MNS volunteers have spent the last 6 months collecting seeds from Lubuk Semilang, planting them in newly made seed beds at Ismael’s nursery and, more recently, replanting saplings from seed beds into transportable bags for final planting at a designated reforestation site.

Barrow Boy

Thanks to Ismael’s friendly and open attitude, his knowledge of local plants and his clear vision of what needs to be done, the work has been fun and informative and it has been wonderful to have so many children along, as this is another type of seed being planted!

Kids and adults bagging freshly dug up saplings

Many thanks to everyone who is continuing to attend – there is a great team spirit and positive approach which is wonderful to be a part of, and which is so valuable in achieving the project’s aims.

The next Collect & Plant will take place Saturday 6th November, at 5.00-7.00pm at Ismael’s nursery.

There will probably be just one more collect and plant before the dry season kicks in. This last session will find us planting the largest saplings in their new habitat. The date is yet to be confirmed.

Please inform Michelle on 012 458 9051 if you and family or friends are intending to join this next outing.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/11/campaign-to-conserve-langkawis-remaining-rainforest

Gazette all remaining forested areas as Permenant Forest Reserves

rainforest along with its many attractions is very important to the island’s economy.

Any further loss of natural capital will jeopardize the not only our ecotourism industry, this island depends upon but also the island agriculture and fishery industry.

Prolonged droughts and flash floods will destroy farmed crops including rice cultivation. Increasing erosion and siltation we also seriously affect the health of our mangrove forest, ocean waters and coral reefs which will devastate our fishing industry.

Needless to say the charm of Langkawi lies not only in its natural flora, fauna and geological attractions but also in scenic open spaces of rice paddies, orchards gardens, traditional fishing boats and kampongs.

Likewise protecting our remaining natural heritage with sustainable best practices in tourism, agriculture, forestry and fisheries will no doubt secure the future of our ecotourism economy and the quality of life the island enjoys.

Langkawi has lost about 50 percent of its natural habitat. The remaining 50 percent of its natural habitat is heavily fragmented into 6 smaller so called isolated Island Habitats i.e. islands on islands. The remaining habitat fragments are:

1. Gunung Matcincang Forest Reserve,

2. Gunung Raya Forest Reserve

3. Bukit Sawak Forest Reserve

4. Sungai Itau- Sungai Kilim-Sungai Kisap Mangrove and Limestone Forest Reserve

5. Sungai Kubang Badak Mangrove Reserve and

6. Bukit Malut Forest Reserve.

Historically this is due in part to the loss of habitat for the purpose of rubber, rice and orchard farming. With less and less rainforest new problems are emerging today.

We are seeing an increase in runoff that have lead to flash floods that in turn have destroyed food crops as well as having to displace people from their homes in some flooded areas.

Today loss of biodiversity is mostly caused by land speculators that are usually headed by a few well placed personalities whom clear land in the hope of selling it later down the road for a quick profit.

Loss of habitat compounded by habitat fragmentation is the biggest threat to the island’s natural biodiversity. The island is in grave danger of losing its most valuable asset its Natural Capital.

Langkawi has come to a very important crossroad and at stake is our quality of life and economic future. The future of this beautiful and beloved island home of ours is in our very hands. We must make the necessary changes, we cannot afford to see the lost of any more precious rainforest especially by land speculators. These few speculators are selling our future and the future of our children.

MNS Langkawi calling for Residents of Langkawi and Friends of Langkawi to sign this petitions. This petition will be delivered to Menteri Besar Kedah and Prime minister are calling for:

Future Directions

Gazette all remaining forested areas as Permenant Forest Reserves or State Parks
Enforce and monitor illegal land clearing
Enforce and monitor poaching of wildlife
Promote ecological land-use planning and zonation processes that treat urban, rural, and wild areas as a continuum.
Plan and implement wildlife corridors that will connect forested areas with each other
Put in place infrastructure and measures to promote the survival of our wildlife and rainforest.
Promote hollistic management of the various natural ecosystems and urban areas; Encourage the formation of compact towns and villages, encircled by working rural landscapes, leaving a connected matrix of wild lands stretching throughout the island.
Regulate high standards of sustainable eco tourism.

