start of his great adventure.


down my spine when he told us that he had caught it next to hissleeping area, which happened to be next to mine.

I was lucky not to be stung although we had to walk past swarmsof wasps on numerous occasions. They would usually be buzzingaround in one area and the trick was to walk slowly across withoutdisturbing them. Typical of someone who had been in the city fartoo long, I applied excessive amounts of insect repellent all over myface and inched past the swarm exceptionally slowly, praying hardthat they wouldn’t find me appealing. My prayer was answered.

The most terrifying moment was when a long, fat cobra slitheredacross our path. There I was, standing stock still deep in the forest;with ridiculous thoughts of being bitten, turning blue-black anddying before reaching medical help. Directly after that brief butupsetting encounter, I fervently hoped that we wouldn’t comeacross another snake. It was then that reality hit – fieldwork is notfor the faint-hearted. In my opinion, all the field officers out there areincredibly brave people.

Forest ChefI was the team’s resident chef. I enjoy cooking dearly and naturallyhogged the pot, pan, cooking oil and food. Our cooking areacomprised firewood that we collected and set alight. Ravin, myassistant, chopped garlic, onions, carrots and cabbages - the onlyvegetables that we were given. One memorable moment that willprobably stay with me forever was when I stood waist-deep in theriver performing the simple task of washing rice, surrounded by thebeautiful, majestic forest.

We also enjoyed an impressive menu of ayam masak merah,rendang kari lembu, sambal ikan bilis and more thanks to “Brahim’s”packet food.

I often had to squat around the scorching hot cooking area, stir-frying while smoke blew into my face. Every now and then, I wouldstand up and squat down in different directions to avoid gettingsuffocated. It was worth the toil as everyone seemed to enjoy mycooking, which delighted me. Thankfully, none of them came downwith diarrhoea or that would have been the end of my cooking days.

After meals, the cleaning would be done at the river. It was fine toclean utensils in the day but it was problematic at night. Washing bythe river at night requires a headlamp. Flying insects are attracted tolight; therefore I had to wash while shaking my head to avoid insectsgetting into my eyes as they attacked my headlamp. Once, as aresult of intense head-shaking, I almost landed in the river with a potand washing sponge.

Each night before bedtime, we would make hot drinks and gatheraround the fireplace for a chat. I had a great time exchanginginteresting and hilarious stories with everyone. It was a greatopportunity to hear exciting stories from the field. However, it wasn’tas amusing when stories of wild animals or snakes attacking peopleafter nightfall were told.

On our last night, we realised that our supply of coffee and “Milo”sachets had run out. However, Ravin kindly offered to share her lastsachet of “Milo”. We all ended up sharing one sachet of “Milo” witha lot of sugar in it. That was the most cherished “Milo” moment I’veever had in my life.

Over the last nine days, my appreciation for nature grew stronger.Waking to beautiful birdsong, the river rushing by, clean air andmist-covered mountains was breathtaking. Over the years, ourmagnificent natural heritage has diminished. Million-year-old forestsand wildlife are under serious threat. Fortunately, there areindividuals who believe they are here to make a difference. It is theirpassion and love for Mother Nature that propel them to dedicatetheir energy to nature conservation.

All the field officers who spend most of their time working atconservation sites are truly commendable. It is not an easy job; theyface challenges and risks on a daily basis. They rough it out in thefield with only basic items while we in the city perhaps do moredamage to the environment with our cars and air-conditioners. Theymake do with whatever little food that they carry with themthroughout their time in the field while we in the city eat excessively.Their most significant sacrifice is the time spent away from familyand friends. Their dedication to conservation for the sake of futuregenerations is enormously inspiring.

I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to experience some ofwhat the field officers go through. From the bottom of my heart, Ithank them for their heroic efforts in conservation. ■

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Gudil testing the water to verify if the area is a salt-lick; it is!


News

The drive to the riverbank was an exciting one. Just minutesearlier, Ramli, an Orang Asli living in Temengor Forest Reserve,had enthusiastically recounted his close encounter with a tigerthe day before. Mark and Shariff, the “Tigers Alive!” projectbiologists, along with WWF-Nepal visitors Bivash Pandav andSameer Singh, trailed behind Ramli in their faithful yet oftenproblematic Land Cruiser. The group hoped to find a recenttiger-kill and “trap” the mighty hunter on camera.

