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STRAITS TIMES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2O1O NAIION @ 2'

Coral roadshow a hit with pupilsI By foniston Bangkual

jon@nst.com.my

SEMPORNA A unique road-show to educate childrenabout coral reefs and marinelife conservation has benefitedthousands of primary schoolpupils here.

Dubbed "Semporna CoralSeas Roadshow" and carriedout under the Semporna Is-lands Darwin Project (SIDP),the programme began on Jan18 and concludes today.

The roadshow, which al-lowed children to Iearn newthings they never knew aboutSabah's amazing marine life,visited 25 primary schools lo-cated within the Tun SakaranMarine Park.

It also rnvolved dialogueswith teachers to see how bestto set up permanent links withschools and discuss ideas forthe establishment of "CoralReefClubs" in local schools.

The roadshow was mod-elled after the Marine Con-servation Societyrs MCS)I'Coral Seas Roadshows",which have been runningsince 2006 and have reachedmore then 100,000 childreninthe Uniled Kingdom.

The MCS. a UK-based non-governmental organisation, iscurrently working with SabahParks on the SIDP which isaimed-at raising awareness ofthe Tun Sakaran MarinePark.

The SIDP is an ongoing pro-graurme run by MCS andSabah Parks and funded bvthe Darwin Initiative, a UKgrant scheme that helps coun-tries look after their biodi-versity.

The objective of the SIDP isto protect the outsl.anding nat-ural features and biodiversityof the Tun Sakaran MarinePark while promoting sustain -able use of natural resources,economic development andtraditional culture.

The Tim Sakaran MarinePark was gazetted in July2004 and is Sabah's largestmarine park, covering 340 sqkm ofsea and coral reefs, 10s(tr km of land and eight is-lands.

"The roadshow is a fantastic

initiative to engage the chil-dren in a fun and informativeway whilst raising awarenessof the importance of marinewildlife found in Sabah andthe world's ocean," saidAbdulRaof Muhammad Nor, theheadmaster of SK Gelam-Gelam, one of the schools vis-ited by the roadshow.

He also said that the road-show activities greatly addedto the student's knowledge insubjects such as Science andMoral Studies.

TLn Sakaran Marine Park

manager Fazrullah RizallyAbdr.rl Razak said the road-show was an excellent wav tointroduce to the children someof the threals l,o the environ-ment such as littering, over-fishing, fish bombing and tur-fle egg collecting.

Concurring with Fazrullah,SIDP Community Officer Norida Salimeu believed that theroadshowhas help change theattitudes of the children andmake them really appreciatethe marine environment intheir backvard.

Semporna lslands-Danvin Proiect community officer Norida Salimeu (with microphone) andMarine Conservation Society's Andy Starbufk (with cap) in an interactive presentation withpupils of 5K Gelam-Gelam on Bum Bum island in Semforna.

- Picture courtesy of Semporna

lslands Darwin Project

f j

Roadshow bringstthe sea'into

Sabah schoolsSEMPORNA: Thousands of pupils here arebenefiting from the Semporna Coral SeasRoadshow, learning things they never knewabout Sabah's amazing marine life.

The "Semporna Coral Seas Roadshow"has been adapted and developed from theMarine Conservation Society's (MCS) "CoolSeas Roadshow", which has been funningsince 2006 and has reached over 100.000children in the UK.

n{CS is currently working with SabahParks on the Semporna Islands DarwinProject (SIDP)2, which is raising awarenessabout thq Tirn Sakaran Marine Park3, nearto Semporna.

Abdul Raof Bin Muhammad Nor, HeadTeacher at SK. Gelam-Gelam in Pulau Bum-Bum, Semporna2 was full of praise for theRoadshow.

"This is a fantastic ini t iat ive and isengaging the children in a fun and informa-tive way whiist raising awareness about theimportance of the wonderful marine wildlifefound in Sabah and the world's oceans. TheRoadshow activi t ies greatly add to the stu- 'dents' knowledge in subjects such asScience and Moral Studies".

Life-size modeis of marine creatures andinteractive activi t ies are making the'Semporna Coral Seas Roadshow' ful l ofinterest for local chi ldren. Fazrul lahRizal ly Abdul Razak, Manager of TunSakaran Marine Park said'Sabah Parks isglad to be part of this ini t iat ive. TheRoadsholv is helping children learn aboutcoral reefs and their local Marine Park asr'uell as introducing them to some of thethreats to the environment sudh as litter,over-fishing, fish-bombing and turtle eggcollect ing'.

The Roadshow Team from Sabah Parksand the Semporna Islands Darwin Project,are also initiating dialogue with teachers tosee how best to set up permanent links withschools and discuss ideas for the establ ish-.ment of 'Coral Reef Clubs' in local schools.

The roadshow is running for three weeksand visiting 25 primary schools as well ascommunities in the T\rn Sakaran MarinePark and making a special presentation forthe public at the Semporna Library.Audiences. are 'entertained and informed

with a DVD showing and an interactive pre-sentation by Andy Starbuck who hasbrought his life-size models of sharks. tur-tles and a dolphin all the way from the UK.

The children then break into smallergroups and enjoy supervised aetivities suchas "Build Your Own Reef', jigsaw puzzles,sticker books and a colouring competition,around the themes of marine life and con-servation.

Norida Saiimeu, Community Officer forthe Semporna Islands Darwin Project underSabah Parks, said:

"Children love the models and the activi-ties and its making them think differentlyabout the sea and its marine life - we v'antto change attitudes and make the youngergeneration really appreciate the incrediblemarine environment in their backyard".

