The recent tree planting event at Taman Rimba Bukit Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur was a clear celebration of environmental conservation and a major step towards creating a greener, more sustainable urban landscape. The tree planting took place on November 2nd, a day filled with excitement and a shared commitment to sustainable urban development. 

A collaborative effort organised by EcoKnights, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur Landskap, and Group Tax from Petronas brought together a diverse group of volunteers, including 10 passionate public volunteers. A total of 70 trees, spanning 10 different species, were planted as part of the “Tree4Us Urban Park Tree Planting Programme,” which aims to improve Taman Rimba Bukit Kerinchi’s greenery and benefit the surrounding community and environment. Furthermore, the event was driven by a collective goal to promote biodiversity while combating urbanisation challenges, therefore contributing to the overall well-being of the environment.

The event transpired after meticulous planning, where 10 public volunteers along with 240 members of DBKL and Group Tax actively participated in the planting process. After the initial registration, the event started off with a couple of speeches from EcoKnights, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur Landskap and Group Tax. The volunteers were then instructed to take a group photo together and were briefed on tree planting. After listening intently, the volunteers were split into groups of four and began the process of planting their trees.

By the end of the planting, around 70 trees found their new homes while a sense of collective pride filled the air. The “Tree4Us Urban Park Tree Planting Programme” is a prime example of the effectiveness of community-based environmental projects. As the recently planted trees grow, they offer hope for a greener and more sustainable future for Kuala Lumpur.

If you are interested in joining our initiatives or organising sustainable workshops for your area, school, or company, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@ecoknights.org.my. We would be thrilled to offer additional details and explore potential partnerships with you.

December 2nd, 2023 – In a collaborative effort with HSBC volunteers to inspire sustainable living, the Guardians Against Garbage (GAG) initiative take place at Sungai Kayu Ara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Kuala Lumpur. At 8am, 35 passionate HSBC volunteers united for a notable river cleanup event. Facilitated by EcoKnights, this initiative aimed to combat and reduce river pollution while cultivating a shared sense of environmental awareness within the community.

The event kicked off with an inspiring opening speech and a meticulous safety briefing conducted by EcoKnights facilitators, ensuring that the volunteers were well-equipped with the necessary guidelines and expectations. The river saw enthusiastic participation from HSBC volunteers, who engaged in an exhaustive cleanup operation which targeted the river’s various sections.

The volunteers were divided into three teams and embarked on a mission to restore the river, back to its pristine condition. Their hard work paid off as they were able to collect an impressive total of 377.90 kg of diverse waste, ranging from plastic remnants, textiles and even debris from past construction projects. This cleanup was more than just picking up trash, it was a call for environmental awareness and conservation, acting as a reminder of the urgent need to address proper waste management along with river pollution.

After the cleanup, the volunteers worked seamlessly, forming a human chain to transport the collected debris to the segregation area. The segregation process, where volunteers segregate the trash based on its composition, started out smoothly. However, challenges arose during the segregation process as a handful of the volunteers were starting to become tired. Alas, their unwavering dedication and teamwork enabled them to efficiently categorise the waste. A closing speech acknowledged the volunteers’ tireless efforts, emphasising their pivotal role in contributing to a cleaner environment.

Through their actions, the ardent volunteers from HSBC demonstrated that small, collective efforts can lead to substantial environmental changes. As they departed, the effect of their dedication remained, emphasising the possibility of a more sustainable future, one river cleanup at a time.

If you are interested in joining our initiatives or organising sustainable workshops for your area, school, or company, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@ecoknights.org.my. We would be thrilled to offer additional details and explore potential partnerships with you.

Kuala Lumpur, 10th May 2023 — The recent announcement by Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi regarding the government’s plan to eliminate plastic bag usage across all business sectors by 2025 is a major step towards addressing the issue of plastic pollution in Malaysia. This move confirms the government’s commitment to reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable practices.

As per the minister’s statement, the “No Plastic Bags” campaign has been implemented in stages, starting with stationary retail outlets like supermarkets and certain local shops. The current ban only applies to physical establishments like supermarkets, mini-markets, and sundry shops, but the government plans to extend it to cover roadside vendors in the future. State governments and local authorities also have the flexibility to decide on the implementation of the ban, based on their individual needs.

As an organization that has been working towards addressing plastic pollution and adopting of sustainable culture at the grassroots level, EcoKnights fully supports the government’s efforts in combating single-use plastic. We believe that this ban will not only reduce plastic waste but also encourage consumers to adopt more sustainable habits. We urge the government to continue raising awareness and educating the public on the importance of reducing plastic use and promoting eco-friendly alternatives.

