Someone asked me recently where to take the kids to volunteer to plant trees. It teaches forest sustainability as well as learning about plants and our forests at the same time. My kids just went to the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), a trip which was organised by their school, so I was happy to share my experience.
The sign up for the volunteering day had been good, but only half of the registered kids turned up – probably because of the rain on the day we were heading out. Never mind!
Malaysia Nature Society
We went at 8 am to the MNS Urban Community Forest, which is located in Bukit Persekutuan in the heart of KL. Inside their building, we listened to a short educational talk about the importance of our forests and how it is declining, due to deforestation. We should sustain the forests and the MNS has been trying very hard to do so. They need the support of the public in order to keep their hard work going.
Let the fun begin – let’s plant a tree
After the talk we were told we’d go outside. This news got all the kids excited! We were given water bottles, gloves and spades for re-planting. We were advised earlier to wear waterproof or wellington boots.
After we were all geared up, it was time to plant trees. We had to choose two small plants each, to be planted in the forest. We followed the guide who led us to the designated area to plant our plants. Along the trail our guide showed us the different type of plants, flowers and trees in the forest.
There is a small stream in the middle of the trail and the kids were allowed to play here for a while, before we headed back to the base. This was a nice bonus for the kids!
And that was it? Not yet. We were told to put soil in poly bags – as many as we could. Another fun activity for the kids! It became a competition on how many poly bags each kid could fill. It was fun to see how energetic the kids were and how a small effort can make a big contribution to our forest.
Are you and your kids interested to volunteer as well? For more information about volunteering, please visit the website of the Malaysia Nature Society, or call them to make an appointment.
To find out more about taking your kids into Malaysian rain forests read about Belum rainforest or Taman Negara.
