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News Log
2009 News
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
Before March 2009
July 2010
Beginning of this month we had an unofficial visit from HRH Sultana Pahang and Son TAT himself. It was a fantastic time of talking about what is going on here with the turtles and communicating what our different roles are in the effort. We where all impressed with the speed in which they grew aware of the situation here and all the ins-outs of the effort. Their active support can make a world of difference and we where very glad to personally learn that we are all on the same page about what needs to be done.
While we can work on the ground here and finance our operations, the Royal Family has at least as important a role to play without being actually on the beach. The majority of issues related to conservation do not actually involve dealing with the turtles themselves, but deal with people, or governmental regulations if the people do not take on the responsibility themselves. This is directed specifically to everybody in the world, and not to any area more specific than that.
Volunteers have continued to come and help us financially and physically. Our first term on site Biologist has left and will be replaced shortly by another to carry on with studies and data collections.
Relations with the community are going well and we are finding new ways to be an active asset to them, Besides the protection of the indigenous wildlife. The local school is still finding value in coming down to practice their English with us on Wednesdays, although Ramadan month starts soon, and due to taking it a bit easy during that time the children will not be required to attend the sessions.
All else is going well. JTP has now become JTP(MALAYSIA) SDN. BHD. , a legally recognized company, with the ability to support a few foreign work permits. Hopefully making the life of a few of our full time volunteers a little easier.
Thanks for the help from all, take care.
June 2010
It has been a busy month, mostly crammed into the last two weeks.
A fantastic student group from St Theresa's Convent came to help out. These girls had amazing attitudes and skills. We got a bunch of work done and they kept up on program lessons. Their trips goals where focused on sustainable systems. We worked on food gardens and small construction projects as well as activities that showed how one persons actions can have an effect on many features around them. The girls kept up real well and had a great time. So did we, but maybe we got tired first! Thanks girls, see you soon we hope.
End of the month we worked with the 2010 Round Square Conference organized by UWCSEA, with a focus on Tioman Turtles. Round Square in comprised of international schools from SEA and Eurasia, that get together annually for activities and talks so they can all get on the same page on an international level. It is a program that we highly condone of and find it to be a great foundation for the students awareness as they prepare to head out into the world. So we give them the best we've got, and they returned it. Here are some pictures specifically from theRound Square Conference 2010.
Alice Smith school from KL also came to help with the turtles at the end of the month. They stayed at Berjaya Tioman Resort and worked at the TAT Teluk Sri Intan hatchery location. It was a big group of older students and they put out some good progressive work for the project. Besides their other Outdoor Education activities they did beach clean-up and site development. Their information signs and maintenance really pulled the location together for visitor experiences to come. Thanks Guys, hope to see you again!
Under guidance of Carolynn D, acting biologist for JTP, we conducted a Tioman Island nesting population count. The study involved weekly round-island trips to count nesting pits at all nesting locations on Tioman. This is the first study on Tioman that has been done and is integral to any progress towards the sanctioning of beaches for the nesting turtles. The study is only for the month of June, next year we will use a broader time frame. Each trip costs about RM300 not including local boat drivers, and takes 2-3 days rain or shine, 5' swells or not, of walking every beach on Tioman and compiling the data. Thanks for your skills and ambition Carolynn.
Thanks also to Prof Chan, from Redang Islands turtle project, for her involvement and useful information. For more information on the Redang Project please visit their web site. Thanks as well to Berjaya Resorts Management for their willing and self motivated helpfulness with work done at the TAT Teluk Sri Intan location.
May 2010
Volunteers where here helping out for most of the month. A couple stuck around longer than their original plan, and a couple also came back after traveling around other areas of Malaysia for a bit. Many people have agreed to the value of staying in one place to get a real impression of an area, as opposed to traveling around for short stays. Even for understanding the whole of Malaysia. We agree, based on the level of involvement that comes with sticking around, getting to know the culture in a personal way, and by actually living in an area not just visiting.
The same concepts work into the conservation project, as someone can see the effects of their work. Ones life becomes not just in the now, but includes a past and an understanding of the future.
Tom has been doing some radio discussions on Kuala Lumpur's BFM 88.9FM. They have been talking about many aspects of Sea Turtle conservation and sustainable life styles. The interviews can be found on their website.