The “Tigers Alive!” project aims to help conserve the estimated 500tigers remaining in Peninsular Malaysia through mitigating human-tiger conflict in Jeli and looking into the connectivity of PeninsularMalaysia’s forested areas. Camera-trapping assists in providing vitalinformation on tiger ecology and other wildlife in the areas ofinterest.

Camera-trapping involves placing specially made cameras alongsuitable trails in the forest to capture photos of wildlife. Thesecameras are housed in a camouflaged waterproof case with a built-in passive infra-red sensor that can detect body heat and motion.Animals that pass in front of a camera-trap will be detected by theinfra-red sensor, triggering the camera to take a photo.

The camera-trapping activity shifted from Gunung Basor ForestReserve to Temengor in 2007, and will later progress to RoyalBelum State Park with the aim of obtaining a better understandingof tigers and wildlife diversity in these areas. Reconnaissance tripsinto Temengor to identify suitable camera-trap locations began inmid-2007. In an area of less than 100km2, they have alreadyobtained more than 40 photos of tigers at several differentlocations.

Ramli narrated that he had been walking to a nearby riverbank tofish the day before when he and his friends stumbled upon a tigerwith its kill, which was only about 200 metres away. The tiger,surprised by the human intrusion, sprinted away, leaving its foodbehind.

After a 30-minute drive from the Orang Asli village along a loggingroad followed by a 20-minute walk, the group arrived at the spotand was greeted by a thief! A monitor lizard was vigorously trying todrag the half-eaten carcass of a wild boar away. As soon as theyneared, the monitor lizard scurried away, giving up its free lunch.

Hoping that the tiger would return to its kill, the group tied thecarcass to a nearby tree using vines. A digital camera-trap with adelay time of 10 seconds between detections was then set facingthe carcass.

The field biologists eagerly returned to the spot about one monthlater to retrieve the camera-trap. The photos showed the owner ofthe carcass – a magnificent male tiger – returning to the spot at12:20pm, only two hours after the camera-trap was set. It stayedthere for about a minute and within a span of ten seconds, themajestic animal swiftly took its prized possession and left the area,as shown in the next picture which was taken at 12:21pm.

These were the first pictures of a tiger with its kill that the “TigersAlive!” project team had ever captured since beginning camera-trapping activity in 2004. The team can’t wait to see what elseenchanting Temengor has in store! ■

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Tiger and Kill Caught on Camera TrapPhotos of the tiger and its kill captured via camera-trap.


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RenewableEnergy’s Impacton Our LivingPlanet Renewable energy sources providebenefits not only to the environment butare also more affordable in the long term.

The energy we use on a daily basis comesfrom five different sources: oil, coal, naturalgas, water (hydro) and, most recently, otherrenewable energy (RE) sources. Before the1990’s, Malaysia’s main source of energywas oil. We have since switched to naturalgas as our major energy source as it isperceived to be a “cleaner” form of energy.However, many do not realise that it is onlycleaner compared to oil. Essentially, usingnatural gas to generate electricity stillreleases a huge amount of carbon dioxidethat contributes to the greenhouse effect,leading to global warming, climate changeand harm to our environment.

So what is a renewable energy source? It isa source of energy that is being replenishedcontinuously within the lifetime of a humanbeing. Examples of this include water,biomass, wind and sunlight.

Malaysia, being close to the equator, isblessed with ample sunlight. By exposing 3-5 kWp roof-top solar panels to the sunlight,we can generate enough electricity to satisfythe needs of an average Malaysianhousehold. Since sunlight is a completelynon-polluting agent and does not releaseany carbon, generating electricity using solarpanels actually helps us to reduce theamount of carbon dioxide released into theatmosphere. As such, using this type of REwill help to mitigate global warming.

By installing solar panels on our roof, we willpay less for electricity - and the good newsis, we can earn extra cash by selling anyexcess electricity to TNB - how’s that for achange? Solar panels may seem expensivenow, but looking at the long-term scenario,it will be better overall for our living planet –our home. ■

Workshop speakers and participants.

Workshop participants paying close attention to the speaker.

