Article: In celebration of the Good Earth

Wednesday April 22, 2009

Stories by OH ING YEEN

Waste Not Want Not - In The Beginning

THE GREAT GREEN CONCERN - Eddy Lim from Rollin' Sixers

THE first Earth Day celebration was held on April 22, 1970, in San Francisco and was subsequently declared an annual event by the United Nations.

In Malaysia, various local communities and NGOs organise all sorts of green activities to commemorate the annual event as part of their commit­ment to promote the preservation and maintenance of Mother Earth.

They demonstrate their love for Mother Earth by making small changes in their lifestyle, such as abstaining from using harmful materials like detergents and by using eco-friendly cleaning methods.

The following are some examples of their efforts in caring for and preserving the Earth:

Community forest

The Friends of Kota Damansara (FoKD), a volunteer group comprising residents associations and community groups, has been in the forefront of supporting and campaigning for the protection of the forest reserve at Kota Damansara that is now known as the Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF). The KDCF is an 800-acre green haven offering a sanctuary where city dwellers can step into a tropical forest with twisting lianas, gentle flowing creek, whistling birds and hanging vines.

Relaxed green sanctuary: A father and his son enjoying the green view at the Section 10 forest in Kota Damansara.

According to FoKD committee member Raja Teh Maimunah, among the activities carried out in the area are guided walks, mountain bike rides, fishing and hash runs.

The FoKD will host an Earth Day celebration at the KDCF this Sunday to commemorate the continued efforts by volunteers in the preservation, conservation and sustainable recreational programme of the forest.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is scheduled to open a 2km-lomg multi-purpose trail at the celebration.

There will be guided trail walks, mountain bike rides, kayak rides and the annual Hash Run. There will also be food stalls, fun activities and performances.

“The multi-purpose trail built by volunteers is a joint project among the FoKD, the Trail Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (Traks) and the Bangsar Zone Scouts,” said Teh, who is also the Bangsar Zone Scouts chairman.

“The trail was mapped out and designed by Traks and named The Scouts Trail in tribute of the Bangsar Zone Scouts for their contributions and continuous support throughout the project, which took six months to complete,” she said.

Teh said since completion of the trail, the FoKD had been organising guided hikes and encouraging outdoor lovers to explore the trail.

The FoKD, in collaboration with the Traks, plans to create a network of trails and hope that the Earth Day event will help educate the public to appreciate and promote the need for conservation.

The FoKD is also discussing with various parties to undertake eco-related programmes such as tree- planting and recreational initiatives.

The volunteer group is seeing encouraging support from the corporate sector with The Scouts Trail having been adopted by a local organisation, facilitating its maintenance, upgrading and ensuring its continued usability.

The FoKD hopes that other corporations will also lend support to the preservation and eco-recreational development of the KDCF.

For details, visit kd.communityforest.net.

Community composting project

In October 2008, a group of residents in SS14, Subang Jaya, took part in a community composting project with the aim to create awareness and to have the children in the neighbourhood play an important role in doing their part for the environment.

According to SS14 resident T.K. Lee, who helps to coordinate the project, there are more children taking part in the project now.

However, due to too much ventilation in the compost bins, the composting process is progressing slowly.

“The process is slow as it is too dry in the bins. We are thinking of adding more vegetables to create a damp environment in the bins,” Lee said.

“After the composting is completed, there are plans to pack the compost into 1kg packs and sell it. The Mydin supermarket chain has agreed to provide us a place to set up a booth. The children, who will help to sell the compost, will decide if they want to donate the proceeds to charity or use it for the compost project,” he said.

Garbage enzymes

Three months ago, the Petaling Jaya Section 17 Community and Hawkers Association came up with an affordable yet effective and eco-friendly way to clean the market using garbage enzymes.

Tan Yew Leong, who heads the association’s hygiene committee, hopes that hawkers in other areas would try using the enzyme.

“All you need is a bin, water, brown sugar/molasses as well as vegetable and fruit scraps, which we get free of charge from the hawkers. The mix is then kept in a bin for three months to ferment,” Tan said.

“Only one litre of enzyme is needed to clean the entire stretch of the market. As a result, there are fewer flies and no odour. It also reduces litter as the leftover vegetables and fruits are used to make the enzyme,” he said.

Tan said he was willing to share his knowledge with anyone interested in making and using the enzyme.

According to Tan, since the story on “Garbage enzyme used to clean market” appeared in StarMetro on March 11, he has received many calls from the public asking him to teach them how to make the enzyme.

The enzyme also doubles up as a natural household cleaner. It can be used as an organic fertiliser, dish wash and shampoo. To make your own garbage enzyme, the ratio is 1kg of brown sugar and 3kg of vegetables and fruit scraps to 10 litres of water.

Related stories:
Creative initiatives to protect our planet
Green crusaders
What is Earth Day?
Green on screen
Showing the way

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Metro: Central 22 April 2009