On 21st March 2019, Penang State Exco for Environment, Welfare and Caring Society YB Phee Boon Poh was at the press conference to announce the winners of the Penang Island Intersecondary City Nature Challenge and to promote the Penang Island City Nature Challenge in April 2019.
The Intersecondary CNC event which was held on 23 February 2019 was organized by The Habitat Penang Hill and The Habitat Foundation and attracted a record 2,440 secondary school students from over 32 schools. Students competed in teams of four to record the most observations of native flora and fauna using the iNaturalist app. The result: an amazing 60,080 total observations in a single day!
The top placed students in the individual category were Yi Ling Lim from SMJK Chung Hwa Confucian (1st place), Joan Lim Pei Ying (2nd place) from SMK Convent Light Street, and Tham Yong Shiang from SMJK Chung Ling (3rd place), seen here with their respective teacher-advisors,YB Phee, and Cassie Leong of The Habitat Foundation after the press conference.
All students that participated in the Intersecondary CNC 2019 will receive a Certificate of Participation.
On to the main event
The Press Conference was also held to invite members of the public to get involved in the Penang Island City Nature Challenge 2019 which will also be held between 26 to 29 April 2019. The event is being supported by The Habitat Penang Hill and The Habitat Foundation together with the Penang State Government, Penang Hill Corporation, Friends of Penang Botanic Gardens Society, the School of Biological Sciences (USM), Malaysian Primatological Society, Malaysian Nature Society, Penang Forestry Department, Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Timur Laut and Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Barat Daya of the Penang Education Department, Night Spotting Project, Nature Classroom and Nature Walks Penang Hill.
To enter the challenge, participants need only download the user-friendly citizen science iNaturalist app and start using it to capture observations of native flora or fauna. Participants can take photos of nature occurring anywhere on the island, from their own backyard, school compound, parks or gardens. Over the next few weeks, a number of special clinics will be held to familiarize users with how to use the iNaturalist app. If you have any questions about the Penang City Nature Challenge 2019, or would like more information on the scheduled activities, please contact Lingesh via email lingeshwarry@thehabitat.my
Participants can register using this form: https://goo.gl/forms/YsPOSbwUxOezAGky1
“With people nowadays drifting further away from their natural surroundings, The Penang Island City Nature Challenge is a way to reconnect people to nature and appreciate the wild flora and fauna that can be found all around us. With such enthusiastic participation in the February event, we hope that the main event in April will attract many more Penangites to take part in the challenge,” emphasized Dr Ahmad Zafir, Head of Environmental Education at The Habitat Penang Hill.
In addition to cash prizes for the top observers, many of the partners have contributed attractive nature-themed prizes. Although the objective of the Penang Island CNC 2019 is mainly about participation, it is certain that the highest ranked observers will not go away empty handed.
“The Habitat Foundation is proud to support the Penang Island City Nature Challenge 2019 which will see Penang residents joining more than 160 cities around the world in celebrating the natural diversity of urban areas! At its heart, the City Nature Challenge is about cultivating an interest in nature among people of all ages as a way of raising awareness of the global importance of preserving biodiversity,” said Justine Vaz, General Manager of The Habitat Foundation.
Special events in conjunction with Penang Island CNC 2019
To add to the fun, there will be a number of nature events on Penang Hill and at the Penang Botanic Gardens during CNC 2019. Participants are encouraged to take the opportunity to enjoy the scheduled activities.
26 April 2019 (Friday)
7.30 am -11 am: Birding (Penang Hill)
7.30 pm -10 pm: Night in the Forest (Penang Botanic Garden)
27 April 2019 (Saturday)
7.30 am -10 am: Birding (Botanical Garden)
7.30 pm -10 pm: Night in the Forest (Penang Hill)
28 April 2019 (Sunday)
7.30 am -11 am: Nature Exploration (Penang Hill)
29 April 2019 (Monday)
7.30 pm -10 pm: Insect Trap Activity (Penang Hill)
Background to the Global City Nature Challenge
The City Nature Challenge was first organized in the United States by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences in 2016. It began as a friendly inter-city competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The following year it went nationwide with tremendous success, and by 2018 the City Nature Challenge had grown into an international event involving 63 countries. In 2019, the City Nature Challenge will be held from 26 – 29 April. The Penang Intersecondary School City Nature Challenge 2019 was held to introduce the iNaturalist app and to encourage more participation in CNC 2019.