However, while the government has introduced several policies and incentives to combat plastic pollution, the execution of these plans remains a key challenge. Malaysia generated 525,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2019, ranking it the eighth-worst country in the world for plastic waste. Furthermore, a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows that Malaysia used 148,000 metric tonnes of plastic for food packaging alone in 2020.

Therefore, the public needs to know how the government plans to execute the implementation of the ban in the retail industry, which has 150,482 establishments operating in Malaysia as per the Department of Statistics. EcoKnights urges the government to ensure the effective execution of this plan and work towards making Malaysia a more sustainable and eco-friendly nation.

The Malaysian government launched the “Sayangi Malaysiaku: Malaysia Bersih” campaign in 2018, which aimed to reduce single-use plastics by 50% by 2020. However, the target was not achieved, leading to a new target of zero single-use plastics by 2030 through the Roadmap Towards Zero Single-Use Plastics 2018-2030. Despite continuous campaigns, it is apparent that we are still trailing behind.

As an organization, EcoKnights holds a steadfast position on this matter, which aligns with other local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). We want a better future for Malaysia with improved plastic waste management and production. It is crucial for the ministries to be transparent not only about the execution but also about how the campaign’s impact can be measured quantitatively and qualitatively.

A recent survey by global market research firm Ipsos found that 81% of Malaysians are concerned about plastic waste and want the government to take stronger action to address the issue. This survey underscores the importance of the government’s actions and highlights the need for transparency in planning and execution from top to bottom. EcoKnights urges the government to continue to take a stronger stance and implement more effective measures to reduce plastic waste in Malaysia.

“More importantly than just a ban, we highly encourage the government to ensure that utmost transparency is in place to track the campaign and its impacts on the environment. We have heard of many campaigns launched in the past, and at the end of the day, it only focuses on charging consumers who still want to use disposable plastic bags,” said Amlir Ayat, Vice President of EcoKnights.

EcoKnights acknowledges that the government’s announcement will lead to a more systematic and organized approach to raising awareness and fostering community motivation and engagement in reducing plastic usage through education starting from local establishments to guarantee long-term people’s commitment and active participation. However, it is crucial for the government to involve local NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) and relevant government and business sectors in this campaign to ensure their full participation and contribution towards a sustainable future. With a collective effort from all stakeholders, we can achieve a significant reduction in single-use plastics and create a cleaner, healthier environment for all.

Written by: Shahirah Anuar

Building a strong foundation for young children’s connection to nature is critical for lifelong learning. Hence, EcoKnights seized the opportunity to collaborate with Gamuda Parks and Gamuda Land, launching the Gamuda Parks Rangers (GParks Rangers) programme this year, beginning in February. GParks Rangers is a family-friendly learning platform that allows kids aged 4 to 12 to participate in a hands-on activity in learning more about science, the environment, and biodiversity. Now, parents have the chances and the right platform to give their children early exposure to environmental education.

Using Creativity as a Lens to Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Several edutainment workshops and roadshows are designed specifically to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of conservation and biodiversity. These activities can help instil a sense of responsibility and concern for nature in children from an early age. ‘Art in Nature: DIY Hand Fan Workshop’ is the first workshop and roadshow hosted by EcoKnights at Gamuda Parks Nature School in Rawang. With a theme inspired by the Chinese New Year celebration, 30 curious Rangers participated in this two-day activity, where they were given — paper, bamboo sticks, watercolour, brush, and leaves to make their adorable hand fan.

After the enjoyable workshop, they made a fan, which they decorated.

Hands-on creative activities can indirectly inspire children to think outside the box while also attempting to elicit their artistic side. These also depict how children and their parents can engage in do-it-yourself activities at home by utilising materials found in their surroundings that can be transformed into something meaningful. For example, to make this hand fan, we could use ice cream sticks, paper, and dry leaves that we can find anywhere.

The children were busy selecting leaves and experimenting with colours.

Utilizing Adventurer Activities to Foster Science Interest

Continuing to pump up the pace, on February 19th, another workshop took place — the Junior Water Scientist, which was held at Gamuda Cove with 23 Junior Rangers. They had a wonderful opportunity to explore the water body through three different activities with a water education theme: biodiversity observation of the water body, water quality test, and DIY water filtration model. These modules are designed to stimulate their basic senses of vision, touch, and hearing, thereby improving memory retention, attention, and focus. Couldn’t deny that the kids’ excitement and joy can’t be constrained by the fact that they were permitted to play around on the lake’s bank while being supervised by their parents. Mainly when they were delighted enough to catch fish with the provided net during the biodiversity observation and collect water in preparation for the next activity.

