Funding for Conservation through Education in Marine Protected Areas
Full Solution
kcc1
no
Rimba Conservation Crew's primary goal is to educate and inspire our staff, locals and guests who stay at Rimba Resort, Pulau Sibu on the importance of marine conservation.
Our turtle hatchery provides an income for locals who sell turtle eggs to RCC instead of to the markets for human consumption. Funding for this comes from nest sponsorship by our guests.
To raise further funds for our conservation efforts we introduced Kids Conservation Club (KCC) - an educational service aimed at creating awareness about the environment for ages 3 - 12. Each 2 hour session is RM50 (USD$12) per child and we offer a variety of programmes including Turtle Talks, Snorkel Science, Fish ID and beach clean-ups. The revenue generated has allowed us to fund building materials, upgrade equipment and support further RCC projects both on the resort and for our local village.
I strongly believe this is an initiative which can be used by other organisations to provide conservation education and funding.
Last update: 28 Mar 2019
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Context
Challenges addressed
Our solution addresses various challenges that we face in the area. One of these is the declining turtle populations in Malaysia. By providing an income for local egg collectors we are preventing the sale of turtle eggs at market whilst demonstrating how conservation tourism has a long term economic benefits for the island and its population. Many of our staff team at Rimba live in our local village, Kampong Duku, and we have seen the effects of our conservation efforts on the team. From simple acts such as using ashtrays on the boat rather than throwing them in the sea, to attending conservation meetings, taking part in surveys around the area in seagrass monitoring - the effects have been truly heartwarming. The children attending KCC learn about the devastating effects of man-made marine debris and how to reduce the amount we use. They help us clean the beaches and many continue to do so on other holidays.
Location
86810, Mersing, Johor, Malaysia
Southeast Asia
Process
Summary of the process
Both building blocks are based around the general public providing donations to support turtle conservation. Without donations, we would be unable to fund the project.
Building Blocks
Social Media Drives for Materials
Through our social media pages we schedule a post a few times a year asking for donations from guests and supporters. We ask for materials which could be used in conservation club such as arts and crafts materials. We specify that items such as glitter are not required as they are not environmentally friendly. We also ask for them not to be brought specifically for us but items that are no longer needed that could use a new home. We receive paint, glue, fabrics etc. This helps us stick with our ethos of re-using. Items that would normally have gone in the rubbish bin are now re-used by the kids to create something meaningful.
Enabling factors
Social media is a truly remarkable resource allowing us to reach thousands of people at any time of the day. We also have someone in the city of Johor willing to be a donation point or arrange collection to be delivered to our island.
Lesson learned
In our first social media drive we received lots of glitter which we are unable to use (micro plastics.) We therefore had a stash of glitter which had to be re-donated as it's options were either landfill or used and potentially entering the oceans as a micro plastic. Now we specify that no glitter be donated.
Funding for Nest Sponsorships through Hatchery Tours
We offer free hatchery tours to all of our guests who stay at Rimba. Here we explain to them why hatcheries are necessary for Pulau Sibiu and the processes involved. They hear in detail about how turtles naturally nest and the natural threats they need to avoid to ensure survival.
We explain to them how we pay above market value for the eggs to encourage locals to sell them to us and how this money is funded by groups or individuals. From here it is up to the guests whether they would like to financially support the project by adopting a nest.
It is never a "hard sell" but the question normally arises - "how is this funded?" We explain that in return the "adoptive parents" receive a video of their nest hatching, t-shirts and a certificate of adoption.
By providing a free educational service of a hatchery tour we are raising awareness about the turtle's struggles while at the same time offering tourists a way to support conservation.
Enabling factors
We have a constant stream of supporters, some who come just to visit the resort and some who learn through friends or social media about our conservation efforts. Because of these people, we are able to fund the project. We are entirely self sufficient but can only run successfully based on external funding.
Lesson learned
We learnt that it is a numbers game - the more hatchery tours you provide, the more nest sponsorships you receive.
Impacts
Children are the leaders and policy makers of the future - it is imperative to promote awareness and create a sense of responsibility in the new generation if we have any hope of making drastic change. KCC promotes this in a number of ways. It has a direct impact on the environment as we teach about manmade debris which washes up on the beaches and where it comes from, before taking part in beach cleanups. Much of the small plastic pieces are reused and put into "Eco-Bricks" where the kids learn about the idea of re-use. The impact we have seen on the children and the effect it has on their parents and other guests is immense. We are informed by parents about the children continuing beach clean ups on all their holidays which shows the long-term effect it can have. We receive emails from parents of the children who have attended KCC telling us about their environmental school projects, artwork or changes the children have made to reduce their plastic waste. One child even had a turtle themed birthday party! It is truly rewarding knowing our message is getting through.
In 2017, we raised RM30,000 (USD$7,300) and held sessions for over 260 children. We used part of this revenue to host a day of conservation for the school children of our local village and in 2018 will begin free diving and snorkelling lessons to help promote awareness about the ocean.
Beneficiaries
The main beneficiary is our local village. From the local egg collectors and the income they receive, to the school children who attend conservation days here at Rimba. Our staff team also see the increase in tourism brought in through conservation.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 14 – Life below water
Story
micayla
no
We have inspired many children through our programmes and love to hear how these kids are implementing change through their homes, schools and personal habits.
I have attached a link to a video of two young girls, Agathe and Eva. After attending Kids Conservation Club and learning about the turtle hatchery and the environment in which turtle live, they were inspired to create a short performance. That evening, they approached the team and told me they would like to show us what they had put together. The bar went silent as they did a little skit outlining what we need to do to protect the environment. They received a standing ovation from the bar! The following day we presented them with crew T-shirts and they performed again for the camera. It is moments like this we realise that by planting seeds when they are young, we could be influencing future choices and even careers.
One of my favourite guests is a young girl called Micayla who adores turtles. Micayla was present at Rimba (by chance) when we had our initial meetings with Malaysia's Department of Fisheries to plan our turtle hatchery. She sat in on the meetings and has come back several times in the hopes of being present for turtle releases. For her 10th birthday, she asked for a conservation themed party! The kids all made and decorated turtles and signed a pledge to do their best to protect the environment. I have attached a photo of Micayla wearing her Rimba Conservation Crew t-shirt in Kruger National Park, and truly believe she will be leading the way in turtle conservation in the future!