To better protect Fraser’s Hill’s fragile natural environment, the local community wereoffered the opportunity to gain knowledge on various environmental laws, includingthe Environmental Quality Act 1974, Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 and the NationalForestry Act 1984.

In a workshop held on 1st August 2007, representatives from the Department ofEnvironment, Department of Wildlife & National Parks, Forestry Department and Traffic SEAwere invited by WWF-Malaysia to present talks and share first-hand experiences on varioustopics, such as the purpose and provisions of the related Acts, their enforcement as well asthe offences and prohibitions of various acts and the corresponding penalties. Theparticipants were also given a better understanding of the different roles of each department.

The “Fraser’s Hill Environmentally Sustainable Habitat” project funded by the US Embassyprovides capacity building for the Fraser’s Hill local community on various issues, includingenvironmental legislation and protected area management. The aim is to enhance theFraser’s Hill local community’s level of environmental citizenship and enable them to take onthe role of effectively conserving the hill’s rich biodiversity and natural environment. ■

Enhancing EnvironmentalCitizenship


News

A lot of energy has been invested into trying to get the proposedTun Mustapha Park gazetted. This area, totalling over 1 millionhectares of islands and marine waters in the northernmost region ofSabah, is a treasure trove of biodiversity and also plays a key role insustaining local communities and industries. Supporting SabahParks in this cause, WWF-Malaysia, under its Sulu-Sulawesi MarineEcoregion Programme, has undertaken continuous dialogues withkey stakeholders, including the Department of Fisheries Sabah,Sabah Wildlife Department and the local communities spreadthroughout the Kudat-Banggi region. Recent milestones includegaining the support of the people towards the establishment ofMaliangin Sanctuary as a model site to demonstrate the benefits ofsustainable fishing practices, and the successful gathering ofinformation on the lifestyles, habits and knowledge of the localcommunities.

The journey towards gazettement is a long and arduous one.Gauging by the length of time it took for Tun Sakaran Marine Park,a park in the vicinity of world famous Sipadan Island, to achieve itsofficial status as a protected area – the better part of 20 years – thisseems like an easy path to disheartenment. It is important toremember the reasons why we continue to strive towards achievingour conservation goals. WWF-Malaysia wants to build a future inwhich humans live in harmony with nature. In this case, we worktowards ensuring that coastal communities continue to thrivethrough fisheries, everyone gets to continue enjoying succulentseafood dishes while divers stay enthralled by a splendid array ofmarine species.

One such magnificent creature is the whale shark (Rhincodontypus), which was sighted within the area in August last year. Twofishermen returning in the wee hours of morning bumped into aninjured juvenile whale shark measuring 18 feet in Batu Putih nearLok Dangkaan, Pitas. Suspecting it to have been hit by a largevessel, the men towed it back to Kudat, excited at the prospect ofselling the whale shark’s parts, especially considering that they hadan unsuccessful night out fishing.

News of the whale shark’s arrival spread quickly, bringing teamsfrom as far as Kota Kinabalu. Apart from WWF-Malaysia’s KudatPriority Conservation Area Project Team, the incident gatheredofficers from the Department of Fisheries Sabah, Kudat DistrictOffice and Sabah Wildlife Department as well as curious onlookers.Everyone was dismayed to be met by a dead whale shark.

Although ultimately a sad ending, the discovery of this whale sharkconfirms claims by local villagers that whale sharks have beenspotted in the region. This fully protected species is worth far morealive than dead because of its uncanny ability to lure tourists. Thewhale shark, despite its passing, offers hope. More of its kind arelikely to pass through the proposed Tun Mustapha Park,symbolising the valuable marine biodiversity there that means somuch to local communities as well as the fisheries and ecotourismindustries. Despite its sad death, this whale shark is an inspirationfor WWF-Malaysia, through collaboration with state governmentagencies, to forge ahead and continue efforts to gazette theproposed park. ■

Whale Shark Brings Hope

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The dead whale shark, tiedto a jetty in Kampung Air inKudat, Sabah.

WWF-Malaysia Kudat Priority Conservation Area Project Team Marine Biologist Lee Yoke Lee showing the existence of claspers,which enable whale sharks to clasp to one another during mating. Claspers are only found on male sharks.


