Category Archives: BioD Centre
CIMB Foundation awards grant to REACH for reforestation
We are pleased to inform that CIMB Foundation has awarded a grant of RM 83000 to Reach in September 2023. This would be the 3rd time that CIMB has supported our efforts since Reach was founded. CIMB first programme with us was ” ReAct- Trash is Cash” project involving Recycling activities with local schools. Subsequently in 2015 , CIMB awarded a RM 50,000 grant for ” Save the cloud forest” reforestation project. This latest grant is also for similar activities and we are pleased that we have ” Hit the ground running”.4 wheel vehicles will transport students and teachers from pick up points in town to the biodiversity site in Gunung Brinchang .For students from indigenous schools , buses will be used to transport them from the interior to the pick up areas where 4 wheel vehicles would take over. Upon arrival at the base of the biod site, they would walk up some 200m to the centre up a steep road.There would be a short briefing and a demo on how to plant the saplings. Each participant would be given 1 sapling to plant . After the tree planting there will be a short nature walk at the grounds of the biodiversity centre. The program usually starts at 8.30am and conclude by 12noon. Light refreshments are provided. Trees planted include geruk, rhododendrons, minyak beruk, kelat, garcinia, eugenia,ara,Reach committee would like to thank CIMB Foundation for lending us a helping hand.
Reforestation activities carried out to date:
27th Sept 23 -SMK Sultan Ahmad Shah. 44 students and 6 teachers from Form 6 participated. 50 saplings were planted.
4th Oct 23- SJKC Tanah Rata. 30 students and 2 teachers took part. 32 saplings were planted
Kemaman Bitumen Sdn Bhd continues to support REACH Conservation Work in the Cloud Forest
Since 2018, when Kemaman Bitumen Sdn Bhd first knew of the conservation work REACH was doing in Cameron Highlands , they have been our regular supporter. We are delighted that Kemaman Bitumen has this uncanny ability of knowing when we are in need of funds and as with other years, invited us to write in. On the 17th of August 2023 Reach received a grant of RM15,000 from Kemaman Bitumen and this would be the 5th time that Kemaman Bitumen has donated to REACH. Only this time Kemaman Bitumen together with Eastern Soldar Engineering ,donated their skills and energy as well, after finding out our pond at the Biodiversity Site was leaking and eroding the foundations of the Nissen Huts. The pond is to serve as a watering hole for the animals and birds.( Eastern Soldar Engineering is a premier provider of engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning services for the oil and gas industry). Discussions on the pond work were started on the 7th of April 2023. This was followed by a site visit on the 26th of May 2023. Repair of the pond would be done in 2 phases. The first phase would be the preparation of the ground work including laying a brick wall, building one barn and 2 sumps, by REACH’s contractor Mr Kumaresan. The second phase would be layering the waterproof sheet, anchoring it and the finishing works. This would be done and sponsored by Kemaman Bitumen/Eastern Soldar. The guard rails by the road would also be repaired as well.
The works were completed on the 12th of August 2023. REACH would like to once again thank Mr Sanjay Grover ,CEO of Kemaman Bitumen for continuing to support REACH, Dato David Toh, MD of Eastern Soldar, Mr Kevin Toh and Mr Arnold for ensuring all the layouts & diagrams are in order, Mr Ong Soon Min , Mr Ng for ensuring all site work are smooth and the rest of the team from Eastern Soldar. REACH would also like to thank our main contractor Mr Kumaresan for working with various people & instructions and ensuring all work is done despite the obstacles and bad weather. Lastly REACH would like to thank Mr Roy, our committee member, for coordinating all these efforts.More pictures to follow:
Reforestation Resumes- University Kuala Lumpur 11th August 2023
Our reforestation programme resumed on the 11th of August 2023 with a small group of postgraduate students and their families from University Kuala Lumpur. This programme which is popular with students, had been put on hold earlier this year due to a lack of funding. The UniKL students planted 20 trees cum orchids and later took a nature walk around the biodiversity site. Mr Selvarajoo facilitated the event and briefed the participants on our environmental conservation efforts in Cameron Highlands.
