Category Archives: Mossy Forest Visits and Reforestation
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 Grant 2021/2022-Summary
In 2021 we received a grant of RM10,000 from Kemaman Bitumen and similar to the 2 previous grants that we received from them, we used this fund for our conservation work in the cloud forests of Cameron Highlands.
Our reforestation work were as follows:
- 26/9/21 Kemaman group/volunteers of 14 pax planted 20 trees/orchids
- 19/2/22 Cherish group/volunteers of 22 pax planted 25 trees/orchids
- 18/5/22 Tadika Winlon/volunteers of 37 pax planted 30 saplings/orchids
- 8/11/22 SJKC Bertam Valley 31 students/3 teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids
- 23/11/22 SMKSAS 31 students/2 teachers planted 35 saplings/orchids
The balance of the funds were used for our Biodiversity Site maintenance.We would like to thank Kemaman Bitumen for supporting our work. We would also like to thank the students,teachers,parents and volunteers for their participation.
Pictures of the 1st three groups were shown in an earlier article. Below are pictures of the remaining 2 groups.
8/11/22 SJKC Bertam Valley
23/11/22 SMKSAS
BORA grant 2021/2022-Report
BORA (Borneo Rhino Alliance) is an NGO based in Sabah and works towards preventing the extinction of endangered species in Malaysia. In September 2021, BORA won the inaugural The Hornbill Award competition organised by Climate Governance Malaysia and proceeded to graciously shared some of its winnings with the other 5 finalists, REACH included. The following month REACH received the RM 10,000 grant from BORA and this were used for our conservation work in the disturbed Mossy Forests of Cameron Highlands. The funds enabled us to carry out reforestation programmes in our biodiversity centre and setting up camera traps in the forests. Below are the local schools that participated.
| Date | Schools | No of Pax | No of vehicles | No of saplings | |
| 13-Sep-22 | SK Telanok | 37 | 5 | 35 | |
| 14-Sep-22 | SJKC Brinchang | 24 | 4 | 30 | |
| 28-Sep-22 | SK Terisu | 38 | 6 | 35 | |
| 4-Oct-22 | SJKC Tringkap | 35 | 6 | 40 | |
| 5-Oct-22 | Wanita Islam | 21 | 2 | 30 | |
| 11-Oct-22 | SJKT Boh 1 n 2 | 35 | 5 | 35 | |
| 19-Oct-22 | SJKT SYL N Sg Palas | 18 | 2 | 20 | |
| Total | 208 | 30 | 225 |
The reforestation programme is similar to the ones we conducted earlier. 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. Pictures obtained from our camera traps will be shared with BORA. Once again we would like to extend our deepest appreciation to BORA for giving us the grant and the education department, volunteers and schools for making this programme possible. Below are pictures of the reforestation programme of the various schools.
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.
The Edge Environmental Education for Students at the Mossy Forests of Cameron Highlands 2018/2019 concludes
by Cheam May Choo
We are pleased to report that this project which was funded by a grant from the Edge Kuala Lumpur Rat Race 2018 was successfully carried out from April 2019 to October 2019.
The Edge Education Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Edge Media Group. The foundation’s mission is to foster, develop and promote education of all kinds. Through the Edge KL Rat Race (which is held annually since 2000) funds are raised from corporate Malaysia and given to the various registered charities and NGOs. In 2018 the event was held at Padang Merbok, KL on the 31st of July . Reach received a grant of RM63,530/= for environmental education at our mossy forests. Besides educating students on the biodiversity and importance of our highland forests, lessons on climate change were also conducted.
The objectives of this programme were met.
- A total of 553 students and 63 teachers from 22 primary schools in Cameron Highlands participated. Schools were from both the remote and urban areas. The ages of the students ranged from 8 years to 12 years.
- Environmental education with emphasis on forest conservation and introduction to climate change were imparted.
- A total of 659 endemic trees/orchids were planted. The tree species were kelat, medang serai, medang kemangi, geruk and others. Orchid species included terrestrial orchids such as calanthe and cymbidium while the epiphytic orchids were from bulbophyllum, dendrobium, eria, liparis, oberonia species and others.