The next book village seed picking will be on Saturday 17th July at 5pm. Call Michelle on 012 458 9051 if you need more details.

Learning about what makes a seed viable

Until October, our Chairman Irshad is urging us to take advantage of the rainy season to collect and plant as many seeds as possible in order to be able to provide new plants for reforestation projects throughout the rest of the year.

Sunday 20th June saw the first “Collect & Plant”, with Ishmael leading a dozen volunteers through Lubok Semilang, otherwise known as Book Village, identifying and collecting various seeds.

From tiny acorns......

The time it takes for the seeds to shoot above ground, varies depending on the type of plant. Of the ones planted on Sunday, the first will be showing signs in around 2 months’ time. It was easy and interesting collecting the seeds and learning about the different trees and the fruits that they were from, and seeing and feeling the difference between a healthy seed and one that wasn’t, or one that was too young to be successfully grown. Ishmael was ready and happy to answer all questions.

The few young children that came along were able to participate in all the activities, and had good mucky fun playing on the mountain of earth at the nursery!

Great mucky fun!

Venue: Langkawi Fair
Date: 1st of May 2010
Time : 12pm – 5pm
We need your valuable support to make it a success.

Background :
Why We Need to Save Langkawi’s Rainforest.

Langkawi is truly blessed with a rich and diverse range of habitat types. Tourists do not flock to Langkawi just for the lovely beaches, nice resorts and the charming locals. Our most important attraction is
the island’s natural heritage: its geological sites and the flora and fauna of our precious rainforests. Increasingly, ecotourism has become the island main economic cash cow. Today we can safely say that over
80 percent of the islanders are directly or indirectly employed in tourism: hoteliers, boat operators, airport personnel, taxis drivers, tourist guides, dive operators, restaurant workers and many others.

Without doubt, the rainforest is very important to the island’s economy. Imagine what would happen to tourism if we clearcut all the forests in Langkawi. Lest we forget, the rainforest provides many important functions. It stores rainwater and releases it in increments that allows the fruit, vegetable and rice farmers to tap its waters and successful grow their crops.

The natural environment of Langkawi has come to a very important crossroad and the native residents, tourism players and other stakeholders must decide its future direction. If we continue to treat
the environment without any boundaries we will eventually pay a heavy price. The writing is already on the wall. We have been experiencing flash floods, drought conditions, and a big decline in our air and
water quality in just the last few years.

Please help to ensure the survival of Langkawi’s remaining forests. Don’t throw garbage in the forest. Don’t set forest fires. Help us protest against development of virgin rainforest and let’s all go plant some trees. “Yes the island is at a very important crossroad and at stake is our quality of life and economic future.The future of this beautiful and beloved island home of ours is in our very hands. We must make the necessary changes, we cannot afford to see the lost of any more precious rainforest esspecially by land speculators that want to clearcut protected forest in the hope of selling it later on for a quick profit.Tthese few speculators are selling our future and the future of our children.”

For Irshad Mobarak
MNS Langkawi chairman.

1) Nature appreciation and exchanging ideas
2) Catching up with other members (in other words – socialising!!)
3) How a hornbill looks like? Does it horn?
4) Is the Pitta I had mentioned earlier is something like bread?
5) Prick the brains of other members
6) Challenge yourself with a 3km stroll
7) Fed up with sunsets at the beach and want a different sunset scene
Bring a newbie and convert the newbie to be one of us (I like this the best!!)
9) Been driving too much and need to do justice to the environment by doing a 3km walk
10) I am too bored to be at home, need some fun.
Please make sure you had made a selection from the above before reading on.
Date: 7th February 2008 (Sunday)
Time: 6:30pm starts
Meeting point: Foothill or entrance to Gunung Raya road; before the empty guard post.
Min number of pax: Three (3) ie Me,Myself and I
Max number of pax: Here is your challenge – Get me a football team!
What to wear:

1) Light clothings; something suitable for a stroll
2) Dark coloured clothings
3) Strapped sandals or sports shoes with good grips
What to bring:
1) Your own WATER!!
2) Binoculars (if you have)
3) Your wealth of knowledge to share around
Fees: COMPLIMENTARY for paid-up MNS members. If non-members wish to contribute
to the running of Langkawi chapter, they are welcome to do so by signing up as a member.
For those who wish to renew your membership, this is an opportunity.
ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN. As an act of courtesy, please register yourself by
emailing to this address: wchinner@yahoo.com or give me a call at 012-5952906 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              012-5952906      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              012-5952906      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              012-5952906      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (do call
back if I am unable to answer your call).
See you there,
Wendy Chin
p/s: Please do not cheat by driving up!

