Project Detail

Local Community-based Ecotourism and Conservation Training among the Indigenous Semai of Ulu Geroh, Gopeng, Perak

This capacity-building pilot project aims to introduce conservation training among the indigenous Semai community in Ulu Geroh, Perak to conserve and sustainably manage the threatened Rafflesia plant and the Rajah Brooke birdwing butterfly. This will be done by providing the Semai with training on nature guiding, sustainable Rajah Brooke birdwing butterfly farming, and creating a conservation area to protect the Rafflesia and Rajah Brooke. Alternative sustainable livelihoods will be introduced to the Semai and linked back to their management of the conservation area.

Loading map...

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Malaysian Nature Society

Country:

Malaysia

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 2

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 16,285.41

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 2,652.51

Project Number:

MAL/01/17

Start Date:

1/2002

End Date:

4/2005

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Photo Gallery

View photo gallery

Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

All project-related activities and consultations will involve the men and women of the indigenous Semai community at Ulu Geroh.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

The indigenous Semai community will be encouraged to adopt sustainable livelihoods such as nature guiding, sustainable Rajah Brooke birdwing butterfly farming, and intercropping of medicinal plants, etc. The elder Semai will also be involved in transferring their skills and knowledge on handicraft production to the other and younger Semai who are interested in pursuing this as a sustainable livelihood.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

The local indigenous Semai community will be involved in the planning, design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the project. the Semai, once provided with conservation training under the project, will become stewards and caretakers for the Rafflesia and Rajah Brooke conservation area.

Notable Community Participation

The local indigenous Semai community is a major stakeholder in the project. They will be involved in trail marking and trail-blazing to Cameron Highlands, identification of Rafflesia and Rajah Brooke sites, among other activities.

Capacity - Building Component

Various training courses will be conducted for the indigenous Semai community on nature guiding, handicraft production, sustanable butterfly harvesting, and intercropping of medicinal plants among the existing Semai fruit orchards. In addition, in the final phase of the project, a local cooperative or organisation will be set up to represent the interests of the Semai of Ulu Geroh and assist them in coordinating their activities.

Project Results

Some of the main activities and outputs of the project were:

- Setting up of a local community group called SEMAI with 12-core member of equal gender. The organization structure was set up with the TOR and roles given out to he committee members.
- There was also a series of training on development, empowerment, and nature guiding and nature activities. There were also site study visits for cross cultural exchanges and improvement in presentation skills, to other community groups and other exposure visit.
- Production of outreach materials for example brochures on the Rafflesia and Rajah Brooke?s bird wing butterfly and the Semai themselves Raised awareness of the Semai community towards conservation of the Rafflesia and the Rajah Brooke and their natural resources. Local harvesting of Rafflesia has stopped and butterfly catching has been decreasing.
- Eco tourism package which included fees, nature guiding, rafflesia and butterfly watching, swimming and picnicking in the waterfalls, nature activities, story telling and traditional dances plus local food and contact numbers.
- Locating and monitoring of rafflesia and butterfly sites, which has 6 main trails. The members are monitoring the sites regularly for blooming times and also for problems such as damage to buds.
- Trail maintenance and signage to the rafflesia , waterfall and butterfly sites. Members regularly maintain the treks. Other far sites are kept out of bounds to visitors.
- Setting up of a visitor?s interpretative center. Basic renovation was done on the ground floor of an abandoned government building. Which was used as a nursery. This is also the activities center for visitors and meeting place of SEMAI. The only problem being the lack of electricity for the nights.
- Workshop by another orang asli group, which aims to instill their ethnic pride towards themselves, their native culture and tradition within the national and global context.
- Setting up of community funds from the visitor?s fees and sale of souvenirs, which is supplementing the local Semai community earning daily wages and the unemployed.

+ View more

Back to search results

Countries

Regions

Project Snapshot

Photo Gallery

SGP Country office contact

Address

Country Website