- As an introduction to climate change, a hands-on approach was used. Students were given hand-held weather measuring instruments such as anemometer, thermometer and hygrometer and tasked to make comparisons between shaded areas under the trees and exposed areas devoid of forest cover and the findings discussed.
- Weather data continued to be sent to the local meteorological department monthly, and they included air quality data such as NO nitrogen oxide, NO2 nitrogen dioxide, SO2 sulphur dioxide and NH3 Ammonia. Implementation of the programme
- After obtaining approval from the local education department, schools were notified. Dates for the field trips would be set. For the first time since we commenced reforestation activities in Gunung Brinchang, 4 schools from the interior parts of Cameron Highlands joined in too.
- On the day of the field trips, there would be a short briefing at the pick-up point before students are sent by 4-wheel drive vehicles to our Biodiversity site located midway up Gunung Brinchang at an elevation of 1800 metres above sea level. (This was a former illegally cleared site which is now being rehabilitated.)
- Once at the site students would be briefed on forest conservation and climate change. Trees and orchids were then planted and weather monitoring activities carried out.
- Towards the end of the programme students would be given questionnaires to fill in to gauge the efficacy of the programme.
- The programmes would end by 12.30pm.
- A total of 22 field trips were conducted and all the participants came down safely.
The Edge Environmental Program with Reach resumes
by cheam may choo
Updated 14th October 2019
On the morning of the 24th September 2019, I watched with a huge sigh of relief, the North-Easterly winds returning with a vengence. (Just as the meteorological department said it would) The clouds overhead were rushing across the skies,from the peaks of Gunung Berembun to the peaks of Gunung Jasar, chasing away the month long haze which had enveloped the mountains and valleys like mist turning acrid.
The reforestation activities were going on in full swing and the last thing we need is bad air. We had completed the programmes for a few schools but had to postpone one due to heavy rains and another due to haze.
The reforestation activities are
Date: 17th September 2019. SK Pos Terisu. 13 students and 3 teachers-completed
Date: 18th September 2019. SJKT Ladang Sg. Palas. 10 students and 3 teachers-completed. School gave a certificate of appreciation and a souvenir.
Date: 19th September 2019. SJKT Kuala Terla. 30 pax-postponed to the 2nd of October due to haze
Date: 20th September 2019. SJKC Tanah Rata 24 students and 2 teachers-partially done, remaining programme postponed due to rains.
Date: 24th September 2019. SJKC Kuala Terla. 27 students and 3 teachers. This school gave us a certificate of appreciation too and a box of local vegetables, as fresh as one can get!. SJKC Kuala Terla is a cluster school of excellence.
Date: 25th September 2019. SJKC Trinkap . 33 students and 3 teachers. Completed.
Date: 26th September 2019. SJKC Cameron. 23 students and 2 teachers. Completed
Date: 27th September 2019. SJKC Kg Raja . 35 students and 4 teachers. Completed.
Date: 30th September 2019. SJKC Bertam Valley. 30 students and 3 teachers. Completed. This is also a cluster school of excellence.
Date: 2nd October 2019-SJKT Kuala Terla. 27 students and 3 teachers.Completed
Date: 3rd October 2019-SK Convent. 22 students and 2 teachers. Completed. A cluster school of excellence
Date: 4th October 2019. SJKC Brinchang . 30 students and 3 teachers.Completed
Date : 7th October 2019. SK Lemoi. 12 students and 2 teachers.Completed
Date: 8th October 2019. SJKT Blue Valley. 31 students and 8 teachers.Completed
Date: 9th October 2019. SJKC Tanah Rata. 24 students and 2 teachers. Completed
Date 10th October 2019.SK Ringlet.27 students and 3 teachers. Completed
Date 11th October 2019 SK Brinchang.30 students and 3 teachers.Completed
With the beautiful weather here, we hope the remaining primary schools will join as most students who participated found it fun and interesting. Pictures will be uploaded from time to time.
We are extremely grateful to the Edge Education Fund for making this possible.