Green Living Column Dec 2016: A Basic Guide To Experience Gifts

PENCINTA ALAM DECEMBER 2016

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

A BASIC GUIDE TO EXPERIENCE GIFTS

By Wong Ee Lynn

wongeelynn@yahoo.com  / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

‘Experience gifts’ are non-physical, non-material gifts that can include a charitable contribution (e.g. wildlife ‘adoption’ programme through a donation to a registered organisation), a form of service (e.g. an offer to do dreaded chores), a special trip or outing, registration for courses and workshops, tickets to performances  and special meals and parties, among others.

 

Research by the Olin Business School, Washington University, revealed something interesting: People continue buying and giving material gifts because they believe that opening and keeping a gift will make their friends and family happier, although material gifts consistently lose out to experiences as sources of positive feelings. Remembering the details of a trip, surprise birthday party or concert brings recipients more pleasure over the years than the memory of unwrapping an electronic gadget or trinket.

 

Advantages of giving experience gifts:

1.      You help to create wonderful memories for the recipient.

2.      Executing the experience gift with the recipient (e.g. taking your father out to watch his favourite sports team play in a match) often means quality time.

3.      Experience gifts will not end up in the back of a closet or charity pile.

4.      Experiences give you more social and emotional connection with others.

5.      Fewer physical gifts means less clutter, less waste, less extraction of natural resources and less packaging. Hence experience gifts are usually better for the environment (except for those that involve long distance travel and the burning of fossil fuels).

 

Disadvantages:

1.      Experience gifts can often be very costly.

2.      It takes time to execute an experience gift. (E.g. meeting up with the recipient to take them out for a museum outing and then taking them home)

 

(A picnic party in the Lake Gardens)

 

 

Below are some basic tried-and-tested guidelines to affordable and environmentally-responsible experience gift-giving.

 

Experience gifts Dos and Don’ts:

 

1.      Avoid passive-aggressive gift-giving. Is the gift more important to you than to the recipient? Who will appreciate it more – you or the recipient? For example, offers to clean house for someone, do gardening and yard work, babysit or petsit will only be appreciated by someone who has expressed willingness to accept help in those areas. It could otherwise be seen as a criticism of their housekeeping or parenting skills. Someone who is less bothered by the untidiness of their house or garden than you are will not appreciate it as much as you will. Giving gifts of gym memberships or health food store vouchers may also be seen as passive-aggressive criticisms of someone’s weight and is best to be avoided unless specifically requested. Also, someone might be very particular about the way they clean house or care for their children and pets and may not appreciate strangers doing it.

2.      Don’t make the gift about you, for example, tickets to watch you perform, unless the recipient has specifically asked you for it. Also, the intended recipient might not really care about learning to cook or to play the piano as much as you do, so before giving the gift, think carefully about whether it is you or the intended recipient that the gift is really for.

3.      Avoid gifts that will still end up becoming ‘clutter gifts’, for example, studio portrait sessions where the recipient receives framed professionally-taken photographs of himself/herself, pottery / painting classes where recipient returns with half-used tubes of paint and semi-dry half-used tubs of clay (unless you know they will continue using the art materials for future projects), and magazine and club subscriptions where they end up with more clutter even if educational and well-intentioned.

4.      Understand your intended recipient’s financial situation and plans before giving a gift for which they will have to pay for extras, e.g. sports equipment and sportswear in order to attend sports coaching workshops or musical instruments in order to attend music lessons. Give these gifts (i.e. where they will have to invest in tools, uniforms or equipment) only if they have expressed an intention to take up the said sport or hobby. For example, one set of grandparents paid for their grandchildren’s guitar and hip hop dance lessons for the rest of the year. The grandchildren were already taking those classes and were interested in continuing with advanced classes. The grandparents’ gift was thus deeply appreciated and lifted a financial burden from the parents.

5.      Know and understand your recipient. Pay attention to what they like and what their interests are. Ask their family members and closest friends if you are unsure. Ensure that you are aware of their food allergies, phobias, idiosyncrasies and financial means before you choose an experience gift for them. Someone with a fear of heights will be unlikely to jump with joy at the idea of a helicopter ride or bungee jumping outing.

