Malaysia

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How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? Tell us about your EE work and impact.

Age: 21

Malaysia

Gabby (she/her) works to further sustainable development and inspire action and policy through research and education.

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities?

I've dedicated the past few years to working on a variety of education and sustainable development initiatives. Previously, I've led climate initiatives as a youth councilor, volunteered with the Teach the Future team to launch a climate education bill in the UK Parliament, written about climate education and action in various publications, and helped spread environmental education resources and programs in Malaysia as a former World Oceans Day youth advisor and Global Schools ambassador. In 2020, I joined Regeneration as a research fellow, where I had the exciting chance to contribute to Paul Hawken's latest book on regenerative climate solutions.

Most recently, with my environmental education project Tideturners, we've been working on increasing awareness of key environmental issues and encouraging greater youth engagement in advocacy. Through distributing classroom resources, hosting workshops in various communities, and working with youth on local actions, Tideturners' goal is to further action through collaboration and education.

Over time, I've also had the wonderful opportunity to bring a youth perspective to a variety of policy conferences and speak with thousands of people at schools, using every chance I get to engage with students, business leaders, and policymakers alike on climate education and action.

Tell us about your journey to where you are today.

I grew up in Malaysia and was always so inspired by the beautiful beaches and waterways around me. At the same time, through witnessing waves of air pollution, floods, and species extinction, I quickly learned about the crises impacting our environment.  

My advocacy journey began after a geography field trip to a local coral reef nursery that taught me about the ways in which climate change and marine pollution are affecting surrounding communities and ecosystems. After the trip, I continued to learn about these issues and hosted my very first school event to raise awareness about ocean issues. I have my amazing teachers and mentors to thank for their help in getting me started!

Since then, I've had the fortune of working with dozens of teams and organizations on EE and SDG-related initiatives—from collaborating on exciting policy projects to meeting so many inspiring young people and everything in between. It's been such a special journey and I am grateful for every step!

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME

What book, film, or art piece has had the greatest impact on you?

My all-time favorite climate books are Speed & Scale by John Doerr and Regeneration by Paul Hawken—the stories of solutions and resilience are so inspiring!

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders?

Be as creative as you'd like—there is no one way to be an activist! Don’t underestimate yourself, and surround yourself with people who inspire you!

How do you unwind?

Exploring a new food spot with friends, finding a good playlist and/or good read.

Do you prefer sunrise, sunset, midday, or midnight?

Definitely sunsets—they're always a good reminder to take a break and get outside!

Sahana is a youth advocate who runs educational and policy-producing initiatives focused on climate action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

How are you using education to build more sustainable and equitable communities? 

As a co-organizer of YOUNGO’s 2021 Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Youth Forum, I helped plan and execute a week-long series of side events and discussions. ACE is a provision in the Paris Agreement that promotes climate action via principles like education and training. More than 700 youth registered for the forum, and we reached almost 2,000 people from 130 countries. The forum produced 33 ideas for various themes, including ACE infrastructure and methods of mitigating ACE barriers. I am now helping develop an ACE Action Plan.

Via my nonprofit, Project All For All, I work to help youth participate in civic engagement and advance progress towards the SDGs. Through initiatives like a capacity-building conference, youth network, and an “Open School,” I’ve reached around 5,000 people.

I have also reached thousands of people via EE-related public speaking engagements: from talking about “Youth Opportunities for Climate Action” at the Regional Dialogue on Youth Empowerment in Climate Actions and “Malaysia and COP26” at a Friends of the Earth UK event, to delivering an intervention on the Paris Agreement’s 6th Article at SB52 and co-producing a training on “Climate Change and Public Health.”

Tell us about your journey to where you are today. 

My journey began with school-based community events, broadened to local and national human rights advocacy, and has now reached regional and global work on climate action, the SDGs, and human rights. I am driven by the realisation that whilst there are plenty of solutions to most social and planetary issues, there simply isn’t enough being done to implement them. I also hope to study and work at the intersection of public policy and environmental studies, and I am inspired by other young people I volunteer with who are driving environmental progress locally and globally.

If you were to choose one place to live for the rest of your life, where would it be?

Copenhagen, Denmark.

What are you happiest doing?

Either writing policy reports or re-watching The Office!

If a genie granted you one wish, what would it be?

Definitely more wishes – I’d be too indecisive to settle on one :)

2021 EE 30 Under 30 Changemaker Grant Project
Reef Spawn: Broadcasting marine environmental education in Malaysia and beyond

Reef Spawn is a youth capacity development program brought to you by Reef Stakes®, the first marine-themed role-playing card game in Malaysia. Through four practitioner-led virtual sessions followed by a three-day, two-night hands-on bootcamp, Reef Spawn will equip 12 budding conservationists with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to the marine environment in Malaysia. The 12 selected participants are expected to broadcast the lessons learned and empower other youths in their communities to champion the marine environment.