The current roadshow is running fromNlonday 18th January - Frida;. bthFebruary 2010. I t is hoped that i t wi l l bepossible to repeat this travelling roadshowlater in the year so that more children canbenefi t .

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS)is a lJK-based non-governmental organisa-t ion (NGO). I ts mission is to protect themarine and coastal environrnent for wildlifeand future generations.

For more informationwww.mcsuR,.org

vis i t :

The "Semporna Islands Darwin Project,l(SIDP) is an ongoing programme being runby the Marine Conservation Societv andSabah Parks and funded by the DarwinInitiative - a UK grant scheme that helpscountries look after their biodiversity. Theaim of SIDP is to protect the outstandingnatural features and biodiversity of the TunSakaran Marine Park while promoting sus-tainable use of natural resources, economicdevelopment and traditional culture.

For more inforrnation visit: ruuru.sernDor-naisla nd sproject.com

The T\rn Sakaran Marine Park, under themanagement of Sabah Parks, was gazettedin July 2004 and is Sabah's largest 'marinepark, covering 340krn'ofsea and coral reefs.10km' of land and 8 islands.

For more information visi t : . .www.sabah-parks.org.my

YOUR.-LOCAL VOICE

THURSDAY4TH FEBRUARY 2010 7

Students getting to know the types of marine creatures in our waters.

Top and below: Students involved in activities.

^-v-n nrdm l l /nn^ oPq- ' / t ut 'hr I 16

'NewSqboh iimes

I Wednesdoy Februqrtr 3, 2Ol O

Semporna coral sea'road showan eye opener for many

SEMPORNA: Thousands ofprimary school children in theSemporna aiea are benefitingfrom a unique Sempoma CoralSeas Roadshow which pro-.duced many learning thingsthey never klew- abo-utSabah's amazins. marine life.

The 'semporia Coral Seasroadshow' has been adapted anddeveloped from the MarineConservation Societyls 1N495;'Cool Seas Roadshow'. whichhas been running since 2006 andhas reached over 100,000 chil-dren in the UK. MCS is workinswith Sabah Parks on the SemIpoma Islands Darwin hoiect(SIDP). which is raising aware-ness about the Tun Sakaran Ma-rine Park near Sempoma.

AadulRaof Bin MuhammadNor, Head Teacher at SK.Gelam-Gelam in ' PulauBum-Bum, Semporna, was fullof praise for the Roadshow."This is a fantastic initiativeand is engaging the children ina fun and informative wavwhilst raising awareness aboutthe importance of the won-derful marine wildlife found inSabah and the world's oceans.The Roadshow activities' great-ly add to the students' knowl-edge in subjectssueh as Scienceand Moral Srudies." he said.

Life-size models of marinecreatures and interactive ac-tivities. are making the 'Sem-porna Coral Seas Roadshow'full of interest for local chil-dren. Fazrullah Rizallv AbdulRazak,. Manager <if TunSakaian Marihe Park said''Sa!a! lar-ks is glad to be parr

show is helping children learnabout coral reefs and their localMarine Park as well as in-troducing them to some of thethreats to the environment suchas litter, over-fishing, fishbombing and turtle egg col-lectins'.

Th; Ro;dshow Team fromSabah Parks and the SempornaIslands Darwin Project, are al-so initiating dialogues withteachers to see how best to setup perrnanenr l inks withschools and discuss ideas forthe establishment of 'CoralReefClubs' in local schools.

The :Semporna Coral. SeasRoadshow' is runnins for threeweeks and is visi t in-g 25 pn-mary schools as well as com-munities in the Tun SakaranMarine Park and making a spe-cial presentation for the publicat the Sempoma Library. Au-diences are entertained and in-formed with a DVD show andan interactive presentation byAndy Starbuck who broughthis life-size models of sharks,turtles and a dolphin all the wayfrom UK.

The children then break intosmaller groups and enjoy su-pervised activities such as'Build Your Own Reef' jigsawpuzzles, sticker books and acololring competition aroundthe themes of marine life andconservation. Norida Salimeu,Community Of ice for theSemporna Islands Darwin Pro-ject under Sabah Parks, speaksfor the whole Roadshow Teamwhen she says "children lovethe models and the activitiesand its making them think dif-

ferently about the sea and itstheir marine life - we want tochange attitudes and make theyounger general.ion really ap-preciate the incredible marineenvironment in their back-yard".

The Roadshow is running fromJanuary 18 - February 5,2Ol0.Ithopgq to _repeat this favellingroadshow later in the year so thatrnore children can benefit.

The- Marine ConservationSociety (MCS) is a UK-basednon-gdvemmental organisation(NGO). Its mission is to protectthe marine and coastal envi-ronmer*,for wildlife and futwegenerations. For more infor-mation visit: www.mcsuk.ors

The 'semporna lslands Dir-win Project' (SIDP) is an on-going programme being run bythe Marine Conservation So-ciety and Sabah Parks andfunded by the Darwin Initiative- a UK grant scheme that helpscountries look after their bio-diversity The aim of SIDP is toprotect the outstanding naturalleatures and biodiversitv of theTun Sakaran Marind parkwhile promoting sustainableuse of nafural resources. eco-'nomic development and tra-dit ional culture. For more in-formation visit: www.sempor-naislandsproject.com

The Tun Sakaran MarinePark, under the management ofSabah Parks, was gazetted inJuly 2004 and is Sabah'sIargest m-arine park, covering340km of sea and coral reefs,10km ofland and'eight islaqds.For more information visit:www. sabahparks.org.myof this initiative. The Road-