World Wildlife Day

World Wildlife Day 2021 celebrates the people and local communities that rely on forests for their livelihood, with the theme “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”

On this 2021.3.3, let us commemorate this World Wildlife Day by helping the Lun Bawang community in Lower Lawas to protect wildlife in their Paradise of Waterfalls:

Donate to support the protection of this Paradise of Waterfalls.
protect wildlife in paradise of waterfalls
 Donate to support the protection of these wildlife and their forest home.

Migratory Birds and Mental Health

Happy #WorldMigratoryBirdDay AND #WorldMentalHealthDay! There is growing evidence that being in #nature and nature-appreciating activities like #birdwatching is good for your #mentalhealth! Having #birds in your neighborhood has also been linked to a lower likelihood of depression, anxiety and stress.

#BirdsConnectOurWorld
#ConnectWithNature
#BeOneWithNature
#NatureForAll
#ForNature
#WMBD2020

Reminiscing Kinabatangan

Exactly 6 months since our last proper nature outing, and the beginning of COVID19 lockdown of Malaysia.. Missing the company, forest, river, wildlife, and good people at Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan.

Check out their meaningful work at <https://konexer.org/mescot-kopel>

Wildlife safari and forest restoration for wildlife in Kinabatangan, with the community-owned tourism cooperative of Batu Puteh

Nature Precious from the Paradise of Waterfalls

Had a good week of photoshoot with Joseph, to highlight the beauty of Penawan Waterfalls Eco Park and our conservation initiative in this beautiful community nature reserve in Lower Lawas.

Visit or buy from us to support our effort!

#CommunityForConservation #ForNature #NatureForAll

Can’t help but smile when one is surrounded by such natural beauty..
Local organic produce at the first & largest of waterfalls in Penawan
Local organic produce in a rattan basket made by indigenous Lun Bawang people
Rattan baskets made by indigenous Lun Bawang people
Native stingless bee honey with one of its source plants, Dillenia sp.
Durian, the king of fruits, grown naturally in the pollution-free environment around Penawan, feeding not only human but also abundant of wildlife (the nearby Sabatang Farm is also famous for Durian Dalit)
Sarawak pineapple & Bakelalan salt, perfect match in the Paradise of Waterfalls
Wonderful winter melon grown naturally next to the forest
Go banana with local fruits grown naturally next to the forest
Start & end the day with a nice cuppa by the waterfalls.. no local coffee yet, but a potential with suitable partnership

(All text and photos by M.S. Khoo, unless otherwise stated)

Dols to Maranggoi Pinolobu

We had the privilege to accompany our patron Mr. & Mrs. Dols to visit and experience the richness of Kampung Pinolobu! Being one of the firsts to support our initiative in community conservation, they finally got to check out our conservation effort of Maranggoi River Reserve, under the united community initiative of Koperasi Pinolobu.

Special thanks to Risin, Jalni, and friends for staying true with our cause, and for making this trip a fun and fulfilling one!

#CommunityForConservation #ForNature #NatureForAll

Dinner of naturally-grown local produce at the new Bunti-Bunti campsite by the Maranggoi River: experience local hill rice, jeruk tuhau (pickled ginger), bosou (fermented fish), salted fish with liposu, terap soup, and unlimited serving of fruits-in-season!
Welcomed by Wildlife: befriending the tamed widllife of Maranggoi River and Kampung Pinolobu.
From tree to teeth: savoring the magnificent mangosteen, fresh off the pluck, among many other fruits peaking in July-August.
Sharing is caring: learn about traditional use of local plants with cultural significance.
From garden to ropuhan: cooking with traditional ingredients in a traditional kitchen.
SpecialTea: enjoy a morning cuppa by the Maranggoi River, and end a long day of fruit-sampling with the stomach-soothing guava leaf tea, served with our very own stingless bee (kelulut/tantadan) honey.
Indulgence: breakfast buffet of natural goodness by the Maranggoi River.
Bad-ass Bahar: Experience the production of coconut palm wine, and end the day by enjoying a glass with friends in the river or at a bonfire.
Full moon party by the river: with native nocturnal life of Maranggoi River.
Perfect picnic: complete the trip with a spread of local delights by the wonderful Wasai Siriba.

(All photos by M.S. Khoo, unless otherwise stated)

Fathers for Forests

To celebrate this Father’s Day (June 21) and World Rainforest Day (June 22), support these nature products from village fathers who have been dedicated to protecting their forests, and have lost all income from eco-tourism during this critical time of COVID-19 pandemic.

