Author - jessica

KOTA KINABALU: The organisers of Miss Sabah Earth 2012 hope to teach the finalists of the competition about the benefits and ways of conserving the natural environment in Sabah through fun yet educational activities. The 12 finalists spent a day in Tamparuli on Tuesday, visiting various eco-tourism venues and trying out the activities, all whilst learning about the history and how the place sustains itself from, and gives back to nature. Starting the day with an adrenaline rush, a visit to Zip Borneo had the girls climbing up 18 meters and then zip-lining across the river on Sabah’s longest zip-line, then climbing the same staircase for some abseiling or high rope challenges. During the tour of the ‘Rumah Terbalik’, or Upside Down House, the finalists were told the story behind the concept of the house, and the eco-message of not turning the environment ‘upside down’. The last destination was Kampung Poturidong in Kiulu, which welcomed the Miss Earth Sabah finalists with traditional delicacies and activities such as walking across the hanging bridge, feeding fish in the river and planting trees. Traditional instruments were played as the finalists did an impromptu sumazau dance and mingled with the VIPs and guests. On Monday, the finalists attended talks by Daniel Doughty from Borneo Conservancy entitled ‘Conservation and Environmental Issues in Sabah’ and ‘Confidence Through Public Speaking’ by Richard A Gontusan, DTM Toastmasters International. Doughty posed thought-provoking questions, gave the girls a group exercise asking them to discuss what development meant to each of them, as well as advised them that it is never too late to start going green, and to take their newly gained knowledge beyond the competition. Gontusan gave examples on how to pull in your audience with a good speech with humour, while emphasising on the importance of good body language, eye contact and pronunciation. Each finalist was also given the opportunity to get personal feedback from Gontusan. In the evening, the 12 finalists took to the cashier counters at Giant Hypermarket in City Mall to participate in a ‘No Plastic Bag’ challenge. They were all required to encourage shoppers to use less plastic bags and use eco-friendly bags in support of a healthier Mother Earth. The purpose of the challenge is to create public awareness of the No Plastic Bag days already implemented by the Sabah government. Other than that, Miss Earth Sabah wants the finalists to be educated on the benefits of using less plastic and carrying their eco-friendly bags instead. The winner of the challenge will be awarded the subsidiary title Miss Eco Giant. Miss Earth Sabah 2011 Olivia Vun made a pledge to WWF not to use plastic bags or bottles for a year, and she hopes this year’s winner will do the same. The finalists also joined Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun for high tea at Silk Garden, Sutera Harbour on Monday, which was hosted by the Sabah Tourism Board. Masidi emphasised the importance of good communication skills, especially public speaking when it comes to being an eco-ambassador. Also present were Datuk Irene Benggon Charuruks, general manager of Sabah Tourism Board, Miss Mandy Nandu, the organising chairperson of Miss Earth Sabah, and Olivia Vun. The grand coronation of Miss Earth Sabah 2012 will be held on June 16 at the Magellan Sutera Resort Grand Ballroom. Tickets are available at RM200, RM300, and RM500. For enquiries please call 017-8933822. Source : Borneo Post

KINABATANGAN: Two male proboscis monkeys were given warrior names after they were fitted with tags by the Sabah Wildlife Department’s (SWD) Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) and Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC). Jibius Dausip from WRU and the expert darter of the team, explained the two animals collared in Menanggul tributary and on the Kinabatangan river, near Sukau, weighed 23 and 19 kgs, respectively, and were named Monso (short for Monsopiad who was a Kadazandusun warrior and a famous headhunter) and Gambu (short for Gambunan who was a Dusun group leader from Tambunan). Danica Stark, PhD student at Cardiff University and DGFC, said the aim of the satellite tagging programme is to understand the ranging patterns of proboscis monkeys and the factors impacting their movements and density in order to determine the adequate amount of habitat available in order to sustain a continuous viable population in the Kinabatangan region. “As the collars record locations automatically, it is collecting movement data that is completely natural and not influenced by human presence. “Moreover, the collars are set with a drop-off and therefore the monkeys will not wear them forever. The drop-off is set to release the unit after 52 weeks,” added Danica. DGFC director Dr Benoit Goossens said the project was funded by Sime Darby Foundation (Malaysia) and Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation (USA). “The support for the palm oil industry is extremely important. Yes, mistakes have been made in the past, like in every country in the world during their economic development, but it is never too late to realise where we have been wrong and I believe that in Sabah the industry, the government, NGOs, wildlife conservationists and local communities can work together to make a better environment for our wildlife,” said Goossens. SWD director Dr Laurentius Ambu said this project is extremely important for the conservation of the proboscis monkeys in Sabah. One of the main outputs of the programme will be the first State Action Plan for the species and its launching at an international workshop on the conservation of proboscis monkeys in Borneo that will be organised in Kota Kinabalu in two or three years. Source : Borneo Post