5th January, 2010

Irshad Mobarak, a self-taught naturalist and environmentalist from the Malaysian island of Langkawi says that development need not mean destruction

It’s a simple equation: cleared forests equal cleared hotel rooms
Tourism is a double-edged sword in Langkawi. With its turquoise seas and white beaches, 80 per cent of the economy of this Malaysian archipelago of 99 islands is linked to tourism, but overdevelopment and rainforest clearances are threatening the natural attractions that draw people to its shores.

What sets it apart from its rivals in the region – Bali, Phuket and Penang, where the nightlife is glitzier, the beaches more beautiful and the shopping more plentiful – is its geography and biodiversity. Expanses of moss-green rainforest, mangrove swamps, tree-clad limestone mountains, coastal forests, mudflats, marine parks of hard and soft coral, 220 species of birds, many mammals, dolphins, migrating whale sharks and other wildlife.

Intense logging over the years has taken its toll, however, and continues today, despite Langkawi’s forests being protected. With more than half its precious natural heritage lost, the ‘Jewel of Kedah’ (Kedah being the mainland state to which Langkawi belongs) is at a tipping point.

It is something that Irshad Mobarak, a self-taught naturalist who has been working on Langkawi for the past 23 years, is determined to do something about.

Jungle hero

In 1994 he set up JungleWalla, a company offering nature, wildlife and birdwatching tours to visitors, and spends the rest of his time overseeing the many conservation projects he has initiated. He uses the diversity and interdependence of the rainforest as an object lesson in how we ought to see our relationship with nature.

Jobs may matter on the island, but destroying whole ecosystems to make way for new developments or to create farmland is a shortsighted approach. ‘Not to protect Langkawi’s natural capital is economic suicide,’ Irshad says.

A charismatic and well-known character on the island, he won an ‘Amazing Malaysians’ award in 2007 for his environmental work, and is currently galvanising support for the rainforest through a series of talks to hotels and hospitality industry staff, the bedrock of the tourism industry. He aims to collect 4,000 signatures on a petition calling upon Langkawi’s authorities to do more to protect the islands’ natural heritage.

‘Those who are native to the island have most to lose,’ he says. ‘The destruction of their natural heritage not only jeopardises their jobs in the tourism industry, but also will impact on the farming and fishing industries, and ultimately on their quality of life.’

An education

The focus is on educating as many islanders as possible, with the petition demanding that all remaining wildlands be totally protected from development and illegal encroachment, for the sake of the island’s water security, to mitigate climate change, flash floods and water pollution into rivers and seas, and for the sake of the island’s ecotourism industry.

Environmental activism is not commonplace on Langkawi, however, and the authorities on the whole seem wary of Irshad’s approach. Small wonder, when some are part of the problem. On a national level, Malaysia has severe problems with logging, and Irshad says on Langkawi it is an open secret that much encroachment into forested areas is indirectly supported by local political figures. Logging teams start deep within the jungle and cut their way out; vast swathes are cleared before anyone notices what is happening.

In a recent town hall meeting in Kuah, Langkawi’s main town, in front of more than 300 people, Langkawi’s highest-ranking state official, the district officer, spoke out against organised illegal encroachment and deforestation by groups of as many as 70 people with the quiet backing of local political figures. ‘When the time comes to apply for the legal papers for these newly cleared lands it is not the poor benefiting, but richer individuals who already have land elsewhere,’ says Irshad.

The disconnect between the powers-that-be and the great environmental issues facing Langkawi, and Malaysia as a whole, are exemplified by Kedah’s Menteri Besar (state governor) Azizan Abdul Razak, who said last year that opponents of deforestation shouldn’t ‘be too obsessed with caring for the environment, like parents who are extremely obsessed with their offspring’.

