Reach educates youth on the environment-Community Stream Investigation.
It was not just another ordinary day for members of Convent school in the Cameron Highlands. The field study trip on March 11,2010 was organized by volunteer members of Reach, who planned an exiting afternoon of environmental exploration at the junction of two meandering hillside creeks. The focus was to educate the youth on the measurement of health, cleanliness or degradation in a given watershed. Learning was focused on exploring the indicators of a healthy aquatic ecosystem compared to an unhealthy system, mainly testing for the presence of macro invertebrates and simple temperature,pH and dissolved oxygen content tests were conducted and discussedas well. The kids gathered around in amazement as Dr Liau and other volunteers collected macro invertebrate specimens from the water and Dr Liau explained the significance of these aquatic invertebrates as indicators for both a healthy or polluted stream.
CIMB/ REACH Community Stream Investigation (CSI) Report 2009/2010
The aim of the CSI programme, is to instill a sense of responsibility among the students and teachers of Cameron Highlands in the care of the river both aesthetically and its importance to us as drinking water. This is done firstly through the Training of the trainers of Programme and later through the CSI programmes conducted with the students by the trained teachers with the help of the volunteers of REACH.
Toil and Sweat at Gunung Brinchang
It has been tough going for Kali and his team at Gunung Brinchang’s reforestation site these past few days (beginning 30th October 2010.). Due to budget constraints we could not call in the ‘professionals’ to tar the road leading up to the site. So it had to be a D.I.Y.( do- it -yourself) road.
After the road was levelled, gravel and stones had to be laid.
The cement trucks and tractors were called in. Pouring the cement onto the road was not a piece of cake. The road was muddy because of the rains and the terrain steep.
But Kali, Balan, Francis ,Satya and friends persevered and now the road is about 65% done. If the weather permits we hope to get the road done by 2 weeks. The road will be used mainly for 4 wheelers to transport reforestation materials and saplings. Participants of our reforestation programmes would still have to walk up to the site from the Gunung Brinchang road .After all one of the aims of this reforestation exercise is to make it a challenging and rewarding experience for the participants.