Scientific expedition workshop to propel Sungai Pin Conservation Area towards IUCN Green List goal
KOTA KINABALU (July 1): The Forest Research Centre (FRC), under the Sabah Forestry Department, successfully co-organized the 'Bengkel Ekspedisi Saintifik Sg. Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA) Siri 2' on June 30 at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok, Sandakan.
The initiative is a public-private collaboration with the Conservation and Biodiversity Unit of the Sawit Kinabalu Group. It stems from a stakeholder engagement proposal following the recent SPnCA expedition held in September 2024.
The workshop aimed to present key findings from the 2024 scientific expedition and ecosystem services assessment, in comparison with the findings five years ago from the first expedition; reflect on social and community insights, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) linked to the conservation area; forge a shared direction towards biodiversity conservation and sustainable landscape management; and to support SPnCA's journey toward IUCN Green List recognition by 2028, a pioneering goal for an oil palm-managed conservation site.
More than 100 participants, including community stakeholders, NGOs and government agencies, joined together to contribute their perspectives and expertise. The Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (Planning & Management), Indra Sunjoto, represented the Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Frederick Kugan, to officiate the event. The Sawit Kinabalu Group was represented by its Chief Sustainability Officer, Nazlan Mohamad.
The programme began with a project overview and featured nine research presentations across three thematic sessions in the morning. This was followed by interactive breakout discussions and a final plenary session to consolidate recommendations for future management, focusing on biodiversity monitoring, threat mitigation, and stakeholder collaboration.
The outcomes of the workshop will support Sawit Kinabalu's commitment to the IUCN Green List and further drive SPnCA's ambition to become the first conservation site in Malaysia led by an oil palm company to meet international protected area standards.
The Sabah Forestry Department remains a dedicated partner, working alongside the Sawit Kinabalu Group to align science, policy, and public engagement in advancing sustainable forest management and conservation leadership in Sabah.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Borneo Post
Sabah Forestry Dept gets grant to save endangered trees
An elegant palm, Adonidia dransfieldii. KOTA KINABALU (July 5): The Sabah Forestry Department has secured a conservation grant totalling £45,000 (approximately RM270,000) over three years (2025–2027) working with Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the world's largest network for plant conservation, headquartered in the United Kingdom. The conservation project, titled 'Conserving Critically Endangered Adonidia dransfieldii and Saurauia sammanniana in Sabah', represents a significant milestone in global recognition of Sabah's commitment to conserving its unique and threatened plant biodiversity. Adonidia dransfieldii and Saurauia sammanniana are both listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Among more than 500 threatened tree species in Sabah, these two have been identified as facing some of the highest risk of extinction, highlighting the urgent need for targeted conservation action to prevent their disappearance from the wild. A rare treelet, Saurauia sammanniana. The technical and financial assistance provided by BGCI for this work is part of BGCI's Tree Conservation Programme, dedicated to saving the world's threatened tree species in their natural habitats, funded by Fondation Franklinia and many other international donor organisations. Malaysia is one of four Southeast Asian countries to receive funding this cycle from Fondation Franklinia (2025 to 2027), under the Global Trees: Action for all tree species – Tree Conservation Action Project. 'Receiving this international grant is not only a proud moment for us, but a testament to the critical importance of Sabah's unique biodiversity. These two endemic species are only found in Sabah and may face serious threats due to habitat loss and lack of in-situ protection. The department has been actively committed to biodiversity conservation efforts, more so, for the rare and threatened species, in line with the Sabah Forest Policy 2018,' said Datuk Frederick Kugan, the Chief Conservator of Forests. Over the next three years, the project will implement a comprehensive conservation strategy based on five core objectives: Identification and mapping of wild populations – Field surveys will be conducted to locate and document remaining wild populations of the two species. Propagation and ex situ conservation – The department aims to achieve at least 65% success in seed and cutting propagation, leading to the establishment of genetically representative ex situ collections in Sabah. In situ population reinforcement – At least 20 individuals of each species will be planted back into their natural habitat to strengthen wild populations. Capacity building and public awareness – Training workshops for conservation staff and education activities for local communities will be held to raise awareness and build local capacity. Development of conservation action plans – Species-specific action and propagation plans will be developed and published for national and global use. Sabah Forestry Department will lead all project activities, with technical mentoring and oversight provided by BGCI. The department is also responsible for reporting progress annually through BGCI's GlobalTree Portal, ensuring transparency and data sharing across the global conservation community. 'This collaboration places Sabah on the global conservation map and reinforces our role as a key guardian of Borneo's endemic flora. It's not just about saving plants. It's about protecting the natural heritage that sustains our ecosystems and communities,' said Alviana Damit, Project Coordinator and Assistant Research Officer at the Forest Research Centre. Kugan would like to thank BGCI and Fondation Franklinia for this opportunity and the department looks forward to working with local stakeholders, communities and international partners in protecting these irreplaceable species for future generations.