Overall, this session was extremely beneficial for the children, who were exposed for the first time to a body of water and its ecosystem. They learned many important and entertaining facts about the various species that live in the water, as well as how to filter water at home with their parents.

During the biodiversity observation activity, little heroic Rangers were going to the nearest lake’s bank to do some mini-exploration.

The water quality test was the highlight of the day. Most of the parents commented that this was the most difficult activity of the day. This is because they had to conduct mini-experiments to determine the quality of the water they collected from the lake itself, which indirectly activated their analytical skills. The water quality test was divided into two parts: water pH testing (using litmus paper to determine the level of alkalinity or acidity in the water) and DIY water filtration. Despite the fact that it was a difficult session to understand, the children were able to grasp the fundamental concepts and apply their knowledge throughout the session, which was the most important part.

Sharp and focused, these two siblings collaborated and took their exercise seriously.

Application of Edutourism to Understand Mangrove Ecosystem

Buckled up everyone, we still have another third workshop incoming, which is — The Mangrove Nature Trip!

This ‘short nature trip’ was the third workshop held at Sijangkang Mangrove Recreational Park – so far our furthest journey that we brought our Junior Rangers — on the 18th March 2023. With a guidebook in hand, 25 Rangers are ready to begin their little adventure into the deep lush green of the mangrove ecosystem!

The first activity was a sharing session on the mangrove life cycle, during which the Rangers learned about mangroves, their lifecycle, biological roles, and their importance to the environment. After a few minutes, the children explored and observed the lush greenery of the thousands of mangrove trees that grew taller than them. With binoculars in hand, the children were able to spot a variety of fauna, including little brown crabs (which were shy and played peek-a-boo with the children) and mudskippers. Finding the crabs was a fun challenge for the kids because they are small and difficult to spot, and their colour blends in with the background! Not to mention that collecting leaves from mangrove trees is one of the ways the children can have fun while learning about the mangrove tree structure that they used in their drawing.

To be able to escape into the mangrove park during the weekend is a wonderful experience for both children and parents. Also, by doing engagement activities that help to introduce the edutainment learning concept to the local community, we can support local mangrove parks such as Sijangkang Mangrove Recreational Park. For the benefit of the readers, Sijangkang Mangrove Recreational Park is run by local elders from the Sijangkang community, who mostly volunteer to keep this place running and the mangrove rehabilitation initiative going.

During the Mangrove Nature Trip, the Rangers participated in a variety of hands-on activities.

Nurturing Early Nature Engagement in Your Local Community Spaces

And now, our workshop recently took place at the heart of the Taman Tun Dr. Ismail itself, which is TTDI Edible Community Garden on 25 March 2023. Two garden-theme activities were delivered in this workshop — Garden Day Out — which is composting and a DIY botany postcard activity. The former served as an introduction to the kids to the importance of managing waste properly. This composting activity also shows something that might seem valueless can be turned into important stuff. Having all the equipment ready, the Rangers were focused on listening to the facilitator’s explanation and then putting the composting stuff layer by layer according to what had been instructed.

The Rangers were busy arranging the green and brown material for the compost

The DIY Botany Postcard was the next activity on the agenda! Before the activity began, EcoKnights facilitators introduced the little Rangers to the interesting shapes and colours of various leaves and flowers, which they later hand-picked to be part of the DIY postcard making. This is where the fun begins, as we could see them experimenting with various shapes of leaves and flowers while the facilitators shared a few facts along the way.

Dry leaves, colour pencils, and glue were fully utilised by 23 Rangers for the DIY botany postcard

The session ended with heavy rain, which most of the children took advantage of by playing in it!

We believe that our children are the hope for the future generation. That’s why it’s important to instill good values in them at an early age. Gamuda Parks Ranger is one of our commitments in fulfilling this mission so that our younger generation can be the responsible person who can start their voyage to saving the Earth! Hence, this particular initiative is still ongoing until mid-year 2023. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get your children to hop on our little fun adventure to learn more about environmental biodiversity by registering them as a Ranger through this link: http://bit.ly/GPR2023! You’ll be notified via email as well as our social media regarding the upcoming workshops. Together, we can encourage future generations to appreciate and understand more about nature and biodiversity!