6.      Do not fall into the consumerist crafter’s habit of making elaborate cards, boxes and gift card holders in order to present the experience gift. The point of the experience gift is that there should be nothing physical that the recipient would have to find space and storage for. In our age of camera phones and social media, the recipient will not need to keep your ticket/card holders, boxes and packaging in order to remember your gifts -- They would have had enough memories and taken enough photos to last a lifetime.

7.      Handmade gifts may have more ‘character’ than experience gifts, but be forewarned that handmade gifts do not fall into the category of clutter-free or experience gifts. A lovely painting may not fit into the recipient’s décor scheme, and crochet doilies may be hard to wash and keep clean and a quilted tea cosy might not be practical for our tropical weather.

 

 

Ideas for Inexpensive Experience Gifts:

 

1.      For the overwhelmed family member or friend, parents of young children, someone who has been unwell or injured, elderly parents and grandparents: Housecleaning services, gardening services,  babysitting services and pet-sitting services. You can perform these services yourself or together with other family members or friends, or hire professionals to carry them out.

 

2.      For the animal lover: Visit an animal shelter with treats and homemade toys for the shelter animals. The recipient gets to present the toys and treats to the shelter. Volunteer together for a few hours. If you can find a wildlife sanctuary with a good reputation, visit it together and make a donation for its upkeep. Examples: SPCA and PAWS animal shelters, Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Langkawi LASSIE, KL Pooch Rescue shelter and boarding centre, or the Cherating and Pantai Padang Kemunting Turtle Sanctuaries.   

 

3.      For the nature lover: A hiking / trekking / birdwatching outing. Bring rubbish bags, gardening gloves and rubbish claws for cleaning up the trails with. Pack a picnic in your rucksack consisting of juice, water, fruit, firm buns and food items that won’t get squashed or crushed easily. Take lots of photos. If you can afford it: Go camping, kayaking, rock climbing, caving or paddleboarding. Examples: Bukit Gasing, Bukit Nanas KL Forest Eco Park, Kota Damansara Community Forest, paddleboarding at Kundang Lake, kayaking down the Perak River, doing the Dark Caves Adventure Tour in Batu Caves and exploring Gua Tempurung.

 

(A paddleboarding outing for a friend’s birthday.)

 

4.      For the college student / struggling family member or friend: Grocery store / supermarket vouchers, restaurant vouchers, gift baskets of good quality groceries and movie tickets.

 

5.      For the Instagram / selfie addict: Street art in interesting locations, followed up with coffee and desserts in a trendy café or dessert bar. Examples: Street art walkabout in Section 52 PJ, Laman Seni Shah Alam, SS2 PJ, Ipoh or George Town.

 

(Go street art hunting in SS2, Petaling Jaya)

 

6.      For the young and young-at-heart: Visit to an old-fashioned fun fair or a games arcade (for instance, those often situated in shopping malls near the cinemas and that open late) and a pocketful of tokens for games.

 

7.       For the art enthusiast: Visit an art gallery, art museum or open-air art installation that he/she has not been to before. Follow up with coffee and cake in trendy café. Examples: Shalini Ganendra Fine Art Gallery, Galeri Petronas, Art Square in Bangsar, the ASEAN Sculpture Garden at the Lake Gardens, Galeri Taksu and Galeri Chandan.

 

8.      A workshop or class. Examples: Bushcraft and outdoor survival camps, vehicle maintenance workshops at The School @ Jaya One, and watercolour painting or calligraphy classes at Stickeriffic.

 

9.      For the gardening enthusiast / urban farmer: Visit and volunteer at a community garden or farm. Bring plants to share, buy seeds as a gift for the recipient and help to plant trees and do garden maintenance. Examples: MNS Urban Community Forest, Eats Shoots and Roots edible garden in PJ, Free Tree Society of Kuala Lumpur and the TTDI Edible Garden Project.