Your contribution will not only reward your father (or yourself/ the whole family) with a unique hamper of organically-farmed vegetables/fruits and sustainably-sourced forest products, your generosity will also support us to continue protecting these forests.

Supporting Rural Farmers and Fathers for Rainforests.

Options:

RM88: one rattan basket (from Pinolobu) + mix of banana/plantain (pisang keling/saba, from Pinolobu), banana blossom (jantung pisang, from Pinolobu), kaffir lime (limau parut, from Penawan), lemongrass (serai, from Penawan), pineapples (nanas, from Kiau or Penawan), tuhau (from Pinolobu), sour jungle fruit (liposu/kobibi, from Pinolobu) + 1kg of organic rice (beras putih/merah/hitam, from Long Pasia) OR 100g of stingless bee honey (madu kelulut, from Pinolobu)

Rm138: the RM88-package + 1kg of organic rice (beras putih/merah/hitam, from Long Pasia) OR 100g stingless bee honey (madu kelulut, from Pinolobu) + pumpkin (labu, from Kiau)

RM188 (only 2 available): the RM88-package + 250g of stingless bee honey (madu kelulut, from Penawan) + pumpkin (labu, from Kiau)

* Free chopping block (Pehandatan, from rambutan log) for the first 10 orders.

Contact us here or on our Facebook Page to book your precious! All options come with our free consultation to visit these community forests. Please also consider to contribute more than these packages to help us connect with more Nature programs and together conserve for better Nature.

Platter of Perfection: Collective of Nature Goodness. (This photo is only for reference, but provides a good idea of the combo 🙂
Risin and friends in Kg Pinolobu: fathers of Tagal Hutan Maranggoi in Kadamaian

The people of Pinolobu have been conserving their community catchment in Maranggoi for generations and opened it to public as Maranggoi Eco Tourism​. Now they’re planning to form a larger reserve (tagal hutan) by including the adjacent catchment of Korojoh and to buffer it with their own farm lands (where they’re committed to reforestation/ agroforestry/ permaculture whichever suitable, and no more clearing of old growth forest within the reserve)

Visit them to support their cause, especially in July-Oct when it’ll be the fruiting season of durian, manggis, rambutan, terap, etc.

Joseph and cousins: fathers of Penawan Waterfalls Eco Park in Lawas

Joseph Tai founded the Penawan Cooperative to oversee the conservation and management of the community reserve of Penawan (better known as Penawan Waterfalls Eco Park​ to public). Joseph is also dedicated to permaculture to ensure sustainable healthy food supply to his community, and to better protect the forest biodiversity.

Dubbed the Paradise of Waterfalls, the 300-acre reserve is their family effort to protect water catchment and wildlife. Not only the park has more than 20 waterfalls, it is also important habitat for many rare and endangered wildlife.

Visit them to support their cause, especially in Sep-Dec when it’ll be the peak fruiting season of durian. Their durian is so famous that they’re featured in the The Year of Durian blog.

Pangiran Salutan: father of organic farming in Long Pasia, and champion of indigenous movement in the Heart of Borneo

As the chairperson of FORMADAT Sabah, Pangiran Salutan is committed to improve livelihood of the indigenous highland people and to nature conservation in the Heart of Borneo. He advocates for organic farming in his home village of Long Pasia and works towards establishing a forest reserve with his community in Long Pasia.

Purchase their organic products and visit Long Pasia to support their cause.

Lerry: father of Gumbayong forest reserve in Kiau Taburi

Lerry Dominic, or Gumbayong, is a Kinabalu mountain guide, a bird-watching guide, and a farmer planting pineapples, vegetables, and coffee chemical-free at the foothill of Kinabalu. He sets aside his family forest as a small reserve, so that his friends and families, especially his little boy Blyth, can enjoy the forest with its many goodness in the future.

Go explore Kinabalu with him and visit his trail to support his cause.

Fathers for Forests: support nature products from these fathers who have been dedicated to protecting their forests, but have lost all income from eco-tourism during this critical time.
When circumstances allow, we are more than happy to arrange for your visit to support their farms, villages, and community forests.
Agarwood and Tongkat Ali are some of the most valuable plants in our rainforest. Get in touch if you’d like some planted/harvested sustainably ones, to make you or your father strong 😉