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tropical forests to the society. In conjunction with the International
Year of Forests, 2011, specific programmes and activities were held
which included:
Forest Leadership Camp (30 May-1 June)
Organized in partnershipwith Yayasan AnakWarisan Alam (Children’s
Environmental Heritage Foundation), Forestry Department of
Selangor and the Institute for Development and Environment of
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the Forest Leadership Camp was
aimed at nurturing future forestry leaders by creating awareness of
the importance of forest conservation, SFM and economic utilization
of forest resources among the youth. Using the concept of ‘learning
by doing’, the camp was designed with young people in a leading
role and was supervised by volunteers and facilitators. The three-day
camp was divided into two modules covering topics on forestry and
tree identification, forest and its environmental services, including
climate change. Each of the modules included a combination of learn-
ing activities, training sessions, workshops, projects and experiments.
At a Forest Development and Training Office of the Forestry
Department for the state of Selangor, 53 students ranging from 12-19
years of age received hands-on experience to hone their leadership,
communication, teamwork and management skills while gaining
understanding on the importance of ecological conservation and the
practical considerations of various actions and their impacts on the
environment and society.
MTC Photography Competition (15 July-30 September)
Launched on 15 July 2011 for the duration of six weeks, the
competition attracted over 800 entries from contestants demon-
strating their creativity in four categories: forest
landscape, flora and fauna, wood products and uses
and a special category on composition and form.
Aimed at creating public awareness and instilling
appreciation for the beauty and richness of Malaysia’s
tropical forest resources, the competition also revealed
local talents in photography. The best photographs
from the competition were put on display at the MTC
Photography Gallery at the Malaysian International
Commodities and Conference Showcase from 28-30
October 2011.
Future of forests beyond 2011
SFM as practised through the collaboration of
various parties in Malaysia has demonstrated that
forest conservation and timber industry development
are not and should not be mutually exclusive. In a
complex web of socio-economic interdependence,
it is crucial that SFM and the corresponding timber
industry remain economically viable to ensure that
forested lands do not lose their economic value. The
three pillars of sustainability must be kept in balance
so that forests can be maintained in perpetuity. MTC
will remain steadfast in promoting the development
of the timber industry based on sustainably managed
and renewable sources. It is imperative that these
efforts are supported and not over-burdened with
regulatory requirements and incorrect perceptions
in the market.
Photograph of a forest scene, one of many high-quality entries in the MTC Photography Competition 2011
Image: Chew Chun Hian