 

10.  Throw a treasure hunt to make even the most inexpensive gift feel special: E.g. a scavenger hunt in an art gallery (E.g. “Find artwork by Bayu Utomo Radjikin.” “Find a pre-Merdeka work of art produced by a female artist”) or in a forest reserve (E.g. “Find an introduced species”, “Find all the letters that make up your name spelled out in objects found in nature, e.g. “Y” in the fork of a branch.) It is good to have some hunt sheets ready if you are taking a child or young person on an excursion and you fear he/she might grow bored halfway. If you have a gift prepared, e.g. a card stating that you will be going to his/her favourite restaurant for dinner, hide it somewhere and have the recipient look for clues leading him / her to the gift.

 

11.  Special outings, for example, to the theatre, orchestra, museum, science centre, urban forest, or sports stadium.

 

12.  Go on a scavenger hunt, for example, to visit and photograph 20 major landmarks in the city, taking only public transport. This will be especially fun for someone who is not a local.

 

13.  For the sports enthusiast: Try a new sport: Bowling, archery, ice skating, roller blading, trampoline park or going to an indoor extreme sport park or water park. Examples: Tandem cycling around Titiwangsa lake at night on bikes lit up with LED lights, going indoor rock-climbing at Camp 5 One Utama, having a day out at the District 21 indoor adventure park or at the Jumpstreet trampoline park.

 

14.  For the foodie: Cooking and baking workshops. Check out major bakeries and ‘like’ their FB pages for access to class schedules. If you are a skilled cook or baker, you can offer to teach. Supply the ingredients and let them bring their edible creations home.

 

15.  For the athlete: Participate in a road race / marathon / fun run together. Bonus points if it is to raise funds and awareness for a charitable cause. For beginners, you might want to sign up for novelty runs, for example, Colour Run, Bubble Dash, Music Run, Night Run, Glow Run or some other themed run.

 

16.  For the life of the party: Organise a karaoke party or picnic in the park with other friends. Parks you can utilise include Central Park Bandar Utama, Desa Parkcity, Lake Gardens, and KLCC Park. Make it a potluck to share the costs and keep things interesting.

 

17.  Look up online magazines e.g. Time Out KL and SAYS.com to find out the best and latest attractions in your city. Inexpensive local experience gifts can include visits to theme parks, 3D movies, laser tag, escape room, board games cafes, stand-up comedy shows, live performances, Dining In The Dark, visiting new concept restaurants and cafes, staycations in interesting and quaint chalets and boutique hotels and local historical walks and factory tours.

 

Green Living Advocacy: Trade Ban On Pangolins Only As Effective As Its Enforcement

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

TRADE BAN ON PANGOLINS ONLY AS EFFECTIVE AS ITS ENFORCEMENT

 

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)’s recent worldwide ban on all 8 species of pangolins has brought cheer to the conservation community.

 

Pangolins face grave threats to their survival not only from the illegal wildlife trade, but also from habitat loss and a low reproductive rate. Female pangolins produce only one offspring a year. Pangolins play an important role in the ecosystem, as their diet consists of ants and termites, and they thus provide biological pest control. It is estimated that a single pangolin consumes over 70 million ants and termites a year, and from this fact, one can imagine the role of pangolins as nature’s pest controllers and soil caretakers.

 

Pangolins, including the Sunda / Malayan Pangolin (Manis javanica) are considered the world’s most trafficked mammal and are at risk of extinction due to relentless hunting and poaching, especially for the China and Vietnam markets, where pangolin meat is considered a delicacy and a status symbol.

 

Pangolin foetus soup ostensibly improves male virility, while pangolin scales are ground into powder and used to treat rheumatism and skin disease, although like rhino horns, the scales are made of keratin, the same protein that forms human hair and fingernails, and there is no scientific or medical evidence to support the claim that it has any healing or beneficial properties.

 

It is hoped that the CITES trade ban will not only eradicate legal trade in pangolins but also reduce illegal trade by influencing consumer behaviour.

 

However, a trade ban is only as effective as its enforcement. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), numbers of wild Sunda pangolins have decreased by half in the last 15 years.

 

Studies by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, reveal that as pangolin populations are depleted in Indochina, wildlife dealers currently source pangolins from Malaysia and Indonesia. Its studies also found that the pangolin trade has spread to Sabah and Sarawak due to the decline in the pangolin population in Peninsular Malaysia.

