Vincen

Ecologist as community-connecting conservationist – innovating, enhancing, and connecting Nature initiatives and communities for greater synergy.

A Lifelong Fascination with Nature
Ecologist as community-connecting conservationist
Ecologist as community-connecting conservationist: I am forever intrigued by the complexity of life, like the intricate roots of a Ficus superba, and committed to fostering synergy, much like the energy transformed and transferred by this keystone species to its ecosystem.
Jack-of-All-Trades, Master-of-Some: I consider myself a jack-of-all-trades in most tropical Asian ecosystems, with a slightly deeper knowledge in the trees of the Riau Pocket. Over the past two decades, my journey has taken me from the reefs to the ridges of Singapore, north-western Borneo, and Peninsular Malaysia, working alongside research institutes, naturalists, and scientists.

Roots in Research and Exploration

My passion for ecology began since young, way before my Life Sciences studies at the National University of Singapore, where I also volunteered with the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (now Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum) and International Coastal Cleanup Singapore. Post-graduation, I continued engaging with nature through citizen groups like Blue Water Volunteers and the Hantu Bloggers, sharing knowledge and fostering appreciation for the natural world.

My fascination with tropical trees (or dendrology) took root during my early field research roles with the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS, now Smithsonian’s ForestGEO) through Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum Asia Program, based at institutions in Singapore (NIE–NTU) and Brunei (KBFSC-UBD). My foundation in tropical biology was further strengthened by CTFS’s International Field Biology Course in Sri Lanka and teaching opportunities at Harvard Summer School’s Biodiversity of Borneo Field Courses.

The last few years of my academic career saw me coordinating various ecological research projects for researchers and students from Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, etc. and participated in a few international symposiums and conferences (e.g. Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation and FORRU).

Post-academia, I’ve focused on documenting biodiversity for community-based ecotourism and conservation programs, and supporting initiatives like Free Tree Society, Hornbill Surveys, Monitor Conservation & Research Society, Rewild Desaru, and WildAsia.

Never stop studying Nature, my library (of especially botany, ethno-biology, and agro-ecology) is expanding everyday, and I’m eager to share this knowledge with apprentices or partners.

Professional Services: Innovating for Nature

I offer expertise in biodiversity / ecological survey (inc. aerial mapping & wildlife photography), advisory on ecosystem restoration (especially of Dipterocarp forests), and planning / execution of expedition / exploration. Besides monetary compensation, I am open to exchange for co-ownership in eco-enterprises or for meaningful certifications, such as professional / chartered ecologist, certified arborist, urban forestry, HCV / ecotourism assessor, permaculture design, etc.

I am also keen to connect capital from corporations / philanthropists with the indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) for conservation synergy, and to help coordinating, developing, enhancing, or innovating such programs.

FastRForest: having seen millions of trees and mapped thousands of plant species across the Malay Archipelago, I’m eager to apply my ecological expertise to design planting guilds, accelerating forest regeneration in the region.

Bridging Science and Community Conservation

Through efforts to establish a social travel platform for nature adventures, I recognized the critical role of IPLCs in conservation. Today, I support alternative conservation programs like ecotourism and agroforestry, and advising initiatives at IPLCs such as Bongol, Kokol, Maragang (Mesilau), Maranggoi (Pinolobu), Podos, Penawan Waterfalls EcoPark (Penawan), Belanum (Bakun-Balui), and Rompin. These programs, seeded through crowd-funding on Actyvate of MaGIC, aim to enhance livelihoods while conserving native ecosystems.

Ecologist as Community-Connecting Conservationist
Ecologist as community-connecting conservationist: connecting science & technology with documentation of biodiversity & conservation of critical ecosystems at various indigenous communities (especially in North Borneo).
Ecologist as Community-Connecting Conservationist
Ecologist as community-connecting conservationist: connecting friends from scientific & conservation communities with the documentation & promotion of rare / charismatic species at indigenous communities (like these Rafflesia at Bongol).
Dreamers dream: hoping to create self-sufficient & risk-resilient eco-guilds or eco-tribes with like-minded partners, like these forest friends of mine in Borneo, and some IPLCs here.
Vision for the Future: Connector of Nature Connectors

Through this platform, I hope to connect explorers, naturalists, educators, scientists, conservationists, and community organizations—such as environmental CSOs, NGOs, and social enterprises—to create synergistic partnerships. If you share this vision, I invite you to collaborate and / or support these initiatives through donations, investments, or active participation.

Potential apprentice or partner: contact me to explore how we can work together to connect nature, science, and communities for a more sustainable future.

Ecologist as community-connecting conservationist
NatureAdvisor: happy to help enhance / innovate nature-bettering initiatives, and also to help advise for better human health through better understanding of Nature (ecology & physiology). Note: this was yours truly 15kg bulkier (and much less healthy) than the present state, with a taller Kinabalu before the 2015 earthquake (Photo: Huang J.N.).

邱明生 KHOO Min Sheng @ 明琛 Vincen – Ecologist as community-connecting conservationist

(All photos by Vincen & friends unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.)