Building LocalCommunity Skills16 local community members from Dabong, Jelawang and GuaMusang attended an absolutely free of charge, “no frills”“Basic Entrepreneurship” course in July 2007 aimed atimproving their skills to help make them more effective at theirnature-based jobs. This course was just one of several fromWWF-Malaysia's Gunung Stong State Park (GSSP)conservation project’s capacity building component, where weorganise various courses for local communities at no charge.

A certified trainer who specialises in a particular subject is broughtin to teach the course, which comprises a “theory day” in aclassroom and a “field day” when participants convert theory topractice. Many of the participants are currently independent guidesbut they lack the diversity of skills that nature guides should ideallypossess; they should not only be good at guiding, but also anoutdoor leader and naturalist.

The main aim of this project is to build the capacity of localcommunity members, especially the existing nature guides, by

teaching them a broad range of skills, including how to read maps,use a compass, kayak and perform outdoor rescues using simplerope work. Interest has picked up among the local guides, mostlybecause they see this as a platform where they can improvethemselves and upgrade their professionalism. Moreover, theKelantan State Forestry Department (KSFD) has informallyendorsed the WWF-Malaysia capacity building courses by insistingthat those who want to register with KSFD as a GSSP guide mustfirst attend the courses.

The project also strives to create awareness on the improvedeconomic opportunities for local communities upon thegazettement of GSSP, from operating backpacker inns andrestaurants to selling camping supplies and local handicraft. Futurecourses will include advanced caving, advanced entrepreneurship,CPR and emergency first aid, basic ecology and birding. ■

“Circle Hooks” for Turtle-friendly Fishing Hawksbill turtle survival in the waters ofMelaka may have just received a boostwith the introduction of a turtle-friendlyfishing hook by the Department ofFisheries Malaysia (DoF) and SoutheastAsian Fisheries Development Centre(SEAFDEC).

The specially designed “circle hook” is beingused in longline fisheries in other parts of theworld. It has been proven to significantlyreduce bycatch of marine turtles and marinemammals up to 90% without reducing fishcatch. The new design with its roundedfeatures reduce the possibility of turtlesbeing hooked in the gut as the hooks willcome right back up the throat when the baitis swallowed. It is a win-win situation as theeconomic welfare of fishermen will not benegatively affected by replacing theirtraditional “J-hooks” with “circle hooks” inlongline fisheries.

In November 2007, a demonstration tointroduce the new hook and its effectivenesswas held by DoF and SEAFDEC for 30fishermen from 6 fishing communities inMelaka. The fishermen took part by setting

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Participants working hard converting theory to practice during the compass and map readingcourse.

up their “J-hook” longlines alongsideSEAFDEC’s longlines with “circle hooks” fora comparison study.

The results of the demonstration wereskewed by the design of the experiment andshowed that circle hooks yieldedcomparatively less fish that day becauseundersized weights were used in thelonglines and they floated in the strongcurrents of the Straits! Nonetheless, the newhook was well received by the fishers. Theypreferred the new hooks, which were saferas traditional “J-hooks” have protruding,sharp ends that easily injures the user. Thedemonstration also convinced the fishermenthat the new design hooks fishes moresecurely, hence reducing the chances oftarget catch escaping – a definite plus point!

Each fishing community requested for, andreceived, “circle hooks” for their own trial andusage. The introduction is timely and heraldsthe beginning of better fishing practices inMalaysia. WWF-Malaysia will becollaborating closely with DoF towardsextensive implementation of “circle hooks” inMelaka fisheries. ■

The “circle hook” demo by Department of Fisheries Malaysiaand SEAFDEC officers.

Turtle-friendly“circle hooks”.


News

Beginning January 2008, Alliance Bank teamed up with WWF-Malaysia on its latest savings campaign. Alliance Bank willpresent a limited edition WWF “Virtual Pet” coinbank to everynew or existing customer who deposits a minimum of RM3,000into their savings account between January and 30 June 2008.In addition, for every WWF “Virtual Pet” coinbank that is givenaway, Alliance Bank will donate RM2.00 to WWF.

The WWF limited edition “Virtual Pet” coinbanks are available in theform of one of the following endangered species: turtles, orang-utans or tigers. These coinbanks can display different emotions,such as happy when they are “fed” (when a coin is inserted) or sadwhen they are “hungry”.

