Green hopes: The children helping to plant a sapling during the Junior Rainforest Exploration programme – held as part of the Penang Hill Festival 2024. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: What better way to instil love for nature among children than by letting them plant a tree?
More so at a Unesco biosphere reserve and popular tourist destination like Penang Hill, where the young ones could return in the future to see the legacy they left behind.
A group of youngsters were able to do just that at the Junior Rainforest Exploration programme – held as part of the Penang Hill Festival (PHF) 2024, which concluded yesterday.
They helped plant some saplings of Clerodendrum quadriloculare – or commonly known as Starburst or Shooting Star – near the hill’s iconic red postbox and wagon lookout point along Jalan Tuanku Yahya Petra under the watchful eye of nature guide KP Ong.
Among the excited entourage was four-year-old Lucas Yi Wei Johnson, who has a deep affinity for nature and wildlife.
His family members, who reside in Germany, are in Malaysia for a holiday.
His parents Ian Johnson, 62, a Canadian, and Sim Chi Yin, 45, a Singaporean, said they felt the activity was something their son would enjoy.
“Most people live in big cities today so it can be good to escape to such environments once in a while. We need to learn to coexist with nature.
“We’ll make another trip back someday, and hopefully see how the plants have grown,” said Johnson, who is a writer.
Though Sim is Singaporean, her paternal grandmother and great-grandmother were from Penang, so the activity was particularly meaningful.
“Lucas’ preschool emphasises on relationships with nature, so he’s never afraid to get his hands dirty. Every time he goes to the playground, he’ll collect sticks as souvenirs.
“He also loves to impersonate animals. We’re lucky that our holiday coincided with the event,” the artist added.
Echoing these sentiments was quantity surveyor Toh Shenq Jia, 34, whose five-year-old son Clifford was also involved.
“My wife and I wanted to let him explore the natural wonders here on the hill. We often talk about nature at home, but as we live in a high-rise, there aren’t many hands-on opportunities.
“Moreover, children tend to learn better when doing things together with peers of the same age,” he added.
Besides tree planting, participants of the programme also had fun learning about different species of flora and fauna, including the iconic dusky langur.
Ong, who is the founder of Nature Walks and Nature Green Farm on Penang Hill, said the aim of the event was to let the younger generation learn about ecosystems in a simple yet fun way.
“Our world comprises three main elements – flora, fauna and humans. All are mutually dependent, and if any one suffers, the others will be affected too. Nature gives life. If we nurture it, it’ll nurture us in return,” she said.
PHF 2024 ran for three days from July 19, and featured a vast line-up of programmes.
Besides nature walks, there were also heritage talks and walks which highlighted the hill’s long history.
There were also photography workshops, zumba and yoga sessions, as well as photo exhibitions, among others.
It closed with the Music On The Hill: East Meets West concert yesterday evening.