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E 30 Under 30 Biography

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia                                
Age: 27

Yew Aun shares his passion for education and the marine realm through Reef Stakes® - the first marine-themed role-playing card game in Malaysia.

Tell us about yourself!

I am the co-founder of the Reef Stakes® card game – the first marine themed role-playing card game in Malaysia. The game is designed to mimic real-life stakeholder relationships, introduce some of Malaysia’s most iconic marine species, and highlight threats to coral reefs.

As for my day job, I am a marine biologist by training but am currently in the Malaysian civil service working on biodiversity conservation policy. I have been involved in a variety environmental education and outreach programs, and  was previously a Conservation Officer for the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT). I am also a regular columnist for MalayMail Online, writing specifically about environmental issues.

What inspired you to become a champion for environmental education?

My interest in biodiversity first manifested as a love for the great outdoors. Although I grew up in the city, I was an active boy scout and would often go camping in the tropical rainforest. Aside from that, my personal experience with conducting outreach programs spurred me to think about more effective methods of delivering environmental education.

“Sir, the reason why you shouldn’t use styrofoam and plastic is that it does not biodegrade, affecting marine organisms and their food chain thus leading to an ecosystem imbalance.” This is an example of a standard outreach script. Because there is often much negativity and jargon attached to environmental messaging, people are easily turned off. In the past few years, I have been lucky enough to explore the gamification of basic environmental concepts through the Reef Stakes® card game, as my co-founders and I believe that games can be an effective medium for environmental education

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders that are looking to bring about positive change in their communities through EE?

Positive change requires sacrifice. You must be willing to contribute time, money, and effort if you believe in a cause. And if you have an idea, pursue it, but seek out collaboration if you think you can’t do it alone. Often, we get too caught up with whether an idea is feasible or not, that it just remains an idea.

To make Reef Stakes® a reality, my team members met very often to discuss concepts and plan the development of the game. It was a grueling process, but seeing our efforts pay off made the sacrifices worth it in the end.

What keeps you motivated, inspired, or hopeful for the future?

I am motivated by the efforts of people around me. As someone who has played the role of leader and team player in many projects, I truly believe in finding the right people to achieve a collective goal.

As for inspiration, if I could point to a single person, it would be Dr. Louisa Ponnampalam from MareCet Research Organisation. I met her in my teens, and it was a turning point in my decision to pursue a career in marine science and biodiversity conservation. She was very encouraging and gave me a realistic view of this career field. I am thankful that she still offers me great advice to this day, and am proud that she continues to make waves in marine mammal conservation in the region.

What pro-environmental behavior do you think would make a big impact if everyone in the world started doing it?

Minimalism. Earth has finite resources. With the rapid expansion of the human population, there is bound to be a strain on our environment, leading to problems such as pollution, water shortages, and deforestation. I believe that the simple act of consuming less and within one’s means can collectively reduce this strain.

 

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Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia   

2023 EE 30 Under 30 Changemaker Grant Project
Working Together for Coexistence: An Environmental Education-Based Approach to Conserving Urban Monkeys in Penang, Malaysia

Jo Leen Yap and Langur Project Penang (LPP) aim to foster coexistence between humans and urban wildlife. With this grant, environmental education and community engagement activities will be scaled up in two ongoing projects:

• Bridge to Coexist: Reducing roadkill incidents of arboreal wildlife in Penang and working with the Tanjung Bungah community to develop a management plan and recommendations for humane and sustainable approaches to mitigate negative human-primate interactions.
• Coexistence for All: Addressing issues related to humans feeding monkeys and poor waste management

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EE 30 Under 30 Biography

Age: 28

Tell us a bit about yourself!

I am currently a wildlife researcher, nature educator and Ph.D. student in zoology at the School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where my research project is “Ecology, behaviour, and road ecology study of dusky langur (Trachypithecus obscurus) for the development of a sustainable langur conservation plan in Penang.”

I expanded my research on dusky langurs into a community outreach project, the Langur Project Penang (LPP), which I founded under the umbrella of USM and the Malaysian Primatological Society (MPS). LPP serves as a platform for research and education for local students and the community, through collaboration with governmental bodies, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Malaysia. We aim to develop a comprehensive “Langur Conservation Plan” in Penang, which takes into account primate ecology, anthropogenic influences, and the use of scientific research and nature education to create public awareness for primate conservation.