A hatchery has been built in Kampung Mukut. It is under authorization of TAT and will be operated by JTP and Tanjong Adventures, a small resort in Mukut. A beautiful place, we suggest you stay there.
School Programs have continued. Turtle Activity has increased throughout the month. Meetings with TAT and Fisheries, TDA, Marine Park have continued.
We are preparing now for a school group staying here at JTP, also for some work with other groups at the end of next month.
April 2010
April 1st brought the first turtle nesting for the season. Location was here on Mentawak Beach about .5k North of the Project. That nest plus two more since have been left in-situ (in their original location) on Mentawak, protected from lizards by a plastic mesh enclosure dug in just around the nest. Information signs are posted in front of each nest for visitors and so far the procedure seems accepted by the local community.
Three companies have sent some very useful equipment to support our effort here. PRIMUS has sent some necessary red light torches for our beach monitoring. Turtles cannot see red light very well, so these flash-lights have much less potential to bother nesting females, or to disturb new born hatchlings. GSI Outdoors sent us some innovative and high quality camp cookware, which is good because life here is basically like camping, six water-proof equipment boxes that we use for safely transporting electronics and optics to water access only beaches, also they sent some very considerate coffee brewing equipment, always important, including the 'Java Drip' a single serving coffee filter that fits right over a mug and packs away very cleverly under a butane camp-stove cartridge. And the ever faithful KAVU has again supplied us with some new and sometimes experimental clothes, which we have been wearing to our meetings with the Royal Family of Pahang, because the clothes are good looking and because they're new, they are actually still clean! So thank you kind supporters, and every one else please look into their products and remember the effort they are putting forth to help us out here.
The local schools English Day, every Wednesday has continued and has a positive response from the Kampung parents, teachers and students.
Some clearing has been done for a couple chalets on the hill. Also included the cutting of about seven coconut trees, one of which fell on the roof over one of the chalets porch. Fixed now, but was a couple days of setback. Construction of a loft room over the kitchen was completed and will be home for any long-term or permanent staff. New additions also include three chickens and fourteen chicks, plus four new kittens. And one of our cats is missing.
Three other turtles have nested, two on Penut Beach and one on Munjur. Still the numbers are way down from last year. Speculations as to why remain the same as last months log.
Increased coordination with TAT Turtle Sanctuary has led to a much better island wide effort. There are now three hatchery locations on the island set up with local salary-paid egg collectors, and full time hatchery staff. Two more hatcheries (or in-situ protection sites) are in development to be run by location locals and monitored by TAT/ JTP personnel.
This month we had a up to eight volunteers for a few-week period. Two young ladies for their second time out here put together a video that will be available for viewing soon. A dude from dutchland, great guy from Singapore involved in Permaculture groups and a couple others as well. Finally also including a guy from the USA. A volunteer site-Biologist arrived and will be staying for the next four months to head some studies and research.
Biggest news is the effort with TAT, but thanks to all for the help and good times.
March 2010
This month LPC UWC returned for another Project Week trip. They flew in from Hong Kong and stayed for almost a week putting in a lot of hard work to set up a hatchery and to amp up the information area here. Great to have their continued support, and thanks for the fund-raising.
Still no nesting turtles. By this time last year at least six nestings had occured. Potentially this is due to difference in weather, or continuation of drag net fishing has killed them all. We assume they will start to nest soon, but enforcing marine park regulations still needs a boost.
A couple different groups of really great volunteers came through and it is fantastic to watch the group grow and learn to work together smoothly.
Another new development is english lessons being taught out of the project. Head started by Richard from Little Planet OE, afternoon classes are open to anybody, and at the same time the local school has started up english day on Wednesdays and students from years 4, 5 and 6 come down for environmental lessons and conversational english. The kids are bright and fun to work with, and their interest to continue is very motivating.
take care all and thanks for the help.
February 2010
This month has kicked off with Dutch volunteer that will be staying around for over three months. Also there has been some great friends and help on a walk in day to day basis.
No turtle activity as of yet.
Our other full time volunteer staff member has returned at the end of the month and it is great to have his help again.
We are working on some new plans for local involvement and some possible joint effort with a local society interested in scientific research on young hatch-ling turtles
January 2010
Completion of the store room. Heavy weather and few visitors came through this month. Continued maitenance and small renovations in the chalets. Bigger deals happened in the USA with a couple of events for sponsorship and supporters. Getting ready for next month when the volunteers and work will start to pick up.