BOH Plantations ‘Caring for Our Forest' Workshop

Happy World Habitat Day! Recently, I had a wonderful time reconnect with nature at the ‘Caring For Our Forest’ Workshop organized by BOH Plantations and the Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Center (TRCRC) at the Elmina Rainforest Knowledge Centre.

BOH Plantations ‘Caring for Our Forest' Workshop 

It was an insightful half-day workshop where I had the opportunity to learn about TRCRC’s core conservation work of safeguarding and nurturing native trees and how restoring degraded landscapes with native species is key to addressing the critical rate of biodiversity loss in Malaysia.  

Also learnt that the Merbau is one of the tallest trees in the tropical region and now officially Malaysia’s national tree.

‘Caring for Our Forest' Workshop organized by BOH Plantations and the Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Center (TRCRC) at the Elmina Rainforest Knowledge Centre

There were about 50 participants in this workshop. We were also given a guided tour of the Elmina Living Collection Nursery. 

This is where seeds from endangered, rare and threatened plants are collected, germinated and planted on TRCRC’s established sites to produce seeds and planting material for forest restoration projects.

After that I had first-hand experience in soil mixing and filling up polybags and transplanting seedlings into polybags. 

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At Elmina, TRCRC is dedicated to enhancing urban biodiversity through various initiatives. They focus on restoring degraded landscapes as well as areas near river banks in the Selangor and Kuala Lumpur regions. Their efforts aim to promote ecological resilience and functioning habitats for local wildlife.

Intan Syafiqah Mohd Hamezan, Project Executive of TRCRC

“TRCRC focuses on enhancing urban biodiversity by rewilding degraded lands in key urban areas identified through thorough site studies. Our approach emphasizes the principle of ‘right species at the right places’ to ensure successful planting and restoration,” said Intan Syafiqah Mohd Hamezan, Project Executive of TRCRC.

Chen Chaw Chang, Chief Commercial Officer of BOH Plantations

Speaking at the event, Chen Chaw Chang, Chief Commercial Officer of BOH Plantations, said “ This joint effort by BOH and TRCRC is an extension of on-going initiatives to further enhance urban biodiversity and support sustainability efforts. The aim is to brew a better tomorrow for Mother Earth. These efforts reflect BOH’s brand direction where we are guided to be future thinking, mindful to nurture sustainabiliTEA and the connection with and between our communiTEA and always, Brewing for Tomorrow.

“Through the BOH Wish Tree initiative at BOH’s recent 95th anniversary celebration, we donated RM 20,000 to TRCRC to fund the collection of 500 new seedlings to be nurtured for future tree planting exercises to enhance urban biodiversity,” he added.  

Overall this was a great initiative and experience for me to learnt about forest restoration and sustainability. I had the opportunity to sow the seeds of hope for a better tomorrow by doing my part to preserve Malaysia’s national treasure - our tropical forests.

For more information about BOH Plantations ‘Caring for Our Forest' Workshop, please visit BOH Tea Malaysia Website, Facebook, and Instagram