 

According to the report by TRAFFIC, interviews with pangolin hunters in Sabah reveal that the hunters are aware of the illegality of hunting pangolins, and the critically endangered status of pangolins. However, the hunters admitted that the lucrative price made it difficult for them to stop hunting pangolins.

 

In order for the pangolin trade ban to be effective, enforcement agencies must treat wildlife trade as a serious international crime that threatens not only wildlife populations and the natural environment, but also ultimately human survival. Wildlife law enforcement agencies and prosecution bodies must cooperate with environmental organisations and monitoring bodies to eradicate corruption, stop wildlife trade, incapacitate wildlife trafficking syndicates and mete out the most severe punishments possible for wildlife offenders.

 

There are reports that live pangolins confiscated by enforcement agencies are frequently released in their weakened state without planning or monitoring, and this jeopardises their chances of survival. Thus efforts to ensure the survival of pangolins should also encompass the rehabilitation, management and subsequent release of confiscated pangolins.   

 

The international trade ban and enforcement of anti-wildlife trafficking laws must necessarily be complemented by public education and awareness efforts in order to succeed. This is where members of the public come in.

 

We can all play a role in phasing out and ending wildlife trade and preventing the extinction of pangolins. As conscientious and informed members of society, we must speak out and use our persuasive powers to influence others to reduce the consumer demand for pangolins and other wildlife. Even those of us who are not educators or volunteers can speak to others, including the younger generation, rural and indigenous communities and senior citizens who believe in the curative powers of wildlife-based traditional medicine, and educate them not only of the role of pangolins in the ecosystem, but also of the fact that the entire wildlife-based traditional medicine industry is a sham designed to enrich a few profiteers and impoverish the gullible. This is why measures such as captive breeding and farming wildlife and creating biotech substitutes for wildlife products such as rhino horns and bear bile are ineffective in ending wildlife crime – because they continue to reinforce the belief that there are curative properties to pangolin scales, rhino horn, bear bile and other wildlife products. To end the exploitation of and illegal trade in wildlife, we must be unequivocal in educating wildlife consumers that there are no benefits to consuming wildlife parts, and there is no such thing as legal or sustainable trade in wildlife.   

 

Given the popularity of travel to other East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, travellers can do their part not only by not consuming or purchasing pangolin wine, meat, scales or other wildlife products, but actively speaking up and informing tour operators and fellow travellers that they refuse to enter any establishment that offers pangolin products, bushmeat, exotic pets or other wildlife products. Travellers must vote with their money and their voice by writing in to tour agencies, national wildlife enforcement agencies, wildlife monitoring bodies and animal welfare and conservation NGOs operating in the relevant countries to complain about and report wildlife crimes. It is helpful to take photos as evidence and compile as much useful information as possible, including locations, dates and other information that will aid in tracking down and identifying wildlife offenders.

 

Crimes, including suspected crimes (e.g. a restaurant offering ‘special meat’ and ‘special dishes’) against pangolins and other wildlife in Malaysia can be reported to the 24-hour MYCAT Wildlife Crime Hotline at 019 356 4194 or report@malayantiger.net.

 

Everyone should participate in efforts and organisations that create, fund and support initiatives to not merely educate, but also empower and provide alternative and sustainable livelihoods for rural and indigenous communities to reduce and eventually eliminate their need for poaching and hunting. The fact remains that in many parts of the world, indigenous communities are forced off their ancestral lands and denied the opportunity for meaningful participation in the natural resource economy, thus driving them to hunt and poach wildlife for their economic survival. We cannot effectively protect wildlife and habitats without considering the human factor. This is where the rest of us come in as consumers, travellers, donors, sponsors, volunteers, advocates, social media users and supporters.

    

Protecting endangered species is not the role of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) or conservation NGOs and experts alone, and the environmental responsibility of ordinary citizens and consumers goes beyond merely recycling our bottles and having shorter showers. Species conservation is our shared duty and responsibility, and pangolins and other wildlife need us as their defenders and protectors now more than ever.

