Earth Matters

The Malaysian Nature Society's (MNS) Raptor Watch happens on the 10th and 11th of March, and we find out more about the activities in store at Tanjung Tuan this year from Suzanna Shamsuddin, MNS's Public Relations Executive.

Musicians Zack Yusof of Free Deserters and Ray Cheong also speak about their performances at the GREENaid concert, the grand finale of this year's Raptor Watch weekend celebrations.

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Organised by the Malaysian Nature Society, Raptor Watch is a festival to celebrate the return of the migratory birds of prey, better known as raptors, on their journey back to their breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere.

We find out more about this public event meant to raise awareness on the conservation of raptors and their habitats and also about the importance of birdwatching and bird conservation from Rafi Kudus, the Chairman of The Malaysian Nature Society's Bird Conservation Council and Yeap Chin Aik, the Head of Conservation at the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).

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Today, only about 500 Malayan Tigers, which are found only in the Malay Peninsula, are believed to remain.

Wong Pui May, Communications Officer at the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), tells us about the alliance's work in tiger conservation and also about the implementation of the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan (NTCAP) for Malaysia, a roadmap detailing the direction and specific actions required between 2008 and 2015 to secure a future for wild Malayan tiger populations.

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Environmentalist Lim Teck Wyn, who is also the Technical Director at Resource Stewardship Consultants Sdn Bhd (RESCU), has been working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and has evaluated several Malaysian species that are being lost.

Find out also about the significance of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and how it helps in species conservation.

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It's the most abundant resource in the world, and yet recent press reports mentioned four districts in Selangor were facing water shortage issues just before Chinese New Year this year.

Is Selangor facing a water crisis?

Former environmental consultant James Tansen Cherian gives us an in-depth look at the real situation facing the supply, distribution, consumption and management of water in Selangor.

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Permaculture is the match maker, creating passionate love affairs between rain and plants, humans and animals, and ultimately achieving systems that produce enough natural resources to provide for their own maintenance and reproduction. We talk to Giovanni Yahya, the CEO of Murujan Permaculture Design about how sustainable living can save the world.

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Helping us forge a more greener holiday path and Christmas celebration is Andrew Sebastian, Head of Communications with the Malaysian Nature Society.

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Prices of organic vegetables too much for you? Learn how to grow your own from Yahqappu Adaikkalam, a former restauranteur turned farmer, who picked up farming tips from books and the Internet and started a 1.5 acre organic farm in Batu Arang, Selangor.

You can read more about him here: http://yahqappu.blogspot.com/

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Find out why the Coral Triangle is called the underwater equivalent of the Amazon, and why, like the Amazon, the Coral Triangle is under grave threat.

Representatives from the World Wildlife Fund, Gangaram Pursumal, (Manager, Peninsular Malaysia Seas Programme, WWF-Malaysia) and Paolo Mangahas (Communications Manager, Coral Triangle Programme, WWF) also talk about the MyCoralTriangle regional campaign that was launched to encourage individuals to buy virtual property across the Coral Triangle.

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We find out more about the botany of the wild orchids in Peninsula Malaysia, and related issues of conservation and research, from Ong Poh Teck, a research officer with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia's Flora Biodiversity Programme.

He is also the co-author of the book "Wild Orchids of Peninsula Malaysia" which is a comprehensive, richly illustrated book showcasing the biology, ecology, taxonomy, botanical research and conservation of orchids.

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