Habitat loss and the island conundrum

Islands are particularly prone to environmental degradation, home to half the 724 known animal extinctions in the past 400 years and 90 per cent of bird extinctions. With a limited geographical range, unique island species are more likely to succumb to disease, fire, bad weather and normal fluctuations in population, all exacerbated by human action.

The warning signs are already there on Langkawi. Illegal encroachment into wild areas to build roads, hotels and other developments is dividing wildlife habitats. As the rainforest dwindles, the land loses the ability to soak up heavy rainfall, making flash floods more common, destroying the island’s pastures and paddy fields.

Run-off from the land spills into the sea, affecting fish stocks already damaged by unsustainable fishing practices. Unsustainable agriculture is adversely affecting biodiversity. Local people torch scrub to clear more land, triggering bush fires in the dry season.

Poaching has decimated populations of species such as the mouse deer, and feral dogs prey on ground-nesting birds. The rainforest is also a vital carbon sink, and with pollution levels increasing in line with development, it is more important than ever it be protected.

Langkawi has 350 species of butterfly, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet, as well as 220 species of bird, including the Wreathed, Pied and iconic Great Hornbill. All are threatened by the loss of habitat on Langkawi: 49 per cent has already been destroyed; the remainder has been heavily fragmented into six smaller and isolated ‘island habitats’ within the archipelago itself.

Valuable assets

‘Langkawi is experiencing an unprecedented level of habitat loss and fragmentation,’ says Irshad. ‘Animals can no longer move safely from one part of their habitat to another to feed, breed or to patrol their territory. This may result in inbreeding and eventually a decrease in the viability of the species’ gene pool, causing extinction. Loss of habitat compounded by habitat fragmentation is the biggest threat to the island’s natural biodiversity. The island is in grave danger of losing its most valuable asset.’

Langkawi markets itself as an ecotourism destination, and Irshad’s message is that development needn’t mean destruction. As well as his campaign of education and petitioning the authorities, he has a wealth of alternative suggestions for how the rainforest can provide for the people [see box below] – none of which involves a chainsaw. Irshad says there is a growing awareness among Langkawians that they have a stake in protecting their ecosystems and biodiversity, and he feels positive about the future.

‘More effort needs to be made, but I am optimistic that we can reach a place where there is equilibrium between the needs of people and the needs of nature.’

On an island in thrall to the tourist dollar, the appeal to the bottom line seems guaranteed to get results – especially given that elections on Langkawi are usually won by slim margins of as little as 600 votes; the recently set-up Langkawi branch of the Malaysian Nature Society, with Irshad as its chair, which will help add more weight to the cause.

It’s a simple equation: cleared forests equal cleared hotel rooms. Halting and reversing this trend on Langkawi would be an important sign that the tourist industry has learned that it depends on its forests, and cannot afford to destroy them.

If Irshad Mobarak’s campaign yields results on Langkawi, it may not be long before his attitude towards environmental protection – infectious and positive; a rare and unique species in itself – breaks out from the islands and begins to repopulate the mainland.

Eifion Rees is a freelance journalist

Precision farming: Irshad Mobarak, naturalist, Langkawi

‘Why remove the rainforest to rear non-indigenous beef cattle when you can farm mouse deer or rusa within a rainforest?’ Irshad asks. ‘The price of venison is two to three times the price of beef, and much healthier. It is a known fact that wild honey is five to 10 times more nutritious than the imported honey made using modern techniques, so why not promote apiculture? To protect his own interests, the villager will become the guardian of the rainforest around him.’

Instead of rainforests being devastated by the monoculture farming practices associated with growing rubber, palm oil, cocoa or livestock, Irshad aims to show that farmers can tap into natural ecosystems to earn a living – what he calls “eco-wisdom” in farming – without having to chop down trees. The rainforest consists of emergents (above 40m), canopy (30m-40m) and understorey (below 30m), each with distinct microclimates and flora.

Irshad is developing an experimental multi-tiered farm he hopes will prove that one hectare of rainforest can make more money than one hectare of monoculture, shifting the cash incentive towards protection instead of destruction. The first phase – farming mushrooms and orchids, both high-value crops – has already proved a success, with a native tree nursery, woodcraft industry from fallen trees and the collection and selling of wild herbs to be trialled next.