 

WONG EE LYNN

COORDINATOR,
GREEN LIVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP,
MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY

 (Photo credits: Wikipedia)

Eco Kids Column November 2016: Meet Hailey Fort, 9-Year-Old Humanitarian and Eco Hero

PENCINTA ALAM NOVEMBER 2016
ECO KIDS COLUMN

MEET HAILEY FORT, 9-YEAR-OLD HUMANITARIAN AND ECO HERO

(By Wong Ee Lynn <wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com>
Compiled and edited from Bored Panda at www.boredpanda.com. All photo credits: Bored Panda)

 

 

 

 

Although Hailey Fort is only 9 years old, she has already done more to help the homeless and needy than many adults ever have. This inspiring young lady spends her free time building mobile shelters for the homeless, and even grows food and provides toiletries for them.

 

 

 

 

When Hailey was 5 years old, she asked her mother, Miranda, about helping a homeless man she saw in Bremerton, Washington, where she lives. Her mother said yes, and now they work together to help the needy. The man she helped, Edward, has become her friend. She builds the shelters, “so then you don’t get rained on and you feel safe and stay dry.” “It just doesn’t seem right that there are homeless people,” Hailey told King 5 News. “I think everyone should have a place to live.”

 

 

 

 

This year, Hailey's goal is to grow 250lbs (113kg) of food, build 12 shelters, and delivers thousands of toiletries and hygienic items. You can help her by contributing to her GoFundMe campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/vp9h9h5g

 

 

Green Living SIG's Tips for Helping The Homeless Community In Your Area:

 

 

There are homeless individuals in Malaysia as well. Many people become homeless due to illness, family problems, abandonment by family members, lack of education, or problems with employers or business partners, among others. Many of them work at low-paying jobs in order to send money home to their families in their villages. They cannot afford rent in cities and towns. Here are ways you can help the homeless and poor, even if you do not have Hailey Fort's carpentry and farming skills!

 

 

1. Collect, wash and sort used but wearable clothes, bags, blankets, towels and shoes. Donating and reusing clothes and similar items is good for the environment as it keeps usable items out of landfills and reduces the need for the homeless and poor to buy themselves cheap clothing of poor quality.

 

 

2. Collect unopened bottles of shampoo, soap and toiletries from family and friends, especially those you get as samples or from hotels. Collecting and donating toiletries is also good for the environment because it helps you declutter and find a use for assorted toiletries.

 

 

Donate the abovementioned items to organisations that assist the homeless in Malaysia, such as:
(i) Kedai Jalanan, managed by the Gender Studies Faculty of University Malaya (https://www.facebook.com/Gender-Studies-University-of-Malaya-233365060180586/?fref=nf)
(ii) Reach Out Malaysia
(iii) Kechara Soup Kitchen
(iv) Dapur Jalanan Pulau Pinang (https://www.facebook.com/dapurjalananpp/?fref=ts)
(v) Dapur Jalanan Kuala Lumpur (https://www.facebook.com/dapurjalanankl/?fref=ts)
(vi) Dapur Jalanan Ipoh (https://www.facebook.com/dapurjalananipoh/?fref=ts)
(vi) Dapur Jalanan Muar (https://www.facebook.com/dapurjalananmuar/?fref=ts)
(vii) Need To Feed The Need (https://www.facebook.com/needtofeedtheneed/?fref=ts)
(viii) Pertubuhan Amal Seri Sinar
(ix) Yellow House KL (https://www.facebook.com/YellowHouseKl/?fref=ts)

 

 

3. Contact the organisations listed above to inquire what food is suitable for donation. Cooked food has to be very fresh, hot and wholesome to be suitable for donation. Please do not donate any expired or stale food, or anything that you would not yourself eat. If someone you know works for a food manufacturer, a bakery, a fruit/vegetable store or a grocery/convenience store, ask if they are able to donate any items (e.g. buns, biscuits, drinks) that are close to their expiry date but have not expired yet. Many such items are delivered back to the manufacturers for destruction. Redirecting them to the homeless feeds the hungry and prevents waste.

 

 

4. Grow fruits and vegetables for the homeless. Even small amounts of sweet potato leaves, Brazilian spinach, long beans, winged beans, cucumbers, kangkung, bayam and spinach can be donated to organisations that cook for the homeless to be added to noodles, fried rice or soup.

