670 trees planted under 1 Pair for 1 Love project
This tree-planting ceremony is part of the 10th year of reforestation programme supported by Dunlop Home Products.
Tina Kim Sem
KUCHING: The 1 Pair for 1 Love Tree Planting Project of Dunlop Home Products Ltd saw the planting of 670 engkabang jantung (shorea macrophylla) seedlings at Sampadi Forest Reserve yesterday.
The project is funded by part sales of Dunlop’s rubber gloves where each pair sold contributes to the project, hence the name 1 Pair for 1 Love. It is participated by 12 Japanese volunteers from Nihon University, Japan; 11 from Unimas, and 30 local villagers, and co-hosted by Japan-Malaysia Association (JMA), Forest Department and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), and supported by Dunlop Home Products Ltd, Japan.
“This tree-planting ceremony is part of the 10th year of reforestation programme supported by Dunlop Home Products.
“The programme serves many roles, rehabilitation and restoration of degraded forest and sustaining tropical forest for future generation,” said a representative from the Forest Department, Tina Kim Sem, at the launching ceremony.
She said the engakabang jantung species is a medium-large tree species, fastest growing until 50-meter tall, and four meters girth.
The tree planting is being held until Friday (Aug 30).
Meanwhile, Nihon University exchange students led by Prof Tomioka Takeaki said the event is a good exposure and experience for the university’s students.
This year is the first time the university held a students exchange programme, he said.
According to JMA executive director Takuji Arai, JMA was established as an affiliated organisation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan in 1957, and is authorised as a public-interest corporation by Japan Cabinet Office in 2012.
Since 1995, JMA has been conducting tree-planting activities for reforestation purpose through the Friendship Forest Project in Sarawak with the support of the Forest Department, Unimas and local communities: Serian District: Balai Ringin Forest Reserve (since 1995), Gunung Apeng National Park (since 2005) and Sabal National Park (since 2013); at Sampadi Forest Reserve in Lundu (since 2010), Bakam Forest Reserve in Miri (since 2011); and Kuching Wetland National Park (since 2017).
As of July this year, about 520,000 seedlings have been planted in 1,400 hectares.
“The main goal of our project in Sarawak is to assist the state in regenerating tropical rainforest by restoring the degraded forest ecosystem by planting only local indigenous species. This is not for economic returns.
“Recently, two of our project areas were given the ‘Totally Protected Area’ status by the Sarawak government, namely the Gunung Apeng National Park and Sabal National Park. For Gunung Apeng,
“It is the only national park in Sarawak where most of the forest area has been regenerated through reforestation activities by volunteers.
“JMA has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Forest Landscape Restoration Programme with the Sarawak government in June.
“It is hoped that through this programme, it will value-add the human capital building that values the importance of greening our environment, and at the same time, can contribute to promoting sustainable reforestation activities in Sarawak as an exemplary effort for the future,” Takuji said.
Unimas researcher Mugunthan Perumal and JMA Sarawak coordinator Kazue Sakai were also present at the event.