Dept: 60pc of Sabah is still forested

Despite extensive landscape changes in the past, including the introduction of agriculture to reverse the over-dependence on timber, some 60 per cent of Sabah still remains under forest cover, State Forestry Department Director Datuk Sam Mannan said.

The rate of deforestation between 1970 and 2010 was about 0.5 per cent a year, with its height being between 1990 and 2000 during the oil palm cultivation boom, which unfortunately also saw a direct correlation between the number of Orang Utans being sent to the rehabilitation centre in Sepilok, he said.

"Fortunately, what is most important is the fact that we did not discard the forest reserve system that we inherited. If anything, we expanded it.

"About four million hectares of Sabah remain under forest reserves, parks and wildlife sanctuaries," he said when briefing the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who visited the department's Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok, Saturday.

Mannan said despite "acts of random madness of the past," rainforests have managed to recover, with biological assets largely intact, and no record of any species going extinct so far.

"The closest to extinction is the Sabah Rhino which we are trying to save through captive breeding," he added.

He also said the RDC, launched in 2007, is developed to meet objective of creating awareness on conservation and the environment as well as to promote ecotourism and recreation, education and research and development.

Mannan said the total development cost for the centre has exceeded RM25 million and approximately RM10 million spent under the 10th Malaysia Plan to further develop its facilities.

Source: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=80868

Green Sabah says:  It is vital that all remaining forest areas are protected. In this way, this valuable natural habitat can be managed on a sustainable basis and prevent any species from extinction. 

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Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) Sepilok in Sabah

Rainforest Discovery Centre RDC is located in Sepilok and caters to the environmental education of the Sabah Rainforest. It is also located in the Kabili-Seplok Forest Reserve which is also home to the world famous Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary. The primary function for the RDC is to create public awareness and importance of conserving our rainforest as well as mother natures resources. 

The Rainforest Discovery Center or RDC as it is commonly known was opened to the public in 2006 to create awareness for our tropical forest and rainforest. Proceeds from ticket sales are channeled back into the RDC to fund environmental education for students and other related activities which are becoming popular nowadays.  

The RDC has three main areas for exploration which are the main Visitors Building, Rainforest Discovery Trail and the Canopy Walkway.

Tickets can be purchased at the main Visitors Building entrance. From there, we can explore the interiors of the center where everything and anything about the rainforest, flora and fauna is displayed. Most of the information is related to the surrounding rainforest of Kabili-Sepilok and the greater Sandakan district. 

Rare information can be obtained here for instance one of the exhibits included the unique Pygmy Elephantsof Borneo which are a highly endangered species. These Pygmy Elephants are only found around theKinabatangan River in the Sukau district which is about two hours out from Sandakan. Other subjects of wildlife include various birds of Borneo, Butterflies and Insects and even Crocodiles.

When you explore the exhibition hall in the visitors building, you will notice that there are over 40 posters with information on flora and fauna of Borneo which include taxidermy (stuffed butterflies/insects) , samples of trees, flowers and leaves and even a skeleton head of a Pygmy Elephant in a case. There are quite a number of pictures of birds and flowers as Birders (Bird Watchers) or Flora Lovers would absolute enjoy this place. If you are an orchid lover, you should not miss visiting the RDC.  

Once you exit the visitor center, you will be lead to the Plant Discovery Garden which is part of the Rainforest Discovery Trail. It is here where you will see the natural flora of the Borneo Rainforest. Flowers and plants are carefully located in their own specific areas throughout the walk which made identifying them easy. A tip would be to engage a good nature guide for this as he or she will explain everything along the way to you. The main Rainforest Discovery Trail would easily take you a good one to two hours to complete and this depends on the time and speed of your exploration. 

Apart from the Visitors Building and the Rainforest Discovery Trail, there is the very unique Canopy Walk where the entire structure is made from steel. It is here where Birders (Bird Watchers) come to see the rare and unique birds of Borneo. 

By the way, the Rainforest Discovery Center RDC also offers EE Programs for students and since 1997, about 13,000 students from both local and foreign schools have participated in this Environmental Educational Program. This is something where more local and international schools around the region should participate in.

Source: http://blog.malaysia-asia.my/2010/01/rainforest-discovery-centre-rdc-sepilok.html

Green Sabah says: RDC is a good place for environmental education. Apart from getting information about the rainforest by reading, it is more fun to learn more about it by having your own experience visit to RDC. Besides gaining the knowledge, you can enjoy the nature at the same time. An interesting place to visit, isn't it?

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