 

 

5. Ask for donations of dry food items (e.g. rice, canned food, biscuits, beans, buns, beverages, dried fruit) instead of presents for your next birthday party. If you plan to go out the same day/night to distribute food with any of the organisations that help the homeless, you can ask for donations of fruits and baked goods from your guests as well. 

 

 

6. Volunteer your skills. Perhaps you or someone in your family are able to give hairwashes or haircuts to the homeless (Contact Yellow House KL about their Street Salon programme). Perhaps you or someone you know happens to be an animal rescuer, and can help the homeless get their pets neutered and vaccinated. If you are an amateur musician, magician or performer, you can volunteer to perform at the parties held by charitable organisations for street folks during the festive season. You can volunteer with these organisations as street store helpers, food distributors, cooks, kitchen helpers and cleanup crew.

 

 

Letter to the Editor: Halt Logging In The Terenggun Virgin Forest Reserve

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

HALT LOGGING IN THE TERENGGUN VIRGIN FOREST RESERVE

The Pahang Menteri Besar’s statement disavowing responsibility for logging in the Terenggun Virgin Forest Reserve (VFR) in Kuala Lipis defies logic and the principles of accountability and transparency.

If, as the MB stated, no logging permits have been issued for the Terenggun VFR, then the tree-felling activities must necessarily be illegal, whether the logging is for the purpose of the timber industry or for road construction, as claimed in his statement dated 20th August 2016.

Based on observable facts and basic civil engineering practices, there are no instances in which timber is utilised in modern-day road construction in Malaysia. It follows therefore that the trees were felled to clear the way for road construction and the timber became just another source of income.

Either possibility is an alarming one, as neither logging nor road construction should be permitted in a forest reserve, especially one with such high biodiversity as the Terenggun VFR. Logging and road construction in Terenggun would affect air and water quality, destroy vital watersheds leading to the increased risk of flash floods, landslides and drought, fragmentise and annihilate wildlife habitats and hasten the extinction of wildlife.

There is no environmental or traffic impact assessment report to indicate that there is a necessity for a road to be constructed through the Terenggun VFR. Opening up a road in a forest reserve would simply create access for illegal loggers, hunters and wildlife poachers. Constructing a road through this ecologically-sensitive area would not alleviate any traffic problems or improve the quality of life of Pahang citizens in any way. It would instead cause both human and animal populations to suffer adverse effects from the reduced air and water quality and increased carbon emissions, human-wildlife conflicts and traffic fatalities.

It is clear from the ambiguous response of the authorities on the issue of logging in the Terenggun VFR that the forest-clearing was carried out in a highly irregular manner without complying with proper procedures or without any proper assessments or reports.

As a concerned citizen, I therefore urge the Pahang State Government and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) to put an immediate stop to logging in the Terenggun VFR and other forest reserves, and take steps to protect forests and wildlife.

Tropical rainforests have more economic value intact than degraded, due to the ecological and sociocultural services they provide. Pahang stands to gain more economic benefits from keeping its forests intact and biologically diverse, than from issuing permits for logging, mining and road construction in forested areas. Pahang is well-known for, among others, its national parks and great ecotourism potential, and therefore there are economic and cultural incentives for conserving its forest reserves and promoting sustainable use of its forest resources.

The state forestry authorities are entrusted with the honoured duty of monitoring and protecting forest reserves and gazetted areas. There are no defensible reasons why the state forestry department would condone or be ignorant of any intrusions of such degree.

There are countless concerned and civic-minded citizens and environmental organisations who are willing to assist the government and forestry authorities in monitoring and protecting our rainforests and wildlife, should the need arise. Civil society’s readiness to play its part in conservation efforts must now be matched by political will on the part of state and federal authorities and enforcement agencies to protect and conserve forest reserves.

WONG EE LYNN

COORDINATOR,

GREEN LIVING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP,

MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY

Helping Hands at the MNS Urban Community Forest

PENCINTA ALAM AUGUST 2016
ECO KIDS COLUMN
HELPING HANDS AT THE MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY URBAN COMMUNITY FOREST
By Wong Ee Lynn
<wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com>

"Take care of the land and the land will take care of you."
~ H. Bennett.

