PENCINTA ALAM - Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
PENCINTA ALAM - Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) PENCINTA ALAM - Malaysian Nature Society (MNS)
kept us company.At certain slopes, I closed my eyes and heldon for dear life for the space of the ledge beneath myfeet was enough for only one foot. So I had to tip toeand balance myself precariously on the edges of hugeboulders. Mud was everywhere as we slid downslippery slopes and struggled over huge, fallen trees.Someone yelled in pain as she fell on her arm. Astorm of wild bees stung one man who suffered fromfever and swollen legs. All aches vanished as wecaught sight of the brilliant mossy forest resemblinga fairyland in a story book. Reward was waiting asthe sunrise at the summit was a magnificent sight tobehold. It takes your breath away and one can onlygape at the myriad of colours in vibrancy. The brilliantblue, streaked with the gold and yellow of thesunshine in contrast with the dark grayish clouds,resembled an artist’s masterpiece. The climb up thesummit is not just conquering the mountain. Thetreasure of flora and fauna is a lesson in nature- a lessonthat is well worth the physical effort. When wefinally descended to the base, our tour guide waslaughing at my gait. “Look! She is walking like acrab!” I grinned as cameras started clicking. Myknees had begun to ache even though I carried abamboo stick all the way. We thought about the narrowridges and crests that sent the adrenaline pumping.Everyone was in a state of exaltation and thiswas heightened with a splendid dinner with a liberaldose of whisky to commemorate our success. “Willyou climb again?” asked my friends who did notclimb up. The radiant smile on my face answeredtheir question. The cool, crisp air, the invitingscenery, the rolling hills and the picturesque landscapeare simply irresistible.- Peggy Tan, Penang MNSNotice of Selangor Branch AGMDate: Saturday, 25 July 2009Time: 3.00pmLocation: Rimba Ilmu Auditorium, UniversityMalayaThe Annual General Meeting of MNS SelangorBranch will be held. The agenda is as follows: -* Table & adopt the minutes from the last AGMi.e. 2008* Discuss any matters arising* Present & receive the Chairman 's report on thelast year's activities, and from the co-ordinatorsof each of the Special Interest Groups.* Table & adopt the accounts for the year 31 May2009* Elect the next branch committee & auditors forthe coming year.* Other matters: -Announce the Annual Branch AwardsOther matters can be raised but noticeshould be given to the Secretary in writing (includingemails). Please include your name, membershipnumber & contact number. Confirmationwill be sent once your message is received.For those who would like a copy of theminutes prior to the AGM or the map, please contactthe Secretary at pat_ganll@hotmail.com (Mobile012-207 4840)Light refreshments will be served after themeeting. The activities lined up as below: -2.00pm: Talk & slide show by YasaminIbrahim & Lim Tze Tshen on“Latest Fossil Finds in Selangor”3.00pm: Branch AGMWant to help develop the MNS Selangorbranch, interested in helping organise events, gotnew ideas for branch activities - WE NEED YOU!MNS Selangor Branch would like to invitemembers whom are interested to serve on theCommittee.Requirements: -1. PASSIONATE about GREEN issues2. Channel your TIME & ENERGY with likemindedindividuals for branch CONSERVATIONefforts3. Contribute EFFORT to turning green ideasinto realityInterested? Now is the time to stand up &make yourself known to us. Please submit the2009 Branch nomination form that can be foundon www.mns.org.my by 10 July 2009.6
Interview with Council MemberAngela Hijjas sharesher MNS momentsQ1: You accepted the position of Chairperson,Membership Advisory Committee in 2004 andhave led membership initiatives for a period of 5years. What was the motivating factor to take onthis role on a voluntary basis?Having chaired Selangor Branch for sometime, I had been involved with membership andshare the passion to strengthen MNS by increasingour numbers. For a country with mega biodiversity,Malaysia's record of appreciation is slim and we allknow that concern translates into action more readilythan if people are ignorant. So the possibilitiesfor conservation are huge if you can engage and recruitmore people, but also people can benefit interms of the quality of their individual lives by beingmembers of MNS. We talk a lot about the benefits ofbeing with "like minded people" to the extent that wegloss over the real value that this infers: living underthe pressures of a competitive urban society, we needto have other interests that sustain us, and interestingactivities to make life that much richer. I believeMNS Branches do all of this, but they need the supportof a sustained programme from the secretariatto recruit more people as members and volunteers.Personally I have benefitted hugely be being a memberof MNS and then by taking up small voluntaryduties leading to bigger things: I have learned somuch about nature, and how an NGO like MNS hasto operate to achieve its goals. By being part of thatmy life has been greatly enriched.Angela Hijjas at the launch of the Belum Temengor SignatureCampaignQ2: You submitted a resignation letter in 2009and subsequently relinquished all official positionsin MNS including the Chairperson of MembershipAdvisory Committee. Are you able toshare with us the reasons leading to this?My timing was bad, that I freely admit, as Ishould not have stood in the last election, but at thattime I didn't know what was going to happen in ourown business. In 2008, Hijjas and I tendered for agroup of houses in Georgetown, Penang, and to oursurprise we won