Group photo with Visionary Secondary School, Tawau
The Kembara Rimba Taliwas Environmental Education programme is an interactive initiative where young Sabahans discover biodiversity, explore natural history and gain an understanding of the current issues impacting the rainforest and local people. Between January 24 and 25, 2024, SEARRP organised two post-field trip learning and sharing sessions in Kinabatangan and Tawau. These sessions provided a platform to present the programmes findings, including observations on iNaturalist, while also gathering valuable feedback from teachers and students regarding the Kembara Rimba Environmental Education programme at Taliwas.
Students presenting the action agenda
Student-led breakout groups & discussions
Action agenda ideas from students
A significant aspect of the program involved instructing participants on the use of the iNaturalist application. iNaturalist is a social network connecting naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists, focused on mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity worldwide. The Kembara Rimba Taliwas project page documented a total of 288 observations and 131 species throughout the duration of the programme. We are so pleased with these numbers and want to extend a special congratulations to teacher Lawrentius from SM Visi Tawau and student Siti Suhadah binti Barin, SMK Bukit Garam Kinabatangan, for achieving the highest recorded observations on the iNaturalist project page!
Another highlight was a visit from SEARRP Scientist Sui Peng Heon, who gave an Environmental Education talk on The Importance of Scavengers: What happens to dead animals in the rainforest?. This unique opportunity allowed students to interact with a Malaysian scientist and gain insights into her research experiences. We were delighted to witness the enthusiasm among students and hope that this programme serves as an inspiration to all participants now and in to the future.
In addition to sharing findings for iNaturalist, students were encouraged to recount their experiences participating in the programme. Positive reflections were shared by all participants, highlighting their increased understanding of rainforest conservation and EE awareness. Many expressed their desire for this to become an annual initiative. During a breakout activity, students collaborated in groups to devise youth-led actions promoting the protection and conservation of Sabah’s forests. Suggested action points included: spreading environmental awareness through social media, creating environmental conservation clubs in schools, initiating tree planting projects, and using upcycled materials for school decorations.
Group presentation on the action agenda
Breakout group discussions
SEARRP presentation on the project findings & outputs
SEARRP is so thankful to the teachers and schools who have participated in this EE programme. We have learned so much from the schools that we have worked with and we look forward to taking the lessons learned from this experience to continue and improve our Environmental Education programmes across Sabah.
Group photo with students from SMK Bukit Garam and SMK Bukit Garam II