 

 

What if we told you that you didn't have to go on a long holiday to a place far away in order to help volunteer for a project that helps the environment? What if we told you that you could volunteer any weekend you please, and still have time for your other activities, tuition classes or music lessons after helping out for a few hours on a Saturday morning? What if we told you there is a place in the city where you can volunteer to help the environment and plant rainforest trees on Saturday mornings and learn more about trees, gardening and the environment? What if we told you there is a place in the city where your club, society, class or Scout/Guide troop can visit and volunteer and learn about trees and nature, without much hassle or expense?

 

At the MNS Urban Community Forest located at the Malaysian Nature Society Headquarters in Jalan Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, you can do just that!

 

There is an ongoing initiative by our MNS Head of Conservation Mr. Balu Perumal to plant Merbau saplings from seed at a nursery set up at the MNS Urban Community Forest. Merbau trees are endangered due to logging and deforestation. The Merbau saplings grown at the MNS Urban Community Forest will be replanted in forest reserves, parks and other places upon request from schools, societies, and volunteers.

 

Planting over 5,000 seeds is a lot of work! Some trees will make it to adulthood. Some will not. The important thing is to keep planting as many as we can, in the best conditions possible to improve their chances of survival. Merbau trees need sunlight but not too much water. They do not grow well in soggy and muddy soil.

 

MNS Selangor Branch's Green Living Special Interest Group has been asking Mr. Balu for young trees to be replanted at the Kota Damansara Community Forest in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. So far we have replanted over 70 trees.

 

On 28th May 2016, Green Living held a "Give-Back Day" at the MNS Urban Community Forest to help Mr. Balu plant Merbau seeds and transplant Merbau saplings at the nursery to return the favour for all the lovely young trees he has given us. Mr. Balu plants the seeds and tends to the plants at the nursery every Saturday morning from 9.00 - 11.00 a.m.

 

Around 18 volunteers, including 5 schoolchildren and their dedicated teacher, Cikgu Aminah, and another 2 children accompanied by their father, Dr. Sanath, came to help us on Give-Back Day.

 

Merbau seeds look like pebbles, don't they? They are hard and need to be soaked before they can be planted. (Photo credits: Sunrise Seekers Sayli)

 

 

 

Very young Merbau seedlings. Don't they remind you of the giant beanstalk in 'Jack and the Beanstalk'? (Photo credits: Sunrise Seekers Sayli)

 

 

The schoolchildren admiring the pebble-like appearance of the Merbau seeds.

 

 

Mr. Balu explaining what we need to do for the day.

 

 

The Merbau saplings in the nursery are arranged according to the month they were planted. Some need more sunlight than others.

 

 

The cheerful young volunteers helped us move the 3-month-old saplings to another area where they can receive more sunlight, so that we can free up space for the new saplings we were about to transplant.

 

 

The children used spades to help break up and loosen the soil for better drainage, so that the tree roots can breathe and would not be waterlogged in heavy clumps of soil.

 

 

 

The children filled up each planting bag halfway through with soil and carried them to the adult volunteers, who had to carefully dig out each young plant and transplant them into the bags.

 

 

 

A group photo of some of the volunteers who had worked so hard all morning! Never underestimate the difference children can make! Little hands do important work, too!

 

If you would like to assist and volunteer, please contact the MNS office at 03-22879422 and ask for Mr. Balu.

 

The MNS Urban Community Forest and office is located at  JKR 641, Jalan Kelantan, Bukit Persekutuan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.

 

If you or your parents are on Facebook, please visit and click 'Like' on  MNS Urban Community Forest's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/MNS-Urban-Community-Forest-134370753634265/?fref=ts

Green Living Column: Alternatives to Antibacterial Soap

PENCINTA ALAM AUGUST 2016

GREEN LIVING COLUMN
ALTERNATIVES TO ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP

 

Maybe you’ve heard how the overuse of antibiotics is causing the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” The same can be said of antibacterial products such as antibacterial shower gel, hand soap and hand sanitisers.

 

As epidemiologist Allison Aiello explains to Scientific American, most antibacterial soaps contain the ingredient triclosan. When the bacteria are exposed to triclosan, they can undergo genetic mutations. These same mutations not only protect them from triclosan (or whatever other antibacterial product you are using), but can make them more difficult to kill with antibiotics!