Alliance Bank Group Head of Consumer Banking Liew Swee Linsaid, “This savings campaign is very much in line with the bank’scommitment to make banking personal to our partners. While thecampaign is designed to promote savings among our customers, italso offers them the opportunity to play a role in the community. Inencouraging our customers to save, we are presenting them withan item of potential value while supporting a worthy cause in theform of WWF.”

WWF-Malaysia Director of Marketing Choon Bow Bow said, “WWF-Malaysia thanks Alliance Bank for their exemplary corporate socialresponsibility in supporting environmental conservation. In line withthe bank’s aim of encouraging people to save, we would like toencourage everyone to help save their natural heritage - one crucialsource of our country’s wealth.” ■

The hills are alive with the sound ofmusic as the birds of Fraser’s Hillbeckon! For 24 hours, from Saturday21st June to Sunday 22nd June2008, spot, identify and record asmany species of birds (not thenumber of birds) and win yourselffabulous prizes!

Sign-up in teams of three for aweekend of fun-filled bird watching,identifying and recording. Registrationopens at 9.00am on 21st June. Collectyour log-book when you sign up.Before the event, confirm yourparticipation by contacting theorganiser, Fraser’s Hill DevelopmentCorporation, via telephone: 09-5171623 / 5171624 or e-mail:[email protected] . See you there! ■

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Alliance Bank SupportsEndangered Animalsthrough SavingsCampaign

Fraser’s Hill International Bird Race 200821st & 22nd June 2008

Come and see if you can spot me in Fraser’s Hill!


Former WWF-Malaysia staff member and lifelong Kawan WWF KevinLong recently cut his treasured locks to raise funds for natureconservation. His hair, which he dreadlocked in mid-2006, had not beencut for two years. One fine morning, he awoke feeling that he had beenspending too much time on his locks and speedily invested his time infundraising for an urgent cause instead.

In Scotland, where Kevin is based, it is quite common to celebrate whena friend makes an important personal change or action by raising moneyfor a good cause. WWF-Malaysia thanks Kevin Long, his family andfriends from Glasgow for contributing RM1,800 to our crucialconservation efforts on the occasion of his momentous haircut! ■

Fabulous Fundraisers: Haircut for Nature

Your valuable contributions have made 21 crucial conservation projects possible for the2008 financial year (July 2007 until June 2008), 4 more than for the previous financial year.

You are making a positive difference in conserving Malaysia’s magnificent wild spaces, providerof our natural resources and home to a vast variety of plants and animals, including elephants,tigers and hornbills. These include Kelantan’s Gunung Stong and Kedah’s Ulu Muda protectedareas as well as Terengganu’s Setiu Wetlands. You are also helping to conserve the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion, home to more than 500 species of coral, 1200 species of reef fish,whale sharks, dugongs, 5 of the world’s 7 species of sea turtles and much more marine life.These waters also sustain about 50 million people with protein from reef fishes as well as foodand vitamins from plants.

Your donation is helping to protect Malaysia’s marine turtles, gentle mariners that have swum inthe world’s oceans for more than 100 million years, playing a key role in a variety of marineecosystems that sustain our fisheries and tourism industries. This animal’s ability to swim vastdistances in order to return and nest at the beaches where they hatched have inspired manylegends, even as their grace and beauty have made them a symbol of strength, longevity and

Thank You, WWF-Malaysia Supporters!

We welcome ideas from anyone who would like to creativelyfundraise for our living planet like Kevin did. Please e-mail us [email protected]. While we encourage ingenuity, please ensurethat your fundraising actions are always safe and legal. Thank you.

happiness in many cultures while earningthem a special place in many hearts.

Moreover, your contribution will help our workaimed at having an environmental educationpolicy integrated into the NationalCurriculum, to nurture a new generation ofnature conservationists. We hope that theywill inherit and protect our homeland’sbountiful natural resources, which ourgeneration must urgently conserve to ensureour own quality of life - as well as their brightfuture.

Truly, thank you for taking a stand andhelping to conserve our rich natural legacy.■

Kevin before his haircut.

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Working with Friends

YTL Corporation recently continued their long term commitment toenvironmental protection by awarding a total of USD200,000(RM680,000) to fund local conservation projects. The grants, atUSD100,000 (RM340,000) each, were awarded to two conservationgroups, WWF-Malaysia and Rare, at a cheque presentationceremony in October 2007.

