Activities undertaken during period July – September 2022
This report summarises some of the significant activities undertaken during period of July to September 2022 to implement the Recovery Project. The activities include community backyard nurseries, training for mushroom farming, community-based fire patrolling, canal block installation, and wildlife monitoring.
- Community backyard nurseries at Kg Meranti
Community backyard nurseries were established after the training given to the Kg Meranti in May 2022. There has been a total of 7 active participants who are nurturing tree seedlings such as Mahang, Tenggek Burung, Pulai, Gerung and Durian. Regular monitoring on monthly basis is undertaken to check on the health and survival of the saplings. A trial planting activity is under preparation and discussion with the community members have been ongoing with the planting to be conducted in the next quarter. - Introducing Mushroom Farming as income diversification for OA community
To improve the Orang Asli community’s livelihood at Kg Meranti, 18 villagers were sent to learn about mushroom farming on 30 July 2022. A series of follow up actions, discussion session and door-to-door visits have been undertaken to check on their proposed mushroom house sites. The participants started to build their own mushroom houses under the guidance of the mushroom farming trainer. The project is facilitating the setup and supplying mushroom spawns to the participants at the initial stage. - Community-Based Fire Patrol and Monitoring
Daily Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) information i.e. Fire Weather Index (FWI) and Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) has been shared to the Pekan Fire Prevention Whatsapp Group and the engaged local patrollers in the villages. While monitoring the fire prone area near the villages and the YPPH border, the local patrollers are also recording the water level in the canals. The project has engaged the community of Kg Meranti to install a canal block at the old logging canal near to the community plantation to ensure water level at desired level both for the plantation and to avoid fire.
A visit to Kg Cenderawasih community at the northern side of YPPH was conducted. The main economic activity of this community is pineapple farming. Two community patrollers from Kg Cenderawasih have been engaged by the project to monitor the area, in particular fire risk and any burning activity for land preparation. A training session was conducted for the patrollers and pineapple sellers on the fire patrolling, information recording and safety during burning. - Biodiversity Monitoring and Inventory
The first batch of biodiversity assessment was started from April to end of May where camera traps were set within the YPPH plantation concessions. There were some common species such as Leopard Cat, Large Indian Civet, Masked Palm Civet and wild boar being recorded. The second batch of biodiversity monitoring was started from August to September. Observations focused at forest border and water canal system, where wetlands associated species such as otter are targeted. Aquafauna study team led by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) through another GEC project, made a ground recce survey at the border of one plantation concession. Fish sampling will be conducted in the coming quarter, during the wet season.