 

In animal studies like this one at the Journal of Toxicological Sciences it was found that triclosan altered the hormones in rats, causing an estrogenic effect. The FDA says that animal studies aren’t always indicative of what will happen to humans, but even they recommend reviewing the risks further and say that concerned consumers should use regular soap instead.

 

A study, reported in Smithsonian Magazine, found that triclosan “hinders human muscle contractions at the cellular level and inhibits normal muscle functioning in both fish and mice.” The researchers weren’t even exposing cells to super-high dosages during the study. They used levels of triclosan similar to what we experience every day.

 

Further, there are a lot of theories about why allergies are on the rise, and one is that the overly-sanitized environment that we live in is harming the development of our immune system. A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology furthers this theory. It found that the triclosan commonly found in antibacterial products causes mutations, which may lead to food allergies.

 

Antibacterial soap is not only bad for human health, it is bad for the environment. When you rinse your hands of antibacterial soap, it doesn’t just disappear down the drain. It gets into our environment and could have disastrous consequences. As Eco Watch reports, the antibacterial chemicals in soap aren’t completely removed by wastewater treatment facilities. The chemicals get transferred into sludge, which is then put on agricultural land and could contaminate surface water.

 

Several studies,including one published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and another in the Oxford Journal of Infectious Disease, have looked into the effectiveness of antibacterial soaps. It was reported that antimicrobial soap was “no more effective than plain soap” at preventing infectious illness.  This shouldn’t be too surprising considering that most diseases are caused by viruses and NOT bacteria, so antibacterial soap isn’t effective.

 

Alternatives to antibacterial soap include the following:

 

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. It’s not the type of soap that prevents the spread of bacteria and viruses, it’s how you wash your hands. Lather up and rub hands together vigorously for 20 seconds. Don’t forget the spaces between your fingers, your wrists, and under your nails. Rinse thoroughly. Dry hands well and launder hand towels often in hot water.

 

2. Choose a nontoxic cleaner: Shop for biodegradable, plant-based, environmentally-friendly cleaners that do not contain triclosan, triclocarbon, chlorine, lye, glycol ethers, and ammonia. You don't need these strong disinfectants to get surfaces clean.

 

3. Disinfect objects that come into contact with raw meat, fish, or eggs, such as cutting boards and utensils. Scrub cutting boards and wipe down kitchen counters with a non-toxic disinfectant. You can find such cleaning products in the organic products sections, or make your own by using white vinegar followed by 3% hydrogen peroxide (available at the pharmacy). Keep the liquids handy in separate spray bottles. It doesn't matter which one you use first, but both are much more effective than either one alone.

 

 4. Disinfect sponges and kitchen rags by microwaving them for 30 seconds on high power if dry, longer if wet -- sponges for one minute, and rags for three minutes.

 

5. Clean bathrooms and kitchen hard surfaces using a store-bought non-toxic cleaning solution, or make your own. Borax disinfects but is milder than bleach. It’s also effective on mildew, especially combined with vinegar. You can make a cleaning solution by adding 1/2 cup of each to a gallon of water. Hydrogen peroxide will reduce microorganisms on surfaces. A 50/50 vinegar/water solution will clean tile, counters, cabinet fronts and soap scum in the shower. A baking soda and water paste will clean stuck on gunk in the shower and tub (use vinegar instead of water for really tough stains). Many people find the smell of vinegar to be unpleasant. You can mask the smell by adding a few drops of essential oils (e.g. lavender, tea tree or citronella) to the vinegar.

 

6. Add essential oils to your natural cleaning products as a disinfectant and deodorant. A few drops of mint or lavender oil added to a natural plant-based hand soap will add fragrance and kill any possible bacteria. Citronella or lemongrass oil added to a liquid cleaning solution can keep insects off your floor and kitchen counters. Tea tree oil will inhibit fungal growth in your bathroom and kitchen tile grout and around your sink. Add a little lavender oil to your laundry detergent to make your clothes smell fresh without resorting to harmful chemicals and artificial fragrances. 

 

(Sources: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/6-reasons-to-stop-using-antibacterial-soap-now.html and http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/antibacterial-soap-do-you-need-it)