Wednesday May 28, 2008
StarYouth youngsters learn more about the environment in Kinabatangan
By DEBBIE CHAN
Waking up at 5am may not be the norm for urban youngsters, but the peer educators on the StarYouth P2P Greeniz programme gladly jumped out of bed to go on a sunrise cruise to catch glimpses of the famous proboscis monkey. They hopped on the speedboats before dawn and caught the sunrise while cruising down the Kinabatangan River. Other than animal sightings, the participants had the opportunity to experience the serene environment of the river in the wee hours of the morning.
Welcome: Sukau Rainforest Lodge staff welcoming the P2P Greeniz participants. The P2P Greeniz participants had been staying at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge since May 25 to learn more about the rich eco-system of the Kinabatangan River. The P2P Greeniz programme is a peer educator project where youngsters learn about the environment and take on the responsibility of sharing their environmental knowledge and awareness with their peers.
Their stay there was made more pleasant by the surprise visit of Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman who was accompanied by The Star group chief editor Datuk Wong Chun Wai. Both shared with the participants their passion and commitment for the environment.
Hello there: Participants were greeted by the sight of a Pygmy elephant during their boat ride. Other than learning about local conservation efforts, eco-tourism and the role of the local communities in the preservation of the environment, the peer educators also had hands-on experience on various activities like cooking local food and setting up fish traps.
It was also a refreshing expedition for the participants, comprising mostly urban students, as they came across various animals including crocodiles, monitor lizards, snakes, birds and the rare sight of a herd of pygmy elephants feeding at the river bank.
On the same mission: Wong (right) presenting the pact that Musa (centre) made with the participants. Looking on is Managing director of Sukau Rainforest Lodge Albert Teo. In the next two days, the youngsters wouldbe working on projects that focus on bringing awareness of conservation efforts to their peers. Using various mediums from food to multimedia, the peer educators aim to create campaigns that are catchy and effective in spreading the green message.
Their projects will be presented at the The Star's Green Day celebration on June 8 at Kiara Park as part of their efforts to promote their campaigns to the public.
P2P Greeniz is organised by StarYouth, with the cooperation of Maybank. The event is hosted by Sukau Rainforest Lodge. To follow the adventures of the peer educators, log on to www.rage.com.my/blog to read their blog entries.
For more photos, log on to www.rage.com.my and click on the photos link.
Source:
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