My interest in environmental education started after I completed my undergraduate studies, when I was an educational officer at the Dark Cave Conservation Site in Kuala Lumpur for a year and then an environment educator in the Penang Tropical Spice Garden for three years. Today, you can find me spending most of my time in the forest of Penang chasing dusky langurs, planning and executing environmental education programs, and writing my thesis.  

What inspired you to become a champion for the environment and environmental education?

Nature itself inspires and motivates me to dedicate myself to environmental education. I study dusky langurs in Penang, Malaysia, where some of the challenges I endure on (almost) a daily basis include waking up at 4:30am before heading to my field site to start following langurs from their sleeping trees at 6:45am. I learn so much from the langurs about how the species depends on tree canopies to survive, the various sympatric species that form a tight ecological food chain, and the various native trees that bring life to their habitat. Unfortunately, primates and other wildlife in Penang are understudied and misunderstood; therefore, I strive to be the voice for wildlife.

Fieldwork in nature is not always a fairy tale. I have experienced not-so-happy moments in my research journey, from handling langur roadkill due to vehicle collisions caused by habitat fragmentation, to attending forums against deforestation and road development. These experiences have opened my mind to the lack of awareness and enforcement of various environmental issues in Malaysia, from unsustainable logging to illegal wildlife trade.

I want to do the best that I can, which is why I started Langur Project Penang to serve as a platform for research and environmental education, involving local residents and stakeholders as volunteers and collaborators to bring environmental awareness to the community.

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders that are looking to bring about positive change in their communities through EE?

First, always open your arms to collaboration. From my humble beginning in EE, I’ve learned that we must not be afraid to exchange ideas and collaborate with various stakeholders. Rejection can reduce our confidence in continuing a career in EE, especially since it is a small field! However, by working with different EE networks we can enhance our creativity, productivity and, experiences, and these are all stepping stones toward establishing a long-term EE platform in our home country. Always have an open mind when working with the government, NGOs, and individuals of all backgrounds, and particularly local communities who know their habitat best. Working side-by-side with a diverse group of people will bring the community closer together, and by highlighting certain environmental issues, we can create a larger impact!

Next, always seek out to enrich your knowledge and skills. I wasn’t aware of the importance of science communication until I had the opportunity to attend a two-week Wildlife Conservation Course, organized by WildCru, at the University of Oxford. Their science communication module opened my eyes to different ways of providing an effective learning experience through games. The key message here is to never say NO to learning opportunities when there is a big world of knowledge out there for us to discover. As environmental educators, we must always improve ourselves in terms of knowledge, skills, and confidence in order to nurture and provide good quality education for future generations.

Who do you look up to as inspiration for your work?

I am so blessed to have met my current research supervisor, Dr. Nadine Ruppert, a primatologist and senior lecturer at USM. Nadine understands my passion for education, and never stops me from taking time during my Ph.D. years for my other passion, grassroots environmental education. How many postgraduate students in Malaysia are doing education and outreach to raise awareness for nature? To be honest, not many.

Nadine respected and encouraged my vision when I first told her that I wanted to translate my research on dusky langurs into awareness for the general public. From supporting me in syllabus design to attending forums, she never says, "it is too much!" Instead, she provides helpful advice for me to balance my research and education work.

I have always believed that a great leader is one who nurtures through positivity, especially while giving encouragement and constructive criticism. Nadine is always happy and proud to see her students grow and bloom into great achievers. She is no doubt a great inspiration for my work, as she has watched me grow and believed in me from the start, providing me with the freedom and space to develop my career. Most importantly, she is wonderful support as a both a friend and sister! 

If you could be any animal or plant, what would you be and why?

Definitely Ficus spp., the fig tree! The participants in my nature education programs love listening to me talk about the importance of fig trees.

Almighty figs, the mother trees of the rainforest, provide food and shelter to various wildlife species, and in this way are like the hotels of the forest. You can especially see this in the morning, before sunrise, when there are always many species of birds, squirrels, monkeys, and even creepy-crawlies foraging and feeding on the nutritious fig fruits! Looking closer, you see lots of climbers and epiphyte plants growing on the fig trees, providing even more food resources, which attract a wider diversity of fauna that pollinate and disperse the fig’s seeds. 

If you can, try to find your nearest fig tree. Sit and relax under its canopy, and look up to observe the life up there. I would be a fig tree—so humble, big, and important support for the forest’s ecological cycle. I see this as equivalent to my vision within environmental education, to nurture environmental awareness in Malaysia by providing rich knowledge to and sharing with local communities for the benefit of our whole ecosystem.

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