The two established environmental NGOs were selected for their proventrack record of successful conservation work both globally and locally,helping to educate communities, protect endangered habitats andspecies as well as raise environmental awareness.

Speaking at the ceremony, YTL Corporation Berhad Managing DirectorTan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh said, “To have real impact on conservation andenvironmental protection, one must forge strong partnerships withthose who are experts in the field, in order to make headway, create realimpact and bring about real change. I have always felt that we (YTL)have a personal responsibility to get involved where possible becauseas business leaders, we have an ethical obligation to be part of thesolution.”

With the grant, WWF-Malaysia will strengthen our tiger conservationefforts, specifically to resolve the human-tiger conflict in Jeli, Kelantan.Factors such as rapid development and unsustainable logging havecaused tigers and humans to involuntarily come into contact with each

other, causing conflict. The increase of human-tiger conflict has costhuman lives and removal of tigers from the wild. To address this, WWF-Malaysia is working closely with local authorities and villagers to provideextensive education on conserving tiger habitats and adopting bettermanagement practices in farming activities. Key activities includeconducting awareness-raising programmes for local communities, field-testing better management practices guideline as well as encouragingthe adoption of these guideline at other conflict areas.

The grants are part of YTL Corporation’s long-term commitment toenvironmental protection following their highly successful ClimateChange Week in March this year. Climate Change Week was aweeklong initiative to raise awareness of environmental consciousnessamong Malaysians regarding climate change and global warming. ■

YTL Corporation Commitsto Conservation

Ever heard the saying “Time is money?” A unique partnership between Nielsen Malaysiaand WWF-Malaysia offers a new take on this, enabling you to convert your time into cashfor nature conservation! By volunteering to answer surveys hosted by Nielsen "YourVoice",you can help fund WWF-Malaysia’s conservation efforts, ranging from saving endangeredtigers and turtles to protecting our highland forests, rivers and seas.

Register at www.yourvoice.com.my as a panellist to receive surveys on various topics. Each timeyou answer a survey, you will receive e-points that you can choose to convert into donations toWWF-Malaysia. You can also get e-points that can be converted into cash for conservation byreferring friends to sign up as “YourVoice” panellists. This unique way of contributing to helpprotect nature also enables you to voice your opinions on a variety of survey topics.

“We are delighted to work with Nielsen over the past years,” said WWF-Malaysia MarketingDirector Ms Choon Bow Bow. “A 2006 survey by Nielsen reveals that we have a challenging taskahead of us in raising awareness of environmental issues. Of those interested in supportingcharitable causes among the 1012 Malaysians surveyed, only 29% were interested in supportingan environmental charity.”

Ms Choon also thanked WWF-Malaysia’s individual supporters, whose donations are the lifebloodof the organisation’s crucial efforts to conserve Malaysia’s rich natural legacy. She hopes thatmore Malaysians will follow their shining example. ■

Make Time for Nature

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(Left to right) Dr Nigel Sizer of Rare, Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh of YTL, Dr Dionysius Sharma of WWF-Malaysia, Ms Ruth Yeoh of YTL and Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min of YTL.

Nielsen Malaysia Customised Research Executive Director MsLee Joo Lee (left) with WWF-Malaysia Director of Marketing MsChoon Bow Bow.


On 1st November 2007, the Setiu Wetlands Project team helda Hari Raya gathering and WWF-Malaysia programme briefingat Kampung Mangkuk, Setiu. This half-day event was fullyfunded by Nestlé Berhad as part of their Women’sDevelopment Programme involving women from KampungMangkuk.

The event was attended by Nestlé Berhad Group Corporate AffairsManager Tg Marina Badlishah as well as representatives fromUniversiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), local government and villagecommittees, along with more than 100 local villagers. TerengganuAgriculture & Development Committee Chairman Datuk Haji MohdJidin bin Shafee also graced the event.