the bid. That then required a hugeeffort to begin a new venture there, restoring thebuildings and converting them into a hotel. We hopeto open in a year but it is a full time job for me thatrequires a lot of travel sourcing materials and actuallybeing there to supervise and make decisions. Istill run our artists' residency programme as well, andwith family commitments too it was an obvious decisionthat had to be made. I do think, however, thatthere should be a turnover of Council members, andthat ten years is enough for anyone; after that a breakof at least one term should ensue, and then one couldbe eligible again. This would ensure that there isnew blood coming in with each new Council. Webrought new people into the current Council, andthey are indeed taking new approaches.Q3: With the Branch AGMs approaching in July09 and MNS is seeking interested members tohold voluntary positions within the branch committee,would you like to share positive experiencesof holding various positions within MNS?For me, MNS offered a life changing opportunityto get involved. Like many, I share the hugeconcerns about environmental degradation and thelack of action on the part of government. Workingwith an NGO like MNS gives an opportunity tomake a difference, rather than moaning and feelingineffective. There are many positive things that wecan all do to bring change, but it is hard to do it alone.Once again the possibility of working with "likeminded" friends makes doing something that mucheasier. Whether you volunteer to help at a jumblesale, or take people on nature related events, or participatein any of the events organized by others, youcontinues next pageAngela Hijjas taking questions from the public during thescreening of Temengor: Biodiversity in Crisis7
- Page 1 and 2: PENCINTA ALAMNEWSLETTER OF THE MALA
- Page 3 and 4: Hornbill Volunteer ProgrammeIntervi
- Page 5: Eco KidsEnergy & ClimateChange Quiz
- Page 9 and 10: Member’s ReportThe ABC’sOf Bird
- Page 11 and 12: Calendar of ActivitiesJuly11Don’t
- Page 13 and 14: August9Sun Visit to Aenon Health Fa
- Page 15 and 16: MNS HQJKR 541, Jalan Kelantan,Bukit
kept us company.At certain slopes, I closed my eyes and heldon for dear life for the space of the ledge beneath myfeet was enough for only one foot. So I had to tip toeand balance myself precariously on the edges of hugeboulders. Mud was everywhere as we slid downslippery slopes and struggled over huge, fallen trees.Someone yelled in pain as she fell on her arm. Astorm of wild bees stung one man who suffered fromfever and swollen legs. All aches vanished as wecaught sight of the brilliant mossy forest resemblinga fairyland in a story book. Reward was waiting asthe sunrise at the summit was a magnificent sight tobehold. It takes your breath away and one can onlygape at the myriad of colours in vibrancy. The brilliantblue, streaked with the gold and yellow of thesunshine in contrast with the dark grayish clouds,resembled an artist’s masterpiece. The climb up thesummit is not just conquering the mountain. Thetreasure of flora and fauna is a lesson in nature- a lessonthat is well worth the physical effort. When wefinally descended to the base, our tour guide waslaughing at my gait. “Look! She is walking like acrab!” I grinned as cameras started clicking. Myknees had begun to ache even though I carried abamboo stick all the way. We thought about the narrowridges and crests that sent the adrenaline pumping.Everyone was in a state of exaltation and thiswas heightened with a splendid dinner with a liberaldose of whisky to commemorate our success. “Willyou climb again?” asked my friends who did notclimb up. The radiant smile on my face answeredtheir question. The cool, crisp air, the invitingscenery, the rolling hills and the picturesque landscapeare simply irresistible.- Peggy Tan, Penang <strong>MNS</strong>Notice of Selangor Branch AGMDate: Saturday, 25 July 2009Time: 3.00pmLocation: Rimba Ilmu Auditorium, UniversityMalayaThe Annual General Meeting of <strong>MNS</strong> SelangorBranch will be held. The agenda is as follows: -* Table & adopt the minutes from the last AGMi.e. 2008* Discuss any matters arising* Present & receive the Chairman 's report on thelast year's activities, and from the co-ordinatorsof each of the Special Interest Groups.* Table & adopt the accounts for the year 31 May2009* Elect the next branch committee & auditors forthe coming year.* Other matters: -Announce the Annual Branch AwardsOther matters can be raised but noticeshould be given to the Secretary in writing (includingemails). Please include your name, membershipnumber & contact number. Confirmationwill be sent once your message is received.For those who would like a copy of theminutes prior to the AGM or the map, please contactthe Secretary at pat_ganll@hotmail.com (Mobile012-207 4840)Light refreshments will be served after themeeting. The activities lined up as below: -2.00pm: Talk & slide show by YasaminIbrahim & Lim Tze Tshen on“Latest Fossil Finds in Selangor”3.00pm: Branch AGMWant to help develop the <strong>MNS</strong> Selangorbranch, interested in helping organise events, gotnew ideas for branch activities - WE NEED YOU!<strong>MNS</strong> Selangor Branch would like to invitemembers whom are interested to serve on theCommittee.Requirements: -1. PASSIONATE about GREEN issues2. Channel your TIME & ENERGY with likemindedindividuals for branch CONSERVATIONefforts3. Contribute EFFORT to turning green ideasinto realityInterested? Now is the time to stand up &make yourself known to us. Please submit the2009 Branch nomination form that can be foundon www.mns.org.my by 10 July 2009.6
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