TrEES School Programme 2010 Draws to a Close

TrEES' School Programme for 2010 - Connecting Schools to Taman Negeri Selangor - came to a fantastic end with the Closing Ceremony on 11 November.  Student project teams celebrated their combined efforts to raise awareness on the importance of the Park among their school communities, and to inculcate the habit of 4Rs - re-think, reduce, reuse and recycle - water and waste.

Through the programme, student project teams managed to raise awareness to an estimate 50,000 people.  The teams also collected about 100 tonnes of material for recycling, installed water saving devices to save thousands of litres of water at their schools, and permanently reduce and stop the use of styrofoam and other disposables in their school canteens.  Students also carried out greening projects at their schools, to bring a bit of Taman Negeri Selangor into their neighborhood.  Truly a job well done by people so young!

The closing ceremony was held on 11 November 2010.  There were performances by SK SS17 and SMK Wangsa Melawati, and exhibition booths by the secondary schools.  Prizes were also given out to the top performing schools.

The winning primary school was SK SS17, Subang Jaya.  The top prize for secondary schools went to SMK USJ8.  Second prize went to SMK Section 18, Shah Alam.  Third prize went to SMK Wangsa Melawati.  Special merit prizes went to SMK Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang; SMK Presint 11(2); SMK USJ12, SMK Presint 16(1) and SMK Section 16, Shah Alam.

But to TrEES and the programme organisers, all the teams were winners, as they all did an outstanding effort to help protect and conserve Taman Negeri Selangor.

TrEES would like to thank all our programme partners - the Forestry Department of Selangor, the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Selangor/WP, Selangor Water Management Agency, the Ministry of Education and the Education Departments.  And to the programme funders - CIMB Foundation through its Community Links Programme.

TrEES looks forward to more fun in 2011!

Read more about it here..TrEES School Programme in the Sun

Site of the Month - Sg. Tua Recreational Forest

Sungai Tua Recreational Forest is one of the main gateways to Taman Warisan Negeri Selangor - the Selangor State Park.  This recreational park is located within the Hulu Gombak, central region of the Park (coordinates:  N03 19.91' E101 42.15').

Sg. Tua is a major tourist attraction in Selangor, and is very popular, especially on weekends and public holidays.  The Selangor Forestry Department has a site office at one of the main parking areas.  While most of the facilities at Sg Tua are managed by the Forestry Department, a few sites are managed by the local council, as well as a few private sites.

Facilities at the main site include camping grounds, a surau, picnicking and changing facilities.  And, of course, a beautiful river to swim in, with many rocks and boulders to add to the enjoyment.


The forests of Sg. Tua are primarily young, regenerating secondary forests.  The Saraca stream forest habitat is prominent here.  There are a small number of old-growth forest trees remaining here. 

Please take care of your Park - keep it clean!  TAKE ALL RUBBISH HOME WITH YOU.

Species of the Month - the Saraca or Gapis tree

Taman Negeri Selangor is the source of the major rivers in Selangor.  These rivers begin as small streams deep in the forests of the Park.  Streamside forests, also known as Saraca-streams, are particularly well developed in the southern half of the Park. 

The Saraca, or Gapis tree, Saraca cauliflora (Bean family Leguminosae), are common along the stream beds.  Their latticework root systems cover the stream banks, protecting the banks by slowing down the flow of the river, particularly after heavy rains.  The root-work also provides habitats for small anthropods including prawns.  The Saraca trees are a beautiful flora species of the Park.

Young gapis seedlings can be seen in along the sand banks of the streams. 

Volunteers Needed!

TrEES' School Programme - Connecting Schools to Taman Negeri Selangor - the Forests That Provide Sustenance to Life in Selangor is coming to a close.  On 11 November, all the participating schools and programme partners will celebrate the end of a very successful programme, with the Closing Ceremony.

Volunteers are needed to help with closing ceremony.  If you are free on Thursday, 11 November, and would like to help out, please send an e-mail to TrEES at treateveryenvironmentspecial@gmail.com , put "volunteer for closing ceremony" in the subject line.   For more information on TrEES, visit our website.

The school teams have put in a lot of hard work to spread the message on the Park, and to reduce their negative impact on the Park.  We hope you can help us make the closing a success.

No Park, No Water, No Life

The people and businesses of Selangor, KL and Putrajaya depend on Taman Negeri Selangor for our most basic needs of clean air, water and local climate stability.  The Park helps to maintain the quality of life we all enjoy, particularly the water we need and use everyday.

The forests of the Park are catchment for the upper reaches of the major rivers in Selangor (Sg. Bernam, Sg. Selangor, Sg. Klang and Sg. Langat).  These river basins cover almost the entire state of Selangor.  The Park is the origin of many smaller streams that merge to form larger rivers, including Sg. Kerling, Sg. Batang Klang, and Sg. Semenyih, that feed these major rivers.

The Park area also feeds the 5 reservoirs that provide 98% of the water supply to Selangor, KL and Putrajaya.  That is why we say "No Park, No Water, No Life" !   These 5 reservoirs are:
Sg. Selangor Dam in the Sg. Selangor river basin,
Batu and Klang Gates Dams in the Sg. Klang river basin,
Langat and Semenyih Dams in the Sg. Langat river basin.

Recognising the importance of these forests as water catchment, the Forestry Department has double gazetted these areas also as 'catchment forest' under the National Forestry Act Enactment 2005 of Selangor, in addition to being gazetted as 'state park' under the same act.

While the state of Selangor is protecting the forests, the benefit is felt by the people and businesses in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya as well.  For example, the Klang Gates reservoir, with its pristine forest, supplies clean water to the downtown KL, the 'Golden Triangle', the commercial hub of the city.   Sadly, the forests that act as the catchment for the Klang Gates reservoir are threatened by the proposed KL Outer Ring Road.

Given the recent debate over whether Selangor will have enough water to supply the growing needs of residents and industries in the state, KL and Putrajaya, it would seem critical to strictly protect the Park given its vital importance in protecting the existing water supply of the nation's most prosperous region.