The villagers worked hard gotong-royong style to prepare lunch forthe event. It was an especially meaningful event for them as it gavethem the opportunity to learn about the WWF-Malaysia programmeand our sponsor. Nestlé Berhad is funding the Women’sDevelopment Programme to build the skills of local women and helpthem to develop the local economy. Nestlé Berhad hopes to assistthese women in running small-medium industries or cottageindustries such as making kerepek and handicrafts. The womenhave the potential to be agents for change in improving socio-economic conditions and environmental practices at the householdand village levels. Empowering these women with skills andknowledge will enable them to take up this role more effectively.

In conjunction with this event, WWF-Malaysia also presented thecommunity with a special project signboard as a soft launch of themangrove replanting programme, to be carried out in the area soon.

WWF-Malaysia is undertaking this replanting programme jointly withthe Forestry Department with support from the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment and UMT. Its objective is to increaseawareness of nature conservation particularly the coastal forests,through participation by the local community.

WWF-Malaysia thanks our individual supporters whosedonations fund part of nature conservation efforts in the Setiuwetlands. ■

Nestlé Helps Setiu’s Women

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WWF-Malaysia thanks Cielo Salon Network for helpingour efforts to build environmental awareness by airing ourappeals on 500 screens located in hair salons throughoutthe Klang Valley. They specialise in the customisation ofdigital signage networks that cater to advertiser requirementsfor a more cost-effective marketing communications platform.Cielo aspires to spearhead the development and proliferationof digital media throughout South East Asia by working withpartners and proactively deploying customised digital medianetworks in the execution of effective marketing campaignsfor their clients. Find out more about this corporation with aconscience at www.cielo.com.my. ■

Cielo SupportsConservation

Nestlé Berhad Group Corporate Affairs Manager Tg Marina Badlishah (in deep brown blouse) chatting with participants of the Women’sDevelopment Project funded by Nestlé Berhad. Seated to her left is WWF-Malaysia Director of Marketing Ms Choon Bow Bow and onMs Choon’s left is Universiti Malaysia Terengganu lecturer Cik Jamilah Saleem.

Women’s Development Project participants with Permaisuri,Setiu Agriculture & Development Committee Chairman DatukHaji Mohd Jidin bin Shafee (seated, in blue shirt), PengerusiJKKK Kg Mangkuk Encik Awang Junuh (seated, in white shirt),WWF-Malaysia Setiu Wetlands Conservation Project TeamLeader Encik Nik Mohd Shibli Nik Jaafar (seated, in batik shirt),Tg Marina and Ms Choon (standing, far right).

Tg Marina presenting a Nestlé hamper to Ketua Biro WanitaBelia 4B, Kg Mangkuk Puan Rosnita Ngah.


VacanciesCall: 017-6951325 orE-mail: [email protected]*

* Contact us if you would like WWF-Malaysiato present a talk on careers inconservation.

Based in Kudat, Sabah

Marine Biologist

Based in Padang Kemunting,Melaka

Community Education and AwarenessOfficer

Based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Chief Technical Officer (PeninsularMalaysia Programme)

Climate Change Coordinator

Protected Areas Officer

Senior Account and CommunicationOfficer

Senior Executive, Office Management(Facilities)

Working Portraits

Nik Mohd Shibli bin Nik Jaafar The Setiu Wetlands Conservation ProjectTeam Leader

Manages the overall project and supervises theteam in field research and other project activities.Leads liaison with stakeholders, especiallygovernment agencies, to promote and gainsupport for the project. Responsible for land usemanagement studies in the Setiu Wetlands andpolicy reviews related to wetland conservation.

Freshwater Conservation Team

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Nik enjoys working for WWF-Malaysia because of the flexibility as well as the opportunity tolearn and share conservation knowledge with others, especially members of the public andthe younger generation. Daria enjoys her work because it is satisfying to know that she ismaking a contribution through WWF-Malaysia’s efforts to help realise the sustainable useand conservation of wetlands, especially one of Peninsular Malaysia’s most unique but leastknown wetlands, the Setiu wetlands.

The team appreciates the opportunity to learn fascinating information about our wetlands,including how we benefit from these rich ecosystems. Sharing that knowledge with othersas well as overcoming the challenges of securing support for wetlands conservation fromthe target groups provide them with the motivation to continue their efforts. ■

pls provide hi-res

Daria Mathew Freshwater Coordinator

Advises and provides support on technicalaspects in the planning, implementation andevaluation of WWF-Malaysia’s freshwater andwetlands conservation related work, including theSetiu Wetlands Conservation Project.