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Scientific workshop for conservation area in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU : In a significant step towards sustainable conservation, the Forest Research Centre of the Sabah Forestry Department, in partnership with Sawit Kinabalu Group's Conservation and Biodiversity Unit, convened the second scientific expedition workshop for the Sungai Pin Conservation Area (SPnCA). Held at the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sandakan, the gathering perused findings from the expedition to Sungai Pin in September last year. The workshop was also a pioneering public-private initiative to elevate conservation standards in oil palm-managed landscapes. Over 100 stakeholders, including community representatives, NGOs and government agencies, collaboratively addressed key environmental challenges. One of the objectives was to formulate a roadmap for Green List certification under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) by 2028, a first for oil palm-associated conservation areas. The workshop also undertook a comparative analysis of the 2024 scientific findings against baseline data from 2019, revealing measurable ecological trends. It also integrated community perspectives from local stakeholders and conservation-linked NGOs, while developing a unified framework for biodiversity conservation and landscape management. The event was graced by Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (Planning and Management) Indra Sunjoto, representing the department's Chief Conservator Datuk Frederick Kugan, alongside Sawit Kinabalu Group chief sustainability officer Nazlan Mohamad. The day's agenda included nine cutting-edge research presentations across three thematic sessions and interactive workshops generating actionable conservation strategies. Plenary discussions were also held, focusing on biodiversity monitoring protocols, threat reduction measures and multi-stakeholder collaboration models 'This workshop marks a transformative approach to conservation in agricultural landscapes,' said Indra Sunjoto. 'By aligning scientific rigour with community engagement, we're setting new benchmarks for sustainable land management.' The outcomes will support SPnCA's application for IUCN Green List status, making Malaysia's first oil palm company-led conservation area while meeting global standards for a protected area.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Sabah Forestry Dept working with UK conservation group to save two critically endangered trees
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has secured a conservation grant totalling over RM270,000 to conserve two of the top endangered plant species in the state. Through the Sabah Forestry Department, this grant, which runs from now until 2027, would see the department working with one of the world's largest networks for plant conservation - the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), headquartered in the United Kingdom. Datuk Frederick Kugan, the department's chief conservator of forests, said this conservation project was titled 'Conserving Critically Endangered Adonidia dransfieldii and Saurauia sammanniana in Sabah'. 'It represents a significant milestone in global recognition of Sabah's commitment to conserving its unique and threatened plant biodiversity,' he said in a statement. He said the Adonidia dransfieldii and Saurauia sammanniana were both listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Among more than 500 threatened tree species in Sabah, these two have been identified as facing some of the highest risk of extinction, highlighting the urgent need for targeted conservation action to prevent their disappearance from the wild, said Kugan. 'Receiving this international grant is not only a proud moment for us, but a testament to the critical importance of Sabah's unique biodiversity,' he said. He explained that these two endemic species are only found in Sabah and may face serious threats due to habitat loss and lack of in situ protection. The department has been actively committed to biodiversity conservation efforts, more so, for the rare and threatened species, in line with the Sabah Forest Policy 2018,' Kugan said. The technical and financial assistance provided by BGCI for this work is part of BGCI's Tree Conservation Programme, dedicated to saving the world's threatened tree species in their natural habitats, funded by Fondation Franklinia and many other international donor organisations. Malaysia is one of four Southeast Asian countries to receive funding this cycle from Fondation Franklinia (2025 to 2027), under the Global Trees: Action for all tree species - Tree Conservation Action Project. Over the next three years, the project will implement a comprehensive conservation strategy based on five core objectives including identification and mapping of wild population, propagation and ex situ conservation and in situ population reinforcement, Kugan said. There will also be focus on capacity building and public awareness as well as development of conservation action plans, he added. He said field surveys will be conducted to locate and document remaining wild populations of the two species with the department aiming to achieve at least 65% success in seed and cutting propagation, leading to the establishment of genetically representative ex situ collections in Sabah,' he said Adding to this, Kugan said at least 20 individuals of each species will be planted back into their natural habitat to strengthen wild populations. He said training workshops for conservation staff and education activities for local communities will be held to raise awareness and build local capacity while species-specific action and propagation plans will be developed and published for national and global use. He said the Sabah Forestry Department will lead all project activities, with technical mentoring and oversight provided by BGCI. The Department is also responsible for reporting progress annually through BGCI's GlobalTree Portal, ensuring transparency and data sharing across the global conservation community. Project Coordinator and Assistant Research Officer at the Forest Research Centre, Alviana Damit said this collaboration places Sabah on the global conservation map and reinforces their role as a key guardian of Borneo's endemic flora. 'It's not just about saving plants. It's about protecting the natural heritage that sustains our ecosystems and communities,' she said. Earlier, Kugan thanked the BGCI and Fondation Franklinia for this opportunity and looked forward to working with local stakeholders, communities, and international partners in protecting these irreplaceable species for future generations.
