Mouse Mommy Treats: nature

In-conjunction with the “World Tapir Day”, held annually on 27 April, NATURALS by Watsons, a brand under Watsons, raised over RM30,524 through a nationwide campaign in-collaboration with Pocotee & Friends and the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY). The “World Tapir Day” aims to raise awareness of the endangered Malayan Tapir that inhabit Malaysian Peninsula, Myanmar and Thailand, and the island of Sumatra.

Resonating to the brand name “Naturals”, the “We Hug Tapir” campaign is the second consecutive effort by Watsons, Pocotee & Friends and the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY). The campaign aimed to showcase the Malayan Tapir as the primary focus to educate the public, more so the next generation, on the importance of conserving Malaysia’s heritage, the forest and wildlife and understanding that conserving the environment is key to our well-being.

The donation was presented to the association at “A Day with Nature and Tapirs” held at the River Dusun Wildlife Reserve in Selangor. Monies raised was derived from products sold under the Naturals by Watsons line which is nature-inspired. Watsons contributed RM1 to the campaign (between 27 March to 23 April) for every item sold under the brand, both online and at physical stores. Funds from this campaign will be channelled towards a specially designed environmental education programme for school children located around the Taman Negara National Park, home of the Malayan Tapir.

This programme aims to educate children on this gentle creature as well as to raise young environmental stewards who will continue to champion and spread the message of conservation and wildlife protection. “At Watsons, we believe in playing a key role in making a positive impact on the conservation of the wildlife and environment.

In our second consecutive year, we are privileged to partner with the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY), to channel our contributions towards the “We Hug Tapir” campaign. We took this opportunity to educate our shoppers in creating the awareness of the Malayan Tapir, a species that is facing endangerment due to its habitat threatened by human commercial activities.

It is important to know that the Tapir forms an important part of the ecosystem as seed dispersers and it is one of the oldest surviving wildlife in the animal kingdom. Hence, we chose the Naturals by Watsons range of products, as it resonated with the advocacy of using natural and organic ingredients, promoting environmental consciousness.

Special Thanks goes out to all our Watsons shoppers who had purchased the Naturals by Watsons products range during the campaign and helped raise the funds representing a collective effort in saving the tapirs,” said Caryn Loh 罗宝霞, General Manager and Country Head of Watsons Malaysia.

According to Andrew Sebastian, Co-founder/Chief Executive Officer of The Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (ECOMY) funds from this campaign will be channelled towards a specially designed environmental education programme for school children located around our National Park – Taman Negara – home of the Malayan Tapir.

This programme aims to educate children on this gentle creature as well as to raise young environmental stewards who will continue to champion and spread the message of conservation and wildlife protection. During the “A Day with Nature and Tapirs” event organized for members of the media witnessed a cheque presentation ceremony from the proceeds of the sales from the campaign.

Members of the media were also taken on a Tapir garden tour at the River Dusun Wildlife Reserve, where the media were treated to an up-close and personal encounter with the Tapirs to understand more about the species. After that, the media also witnessed a jackfruit tree planting in the habitat area of the Tapirs, as the jackfruit is one of the source of food for the species.

Naturals by Watsons believes that nature has everything you need to look youthful and more beautiful every day. We search the world to discover nature’s secret ingredients to help you grow more beautiful. Each range distils the essence of where beauty meets nature, with flowers, fruits, minerals and plants that rejuvenate and regenerate in a simple yet effective way. The result is a range of hair and body care products that contain certified organic ingredients from high quality sources around the world.

Our cruelty free formulas have been dermatologically tested to guarantee maximum effectiveness and complete peace of mind. Naturals by Watsons is available exclusively at Watsons.

Interested to know more about Watsons Malaysia,

Website : www.watsons.com.my/

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/watsonsmalaysia/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/watsonsmy/

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(first from left) Dr John Tay Ah Min, Head of Conservation, Sabah WWF-Malaysia; (seventh from left) Kenji Hata, General Manager of AEON CO. (M) BHD; (sixth from right) Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD.; (fifth from right)Datuk Sam Mannan, the Chief Conservator of Forests of Sabah Forestry Department; (fourth from right) Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Malaysia; and officials from the Sabah Forestry Department and AEON representatives at the conservation site

Conservation efforts by AEON CO. (M) BHD. together with the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF-Malaysia) and the Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) came to a conclusion at the official handover of the initiative today. The handover was recommended after verification that the restoration efforts have led to some positive improvements of Bukit Piton, Class 1 Forest Reserve, including Blocks 111-10 and 111-18 of 77 hectares.