Daria.

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Contest

In conjunction with the release of “The Water Horse”, WWF-Malaysia is working withColumbia TriStar Films to raise awareness about marine conservation by providingeducational leaflets to primary schools. Just like the mythical water horse, there are manyreal animals living in our world’s waters that need to be protected. We are also running acontest especially for WWF-Malaysia supporters! Just complete this form and stand achance to win fabulous prizes, courtesy of Columbia TriStar Films:

Top three winners will each win:• 1 Limited Edition “Water Horse” Baby-T worth RM180 each• 1 Limited Edition Water Horse Painting Palette

worth RM180 each

Three consolation prize winners will eachwin:• 1 Timex Watch Model No: T7B071

worth RM140 each• 1 Limited Edition Water Horse Pocket

Notebook worth RM80 each

“The Water Horse” opens in cinemas nationwide on 27th March. Be sure to catch thismoving and exciting film with its breathtaking special effects!

The Academy Award® – winning producer and special-effects team behind “The Lord of theRings” join Revolution Studios, Walden Media (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) and BeaconPictures to bring to the screen the magical motion picture “The Water Horse”. Rooted in oneof the most enduring and intriguing legends of our time, the story begins with an enchantedegg... and what hatches will set in motion an adventure thatwill take a young boy on the unforgettable journey of alifetime. Cast includes Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin and DavidMorissey. ■

“The Water Horse” Contest Especially for WWF-Malaysia Supporters

✃

We should protect marine animals liketurtles because (in no more than 15 words)

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Name: ______________________________

IC No: ______________________________

Address: ____________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

Tel: _________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________

Supporter No: _______________________

Send entries to Green Heart, WWF-Malaysia, 49, Jalan SS23/15, Taman SEA,47400 Petaling Jaya, before 30th April.

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“The Water Horse” images © Columbia Tristar Films.


Enjoy fun, educational activitieswith your family at the event!

Seize the chance to buy an “adopt-a-tree” pack, comprising a special packof BOH tea and limited edition mug.Sales proceeds will help WWF-Malaysia’s tree replanting efforts inSabah’s Kinabatangan area, home ofthe endangered, iconic orang-utan.See you there!

Time : 10:00am to 10:00pmDate : Saturday & Sunday,

22nd & 23rd March2008

Venue Sponsor : Centre Court,

The Curve More info : wwf.org.my or e-mail : [email protected]

Tea for Trees

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Freedom FlipperMalaysia voted for their WWF-Malaysia Turtle Idol and the winneris…Freedom Flipper! From October to December 2007, generous WWF-Malaysia supporters donated to conservation efforts via SMS and voted for theirfavourite turtle name among 5 choices: Digging Dayang, Freedom Flipper, MamaKesuma, Nyonya Aida and Swimming Shelly. Now a hawksbill turtle fitted with asatellite transmitter in 2007 will be named Freedom Flipper.

Turtles have swum in our seas for more than 100 million years. We cannot affordto lose them in our time. Donate RM100 and above to save our turtles and receivea special Freedom Flipper fridge magnet. Log on to wwf.org.my.

Help Save Turtles

Take Action For Nature

Call for VolunteersWWF-Malaysia will undertake another exciting season of monitoringhawksbill nestings at Pulau Upeh and other nesting beaches in Melaka thisyear, and we need volunteers in July and August. This excercise will providescientists with information that can help enhance efforts to conserve thischarismatic marine animal. If you are keen to help save turtles, have morethan a week to spare and are ready to rough it out, please contact Arvindat [email protected] or Grace at [email protected] you.

THANK YOU! I was discovered with a lasso ropedtightly around my front flipper, which the WWF-Malaysia Melaka Hawksbill Conservation Project teamremoved. Thanks to your generous donation, I amnow fitted with a transmitter that enables WWF-Malaysia to collect data to identify and protect myforaging habitats. Check out my journey athttp://wwf.org.my/malacca/hawksbill_turtle_tracking.

Documents

for a living planet - WWFawsassets.wwf.org.my/downloads/green_heart_jan_08.pdf · for a living planet ... DR ARUN VENKATARAMAN, conservation director CHOON BOW BOW, ... WWF-Malaysia