Unveiling the 2024 THF Grantees
The Habitat Foundation received 120 applications from various regions across Malaysia.
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Author: Rong
What It Takes to Uncover the Hidden World of Land Snails
Land snails are not cute or cuddly. They are also slimy. This might make them a hard sell for conservation. Fortunately, they do grow on you. The deeper you delve into the world of snails, slugs and semi-slugs, the more fascinating they become!
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The Habitat Hub – April 2023
And just like that, the first three months of 2023 have flown by!
It has certainly been a eventful and fulfilling start to the year and we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to share some of these highlights with you; hence, this bumper issue of The Habitat Hub! Read about some of the meaningful programme milestones for The Habitat Foundation over the past four months, and get the latest updates on the wonderful new offerings at The Habitat Penang Hill as we invite everyone to come back to nature for a rejuvenating Weekend of Wellness! 
Our Water, Our Duty – World Water Day 2023 Short Clip
Meet a community that is doing its part to protect the forest and its ecosystem services on World Water Day.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) was awarded a Sustainable Tourism Grant for their initiative, which is assisting in the development of a new generation of local stewards in Kampung Janda Baik. Persatuan Sahabat alam tampik Janda Baik (SATJB) maintains the sustainable use of the 30-hectare area within Lentang Forest Reserve and provides exclusive informative tours. Visits to the energising waters of Ulu Tampik Waterfall are now opportunities to learn about and interact with nature.
We believe that more community guardians can be similarly enabled to enjoy nature while protecting it for future generations.
Click here to view the short video on Facebook or Instagram.
World Environment Day Event at HinBus Depot
On the 4th of June 2022, The Habitat Foundation was invited to be part of an event organised by Penang Green Council in conjunction with World Environment Day. With the theme ‘Fuyoh’: Once Upon A Time, this bazaar at HinBus Depot aimed to recreate the memories of the 50s lifestyle where plastic does not exist. Local entrepreneurs, artists, performers were brought together to showcase their ideas and examples of sustainable living to the community.
In September 2021, Penang Hill was designated as a UNESCO site under the Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB). As a way to promote the beauty of Penang Hill as a natural site rich in biodiversity, history and culture, and to ensure that it continues to be preserved sustainably, The Habitat Foundation took this opportunity to listen to the voices of the people and to share about the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve.
We set up a simple booth for people to vote on how they have been helping the environment and what they wish Penang to be in the near future. Through this interaction, there was a heightened awareness about Penang Hill as a UNESCO site and its importance for the people and the environment.
Within a short period of time, we had received overwhelming responses from the crowd at our booth, ranging from both young and old. Below are the results of the voting at the end of the day:
| Action in helping the environment | Votes |
| 1. Saving energy | 83 |
| 2. Volunteer with environmental-based organisations | 48 |
| 3. Carpooling/walk/cycling | 87 |
| 4. Making own composts | 55 |
| 5. Recycling | 101 |
| 6. Reusing waste | 54 |
| 7. Planting | 53 |
| 8. Bringing own containers | 100 |
| 9. Using reusable bags | 117 |
It was a fruitful day getting to know the community of Penang and understanding that hope and concern of the people towards the environment. More of such events will continue to take place around Penang as we commit ourselves to work for a greener environment.
SMART-Effective Food Waste Composter Pilot Project for Penang Hill
Continuing the sustainability initiative by the Foundation which started last year, the Effective Food Waste Composter (EFWC) developed by Professor Dr. Che Zalina from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has now been installed at The Habitat Penang Hill, where the machine is monitored by the staff.
Read more: SMART-Effective Food Waste Composter Pilot Project for Penang HillCurrently, the brown waste such as leaves, twigs and coffee ground and the green waste such as egg shells, fruit and vegetable peels are collected from the Penang Hill park, the staff working at The Habitat and some nearby food vendors. Thus far, two batches of composts, rich in nutrients, were produced with the machine.
The process of composting has gone through a few rounds of trials. Our team has provided some feedback to Prof Dr Zalina on the functionality of the prototype and the quality of the composts produced. Meanwhile, the staff are working diligently on obtaining the ideal proportion of the brown and green waste to yield compost, with the ideal humidity and texture, regularly.
Once the process is streamlined, The Habitat aims to expand our waste collection to the residential community around Penang Hill as well as other stakeholders on the hill.
Diversity of Dragonflies and Damselflies on Penang Island
The Habitat Foundation is pleased to support a research on the diversity of dragonflies and damselflies through our 2021 Research Grant. Dragonflies and damselflies are categorized under the order of Odonata and they are one of the least known species of Penang Island. This study aims to document the diversity of Odonata within the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve and to produce an Odonata species list for the Biosphere Reserve.
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HUGS Project in Safeguarding Our Caves in Merapoh
The Habitat Foundation Sustainable Tourism Grants are about supporting community-based tourism because it also strengthens conservation. HUGS Project received a grant in 2021 to organise specialised workshops for local cave guides from the remarkable limestone landscape of Merapoh, Pahang.
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Fuze Ecoteer: Leading Sustainable Tourism in Marine Environments
Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures is a Malaysian registered tour operator with experience in conservation and research. It is recognised as a social enterprise that focuses on marine conservation projects.
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Apply for The Habitat Foundation Masters Scholarship for Research in Bioacoustics
Topic
Application of bioacoustics to document and monitor wildlife diversity on Penang Hill
Insights into the rhythm of life
Bioacoustics is an exciting new research field. The sounds of the Malaysian rainforest – frogs, geckos, birds, bats, squirrels, primates, and insects create a distinctive soundscape. With emerging technology and analytic software we are now able to capture the sounds of nature and gain valuable insights into the natural world. Documenting and monitoring this soundscape also has the potential to provide indicators of species diversity and ecosystem health.
The aim of this research is to document the diversity and abundance of wildlife of Penang Hill using bioacoustics. It will build a reference library of unique sonotypes for the species of the hill. This will provide a baseline and foundation for asking important ecological questions.
The scholarship
The Habitat Foundation is funding a Masters Scholarship for Research in Bioacoustics on Penang Hill which will be offered at the School of Biological Sciences (SBS), USM. The successful candidate will have their university registration and tuition fees covered, and receive a monthly stipend of RM1,000 for 24 months. Equipment and field costs will be provided by The Habitat Foundation.
Who can apply
The scholarship is offered to Malaysian citizens and will be for 2 years. Suitable candidates are encouraged to apply by 30 August 2021. The study is expected to commence in October 2021.
Candidates should
- enjoy the outdoors and have a keen sense of curiosity and interest in conducting fieldwork in the tropical rain forest
- possess a Bachelor’s degree in biology, geography or any other relevant field (CGPA >2.75/4.00)
- have a good command of English and Bahasa Malaysia
- be self-motivated and capable of carrying out independent research
- be a good team player but also able to work under minor supervision
How to apply
Applicants should submit a short statement letter (1 page) explaining their interest in the research accompanied by their (1) Curriculum Vitae, (2) academic transcript, and (3) letter of reference.
Enquiries may be addressed to Dr Nadine Ruppert <n.ruppert@usm.my>. Applications for the scholarship, should be received by email not later than 30 August 2021.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.