SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

NEWSLETTERSABAH WETLANDS CONSERVATION SOCIETYt'saWh p?
uCONTENTS
01

What's Up?

02 In response to the Covid-19 Virus
03Interns

04

Environment corner

We all have a part to play in the fight against COVID-19 andSabah Wetlands Conservation Society is putting people first
while still maintaining its operation. For the health, safety andwell-being of the visitors, employees and communities, Kota
Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar Site is temporarily closed until
further notice.

05 Guests' Moments & Upcoming Events
06

TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF KOTAKINABALU WETLAND RAMSAR
SITE

Info on KK Wetland Ramsar Site's
Membership, Volunteering & Monthly

We encourage everyone to remain indoors and keep safe!
Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you once
again.

Activities

OBJECTIVESA Non-Governmental
Organization working on
Conservation of Wetlands in Sabah
Established on
22 August 2005

To promote the conserva
tion of wetlands in Sabah
and the variety of plants,
birds and other kinds oforganisms found in them.

To raise publicawareness andappreciation of wetlands
and public involvementin protecting wetlands.

© Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society 2020. All rights reserved.

To manage Kota Kinabalu
Wetland (KKW) as a model
wetlands centre for thepurpose of conservation,education, recreation, tourismand research.

19DVICOSWCS NEWSLETTERSEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

STRICTLY ADHERE TO THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
For the health and safety of all, visitors, staffs and interns are required to wear face coverings, bodytemperature checks and observe social distancing when visiting Kota Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar Site.

Body Temperature Checks at the Registration CounterSOP and Mysejahtera barcode

SUPPORTING OUR EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS
In compliance with the guidelines set by the government on the management of COVID-19, Sabah
Wetlands Conservation Society has taken decisive steps to protect the employees by following thesound guidance from the Ministry of Health Malaysia and request the employees to work fromhome since 07 October 2020. For operation that cannot be done remotely, we’re strategicallystaggering / rotating shifts to create space between worker to reduce potential exposure.
While we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and will respond based on the advice ofthe government and public health authorities, we are also taking these critical steps to avoid thespread of COVID-19 virus;

Organised the 1st Virtual AGM on 10 October 2020

Postponing all Environmental Education Programme
until further notice© Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society 2020. All rights reserved.

19DVICOSWCS NEWSLETTER

Repair and Maintenance Works-in progress

Postponement of the 4th ISCMWSEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

All project activities put on hold

The public got the opportunity to explore KKWRS
Virtually . Visit www.sabahwetlands.org

Virtual Meeting / Discussion / Training / Webinar / Programme© Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society 2020. All rights reserved.

serntInSWCS NEWSLETTERSEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

WELCOMING NEW INTERNSHIP STUDENT
Greetings, I am Nadira binti Mudin, taking Bsc (Hons) Tourism Management in UiTM
and currently in my final semester. The reason why I pursue my study in tourism is I
am a nature-loving person besides that I really enjoy travelling. I have been to manyplaces and I find myself connected more with the natural environment, I get an instantcalm! Hence it is obviously why I wanted to do my internship at KK Wetland. Despite ofit’s strategically located at the city centre I thought KK Wetland is a great place toimprove our mental health and well-being, imagine just a exposure to nature coulddeliver human benefits. I hope in this internship allows me to expand and showcase myskills and gain experiences.

In 2019, my friends and I came to KK Wetland to conduct an interview for myUniversity assignment. I still remember the feeling watching all the green scenery and Ilearned a lot about the place, the history and how much they grow since the year 1980s,
I was not even born yet! To have my internship at KK Wetland is the best decision I’ve
made. I simply love it, because I feel so close with the nature and their conservation
effort towards our environment, it is something that I am passionate about which I
believe it is beneficial for all of us. In addition, I am also interested in gardening because
it promotes healthy life and I enjoy the calmness as it helps to recuperate my stress as astudent. Hence, I am very grateful to be given a chance to join the KK Wetland family.
I’m Maizzatul Salwa binti Jamaluddin, a Bsc (Hons) Tourism Management of UiTM,Sabah student shall do my utmost to help and support KK Wetland.
My name is Nursyahidah Binti Abdul Lazimdin and I studied Diploma in English
Communication in Kolej Profesional MARA, Seri Iskandar Perak. I can say that I am very
enthusiastic in learning English especially it can increase my career prospects in thefuture. The ability to communicate with the language itself boosts my confidence. Asidemy love for the language, I love to be surrounded by natural environment. KK Wetland
was unknown to me until one day my dear friend had to introduce this place and I wenthead over heels because I never thought this place existed in my city! I know I made theright decision to do my internship at KK Wetland, it teaches me not just about theenvironment but myself too (p/s: I'm scared of those tiny creatures, insect!). Lastly, I said
to myself If I can take care of my grade for all this while, I believe I can grow my skills
and develop more capability in this internship.
Hi, I am Khaslida binti Abdul Kadir. I’m studying BSc (Hons) Toursim Management
inUiTM, Sabah and currently on my final semester. You might see me as the shy andtimid person but believe me I love outdoors activities because of the adventure and theadrenaline rush! While at home, I like to cook and trying new recipes. As my university
requires all final students to undergo an industrial training, I’ve been looking high andlow on the internet to find the right place for me. Then I stumble upon KK Wetland’s
website, I look through and found that they have many great activities such as
Environmental Education Programme and Voluntary Guardian. I instantly thought thatI wanted to have my internship at KK Wetland and as I browse all the pages on theirwebsite I became more fascinated! Therefore, I would like to give it a shot because I am
sure it will be a great place to gain experience and knowledge. I couldn't be thankful
enough to be part of KK Wetland, I’m going to do my very best here.
Disclaimer: The redactor is not responsible for any errors or omissions from the above write-up. All the write-ups are provided 'as is' by theowner, without any alteration or correction.

© Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society 2020. All rights reserved.

tenmon rvir ornenE CSEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

SWCS NEWSLETTER

IMPACT OF COVID-19 TOWARDS ENVIRONMENT
During this pandemic time, wearing a face mask in public areas has been mandatory from 1
August 2020. The use of the face mask helps to slow down the spread of the Coronavirus.
However, the single-use face mask becomes a new threat to the environment because it
takes about 450 years to decompose and it will remain in the environment for a long time.
Roughly 10 million disposable face masks are used in Malaysia daily and the number
increases when the government mandates its use. Plastic pollution was already one of thegreatest threats to our planet before the Coronavirus and the sudden boom in the daily useof face masks making things much worse.

photo credit:https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/

photo credit:https://twitter.com/howellsrj/status

The face mask tangled on the bird's feetphoto credit:https://www.vicnews.com/

photo credit:https://www.vicnews.com/

The face mask found in the sea

HOW TO STOP YOUR FACE MASK WASTAGE FROM ENDING UP IN OURENVIRONMENT FOR DECADES

1.Dispose of your Face Mask Properly
The face masks have been spotted in our oceans, entangled in our animals and acrossbeaches, parks and the streets. It is important to dispose of your face masks properly orfind an alternative mask covering option to avoid more waste, landfill and littering.
2. Cut the Strings
You can also take this one step further by cutting the strings from your disposable facemasks. This will decrease the risk of animals getting entangled in surgical face masks if
they do end up in our environment.
3. Reusable Face Masks
Make your own face mask or invest in a reusable fabric face mask, it will help you to savemoney in the long run.
references:https://news.llu.edu/
https://www.weforum.org/
https://crowdink.com/editorpick/© Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society 2020. All rights reserved.

P
EE nerrCoSWCS NEWSLETTERSEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

23rd September 2020: Environmental Education Programme With Jesselton International School© Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society 2020. All rights reserved.

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Co Even&SWCS NEWSLETTERSEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

Visitor's Moment

Malaysia

MalaysiaThank you for visiting us at Kota Kinabalu
Wetland Ramsar Site during this global pandemic
issue. Your support is highly appreciated!

Malaysia

S.O.S Save Our Shelter
S.O.S: 'Save Our Shelter' is a campaign to raise funds to build a new 'shelter' (nursery)
for the mangrove seedlings at Kota Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar SiteThe pandemic brought everything to a halt. But there's one area that needs to beperpetually maintained -- 'the nursery'. A proper nursery is important because nurseryraised seedlings develop well-established root systems prior to planting in degradedareas. The estimated total cost to build a proper nursery with a rainwater harvesting
method and solar-powered irrigation system is MYR20,000 (±USD5,000) and only YOU
can help the Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society to fulfill its mission. All you need to
do is to support us by doing a good deed and share this noble cause with family andfriends. It is not the size of the contribution that matters; it is the result of your gifts thatmatter. Donation link on SimplyGiving web site:
https://www.simplygiving.com/event/5819861c-4356-4b0c-a1a2-75d8de923f88?
fbclid=IwAR2eO20rsqMxMfJtE-5Y9Z2zibnMg_vvBlrysZMJV8xzYvF40RFy4bNU3tY

fonI

SWCS NEWSLETTERVOLUNTEER

NEEDED!

01

Volunteering is good foryour heart
Voluntering for KK Wetland
Ramsar Site can be a great
fun! If you have passion for
the environment or just wantto gain more outdoor
experiences, this is theappropriate channel. Do not
miss the chance! Sign up to bea volunteer now or contact us
for more information.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2020

02
Monthly Bird
Monitoring
Join our monthly birding activity on every
15th-17th day of the month

FORMOREINFO

03 membership

REGIST

ERCall us at
088-246955
or drop us an email at
swcs@sabahwetlands.org

Benefits of being our member

As a member, you will be able toparticipate in members' events andenjoy free entry to Kota Kinabalu
Wetlands Ramsar Site
Eligible for 50% discount for binocularsrental*.
Most importantly, you know you arehelping this ecosystem to survive andprovide essential services to it.

How to04

support us by joining our programmes

DONA T I O NJoin the forces with us and help save
our Wetlands by giving donation toSabah Wetlands Conservation Society.
Bank Transfer to;
SWCS Account No:392-050-779-101(HSBC)

1. Environmental Education Programme
i. KK Wetlands Mangrove Experience Programme
ii. Mangrove Conservation Experience Programmeiii. Handcrafting from Mangrove

2. Environmental Voluntary Worki. Nursery Workii. Mangrove Clean-Up

CONTRIBUTORSMohamad Nazri Ali
Rita Ignatius

COMPILER
Mohamad Nazri Ali

REDACTOR
Rita Ignatius© Sabah Wetlands Conservation Society 2020. All rights reserved.