Bukit Piton, located at the northern part of the Ulu Segama-Malua Forest Reserve, fell victim to extensive logging, unsustainable practices and forest fires between 1959 to 2007, which resulted in a degraded ecosystem. In 2011, AEON CO. (M) BHD. partnered with WWF-Malaysia and SFD to restore the 77 hectares through the planting of various indigenous tree species with the hope of rebuilding habitats for orang utans.

Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD. delivering his opening address at the official Bukit Piton Forest handover at Lahad Datu

Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD. said: “The driving force for this initiative was to restore what was once lost to loggers and natural disaster such as fire. A ripple effect from extensive logging left a hole in the ecosystem, leading to the destructive elements of nature that eventually depleted natural habitats. AEON, together with WWF-Malaysia and SFD, sawthis as an opportunity to help wildlife and local communities. Together, we drove this initiative and devised a solution to restore these habitats and promote forest recovery.”

In 2005, WWF-Malaysia conducted a survey which revealed the alarming decline of orang utans in the Ulu Segama district [1]. Isolated by the Segama River located south of the forest and oil palm plantations in the north, excessive logging brought about a habitat that deprived the orang utans from food, trees to nest and to receive shelter from adverse weather conditions, thus diminishing their survival rate.

One part of the project was to recreate a thriving environment for the orangutans by planting trees such as Laran (Neolamarckia Cadamba) and Binuang (Octomeles Sumatrana) to support the weight of the orang utans, as well as to sustain nesting.

Datuk Sam Mannan; Chief Conservator of Forests, Sabah Forestry Department stated: “Over the years of preservation, we have spotted more female orang utans with babies within the reserve. This is a positive sign, as it means that the orang utans no ware able to source for food, breed, nest and build homes in the designated areas. In addition, the fact that the orang utans are in a natural setting means it ensures their survivability and eventually thrive in a maturing reforested area. We are very honoured to work alongside AEON and WWF–Malaysia to bring about this change for the better.”

(second from right) Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Malaysia handing over a complete report of the initiative to (third from left) Datuk Sam Mannan, the Chief Conservator of Forests of Sabah Forestry Department, witnessed by (first from left) Dr John Tay Ah Min, Head of Conservation, Sabah WWF-Malaysia; (second from left) Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD.; and (first from right) Kenji Hata, General Manager of AEON Co. (M) BHD.

As the key driver of the initiative, AEON invested RM500,000 and planted more than 12,000 trees since 2011. The first 1,000 trees were planted by 300 school children, Malaysia Armed Forces and AEON volunteers towards the conservation of Bukit Piton. This is in line with its effort to extend its commitment towardsthe conservation of nature, and especially to protect and nurture a greener environment. AEON is committed to work towards a sustainable society with stakeholders, taking a leaf of fits basic principles of “Pursuing Peace, Respecting Humanity and Contributing to Local Communities, Centred on Customers”.

“We must realise that Mother Earth is our home, and if we do not take ownership to ensure that it is well-looked after, then we will have no legacy left for our next generation. Because of this, AEON is motivated to cement an initiative towards ecological sustenance by continuing to take our tree planting initiatives to the next level,” ended Poh.

The handing over of the Project Site was received by Datuk Sam Mannan, the Chief Conservator of Forests of Sabah Forestry Department. This was witnessed by Dato’ Dr Dionysius Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Malaysia; Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD.; Kenji Hata, General Manager of AEON Co. (M) BHD.; officials from the Sabah Forestry Department and AEON representatives.

Interested to get to know about Malaysian AEON Foundation (MAF),
Website : www.aeonretail.com.my
Facebook : www.facebook/aeonretail.com

[1]http://www.wwf.org.my/?17985/WWF-calls-participation-for-strengthening-orangutan-conservation-in-Borneo

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