MyICE Reforestation programme 2022 concludes
This reforestation programme for the restoration of disturbed mossy forests in Gunung Brinchang was made possible with a grant of RM 10,000 from the Registrar of Societies ROS under their MyIce program. We received the grant in April 2022 and started the project in May 2022 till August 2022.The reforestation site is midway up Gunung Brinchang at an elevation of between 1600m to 1800 m above sea level. A total of 327 students and teachers from 9 local schools participated.330 endemic saplings/orchids were planted. Tree species included Gerok, Kelat,Ara, Medang Serai, Medang Payung, Eugenia, Rhododendron and others. Wild orchids included Bulbophyllums, Eria, Coelogyne,Flickingeria, Trichostasia, Phaius and others. Participants will be brought up to the site with 4 wheel drive vehicles at 8.30am. Facilitators include Mr Selvarajoo, Mr Kaliyannan, Mr Kumaresan, Mr Vijendran and Mr Ramachandran. After a short talk on the importance of the highland forests and planting techniques, the actual reforestation would commenced. At 11.30 am there would be light refreshments and by noon, participants would be brought back to the pick up point.
Below are the participating schools:
25th May 2022-SJKT Ringlet. 39 students/teachers planted 30 saplings/orchids
29th June 2022- SK Kampung Raja. 40students and 4 teachers planted 45 saplings/orchids.
30th June 2022- SJKT Tanah Rata -36 students and 6 teachers planted 45 saplings/orchids
20th July 2022-SJKT Kuala Terla-35 students and 3 teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids
21st July 2022- SK Convent Tanah Rata. 33 students and 3 teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids .
10th August2022-SMK Kg Raja- 33 students/teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids
11th August 2022 SK Tanah Rata- 35students/teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids
17th August 2022 SJKC Tanah Rata -27 students/teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids
25th August 2022 SJKC Ringlet – 33 students/teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids
Reach would like to thank the Registrar of Societies, The Education Department, Schools, Teachers, Parent Teachers Association and our own facilitators who made this programme possible.
Restorasi Hutan Mossy yang terosot di Gunung Brinchang Cameron Highlands
Program Penanaman pokok ini dilaksanakan dengan peruntukan dari My ICE dibawah ROS Registrar of Societies Malaysia. Peruntukan sebanyak RM10,000 diterima pada bulan April 2022 dan program ini bermula dari bulan Mei 2022 hingga bulan Ogos 2022. Tapak penanaman pokok adalah di Pusat Biodiversiti REACH di Gunung Brinchang yang berada 1600 hingga 1800 m dari paras laut.
Seramai 327 orang murid dan guru dari 9 buah sekolah Cameron Highlands mengambil bahagian . Jumlah anak pokok/okid yang ditanam adalah 330 batang dan meliputi pokok species tempatan saperti Geruk, Kelat,Ara, Medang Serai, Medang Payung, Eugenia, Rhododendron dan okid liar saperti Bulbophyllum, Eria, Cologyne, Flickingeria, Trichostasia, Phaius dan lain lain.
Setiap program bermula pada 9 pagi apabila murid murid tiba di tapak dengan pengangkutan kenderaan 4 wheel . Mereka akan diberi taklimat/arahan daripada pembimbing dan kepentingan hutan tanah tinggi ditekankan. Ini diikuti oleh aktiviti penanaman pokok dan pada 12 tengah hari murid murid dibawa balik ke pusat pengumpulan selepas minuman ringan.
Pehak REACH ingin mengucap beribuan terima kasih kepada ROS kerana memberi dana dan galakan; pejabat pendidikan, sekolah sekolah, cikgu-cikgu, persatuan ibu bapa yang memberi sokongan dan menaja makanan dan minuman ringan; dan sukarelawan kami, Encik Selvarajoo, Encik Kaliyannan , Encik Ramachandran, Encik Vijendran, Encik Kumaresan yang memberi bimbingan kepada anak murid.
Beerikut adalah senarai sekolah yang mengambil bahagian
25hb Mei 2022-Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil SJKT Ringlet-39 peserta menanam 30 pokok
Preparing organic nutrients for biodynamic farming
by Cheam May Choo
At REACH biodiversity site Mr Ng Tien Khuan continues to make Biodynamic soil preparation. Biodynamic farming is a type of organic farming popularised in Australia using natural nutrients. The organic preparation is put into cow horns and buried in the soil for a few months before it is ready to be removed and used for farming.
In 2019 the amount of biodynamic preparation obtained was enough for 2000 acres of land usage. This year the biodynamic soil preparation would be for 4800 acres of land usage. 
Mr Ng can be reached at ngtienkhuan@gmail.com for those who would like to know more about this method of organic farming.