I have been coming to Langkawi since the end of 2001 and I have been based full time in Langkawi since 2004. My job spec’ – Conservation and wildlife rehabilitation on Pulau Singa Besar under the funding of USM’s Usains research grant by MOSTE and this task is still in play today, with the exception that the primary burden has been taken over by the state government’s GLC (Government linked company)-which is the PKNK.

I have spent countless hours, days and nights in Pulau Singa Besar and I
have done numerous exploring expeditions within Langkawi’s islands. 22 days
in Pulau Singa Besar, 18 days in Dayang Bunting Island, 4 days in Pulau Besar
Basah, 12 days in Pulau Tuba, 3 days in Matchicang area and 4 days around
Gunung Raya.

In this short period of time, there has been a tremendous transformation
In Langkawi’s natural environmental status.

Once upon a time there were Porcupines (Hystrix brachyuran) /Landak Raya
roaming the areas of Bukit Malut, Gunung Matchingcang, Kedawang, Padang
Lalang, Gunung Raya and other parts of Langkawi. Now it is safe to say
that, if any survive at all, there are less than 10 to be found in the whole of Langkawi’s natural forest. There have been ZERO reported sightings between 2003 and 2009.
On several occasions from 2002 until the end of 2003, I saw with my own
eyes Napuh (Tragulus napu) roaming the lime stone areas of Dayang bunting.
Now there is only limestone.

From 2002 until 2004, dolphins frequently roamed the coastal area of Pulau Singa
Besar, Dayang bunting and Teluk baru in schools of 30 to 60…now there
Are only 3 to 5 in a group.

In 2000 until 2004, Pulau Singa Besar bay area was lighted up with a glowing,
light blue, swirling motion every night for a minimum of 1 hour, and the
size? From the mouth of the bay area until the end of the mangrove area, an area
estimated to be the equivalent of 6 or 8 soccer fields. More than 100 people mostly amateur astronomers from USM Penang were among the lucky few to witness such a spectacular sight.

It was actually millions of fish the locals call “ikan kekek”. it seems that its a form of communication among the fish. It starts with a 1-3 feet in diameter illumination and within 15 minutes the whole area is lit up. It was like throwing a match into a floor of wet petrol…after more or less one hour it slowly shrinks and then fades away..

The perpetrator!

Scientific Name: Leiognathidae
Common Name: Slipmouths, Ponyfishes and Slimys
Local Name: ikan KeKeK

It is a Small, sedentary fish, shoals in shallow coastal water, feeds
on invertebrates has an elongated oval compressed body with naked, bony ridges to dorsum of head.

Between 2000 and 2003, walking on the dead corals of Pulau Singa
Besar’s shore line during low tide was a nightmare, it took me 30
Minutes to reach the shore when the distance travelled was less than 100
meters…there were hundreds of sea cucumbers (Gamat). Now it is close to
impossible to find one.

From 2000 until 2002, on several occasions on the way back from Pulau Singa besar
in the evening, several fishermen’s boats would be coming to shore with
the day’s catch. Catches were fish, crabs, prawns and sting rays. Fish were
mostly groupers no smaller than 1kg in size, sting rays no lesser than 5 kg
and prawns were A or B sized prawns. One scene I will not forget is a wooden
boat with a wing flapping as if the occupant was trying to take flight; I waited until the boat came to shore. It was a 120kg sting ray. Now fishermen come to shore with
an average fish size that is less the 800grams. Fish now are mostly 200grams to
300grams.

This is just a tiny view of the real picture…If We as MNS members do not
step up and play a role in completing some serious MNS goals, then less than 5
years from now , I guarantee my tale of “there were Once upon a time”, will double in length. This is now in all our hands…believe it or not. Most us here in Langkawi are directly and indirectly dependent on the natural beauty of Langkawi Island , so YOU all do the maths…

I really hope that more of MNS members can volunteer just a little bit of
your precious time to look beyond your homes and consider what “Once was
there”. Project that image into the future and visualise what is coming…

Please step up because you want to save what is left of our decreasing nature….

Food for thought…

1st November 2009

Terry