KELAB ALAMI

MUKIM TG KUPANG

An Introduction

Then … and Now…

Initially launched in 2008 under the Tatana Roots umbrella, Kelab Alami was

officially registered as an environmental education club in Mukim Tanjung

Kupang, Johor, Malaysia in 2009. Under the programme, fishing village youth

were trained as habitat experts; scientifically monitoring seagrass and

mangrove habitats and working as ecotourism guides for visitors to the area.

In 2014 unavoidable development arrived. With some of the original youth

members working as full-time staff, Kelab Alami now focuses on enabling the

community to earn alternative livelihoods, participate in, and benefit from the development around them. At the same time, we continue to document the

natural and cultural heritage of the area before it is completely lost.

Our work combines the participatory processes of community engagement

with scientific principles and research, to empower the community through

science, the development of alternative incomes and coping strategies to

deal with unavoidable development in their neighbourhood.

Our dream is to set up, manage and maintain a Nature & Heritage Centre to

showcase the flora, fauna and fishing heritage of this unique region.

Shalan Jum’at

co-founder

A prominent figure in the local community (but not

an appointed/official leader of any kind), his was

the vision to engage with the youth to keep them

on a more positive track and away from vice. His

vision continues to drive this programme and its

progression towards what is now a community capacity-building endeavour so that the wider

community can participate in and benefit from the

development that is taking place around them. His

ideas and plans are based on information and

feedback retrieved from the community and it is

his presence at the head of this programme that

encourages the community to participate and

support its efforts.

The Crew

Manned by a full-time crew of 7 Kelab

Alami Youth Graduates and a phalanx

of Kelab Alami Youth Ranger part-timers, the organization is driven by the

energy of its young team. These youth

decide what they want to do and how

they can achieve it. Among their many

motivations are to prove that regular

village folks can become community

researchers and enablers, habitat

managers and environmental

education teachers.

Serina Rahman

co-founder & principal advisor

With many years of experience in community and

environmental NGOs and environmental

education, Serina is a teacher, conservation

scientist and environmental anthropologist. She

works extensively in community development and

empowerment. Her role in the organisation is to

enable the community to realise the goals and

vision put forward by Kelab Alami, based on what

they have asked for and/or need (as decided by the community themselves). Hers is the task of

liaising with government agencies, potential

sponsors, and academic or other supporters of

the programme, as well as fund-raising.

Our Network of Advisors Kelab Alami is supported by an extensive network of scientists, naturalists,

environmental educators and other experts who train the youth as

community researchers and citizen scientists. Our advisors also provide

support and ideas for the overall management of Kelab Alami’s

programmes, marketing, financing and development.

Some (but not all) of our main advisors are featured on this page.

Prof Esther Daniel (UM)

Environmental Education

Prof Japar Sidik

Bujang (UPM)

Seagrass Ecology &

Taxonomy

A.Prof Muta Harah

Zakaria (UPM)

Seagrass Ecology &

Taxonomy

Prof Aziz Arshad (UPM)

Fish Biology & Benthic

Ecology

Dr Jillian Ooi (UM)

Biogeography

*Anak Johor Affendi Yg Amri

(UM)

Coral Reef Ecology

Dr Leena Wong (UPM)

Molluscan Studies

Dr Serina Rahman (ISEAS

– Yusuf Ishak Institute)

Conservation Science,

Environmental

Anthropology &

Education

Our Entities…

Kelab Pencinta Alam Tanjung Kupang, Johor Bahru, Johor

Registered under the Registrar of Societies in 2009 – local committee led by Zurina Jaafar – environmental education for local community youth

Anak Alami Enterprise

Registered in 2012 – social enterprise owned by Shalan Jum’at

Allowed us to set up Kelab Alami Chapters in other parts of Malaysia

Handles all matters related to Kelab Alami management, finances & administration

Focuses on enabling local community to get jobs & alternative incomes through capacity-building, seed-funding and entrepreneurial development support

Koperasi Alami Johor Berhad

Registration accepted in Sept 2016 – part of the IRDA KIM network

Patron: Dato’ Zamani Kasim (Astaka Padu)

Main project: KA Nature & Heritage Centre (details & membership still work-in-progress)

What we do

KELAB ALAMI is a community organization that works to enable the local community of Mukim Tg Kupang to benefit from and participate in the urbanization and development in their neighbourhood through employment in marine related fields so that they are able to remain in touch with their marine heritage.

As citizen scientists and community researchers, we document local habitats and habitat-related traditions, monitor habitat health and teach others about our natural and cultural heritage through environmental education programmes and guided walks.

Our current goal is to set up a Nature & Heritage Centre to showcase our work.

Working with the Fishermen

Raise earnings through higher purchase prices (bought by Kelab Alami) –

forcing other middlemen to pay them a fair price for their effort

Expand market through door-to-door and beyond kampong sales

Diversify catch through support for nets / boats / engines

Supplement incomes through ecotourism services (boatman / fishing

heritage demonstrations)

Document and share fishing heritage, net-making traditions, folklore, cuisine

& culture

Environmental Education

Public guided habitat walks: seagrass,

island, mangroves

Introduction to fishing culture & heritage

Public exhibitions and roadshows

School visits and roadshows

Public talks on local habitats

SMK Tg Adang

Duta Jauhar JohorIskandaria Festival, Puteri HarbourNIE Singapore trainee-teachers

Our Current Research

Field Research Assistants for visiting scientists

(UPM, UM, UTHM) working in seagrass

ecology, seagrass fauna, seahorse nutrition,

otter populations, seagrass growth,

copepod populations etc.

Overall coastal habitat photo-

documentation & monitoring

Documentation, identification & monitoring

of coastal mangroves

Fish catch study

Dugong presence & feeding trail mapping

Community uses of coastal habitat

mapping

Fishermen, fishing heritage & cultural/

anthropological research

Sustainable development studies

Offshoot Initiatives

KELAB ALAMI FOOTBALL CLUB (F.C.)

Set up in 2010 to draw in village ‘rempits’ to the programme and provide them with a focus (these former members are now stable and working), KA FC now works with at-risk youth (16yrs and below) to motivate and distract them through sport. We have just started a Girl’s Futsal team under this programme.

GERAI REMAJA KELAB ALAMI

Youth entrepreneurial training through sale of food & drinks – moving on to handling catering and vegetable/ fish supplies to nearby developers.

MOTO IKAN

Youth entrepreneurship for the sourcing and supply of local seafood to households in the village.

Kelab Alami F.C. - Evolution

Supporting Youth Entrepreneurs

Media coverageTh

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Awards

1st Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award 2014

(IMSHA)

Awarded to Serina Rahman

for Dedicated Service in Environmental

Protection

3rd Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Award 2016

(IMSHA)

Awarded to Kelab Alami Mukim Tg Kupang

for Service in Environmental Protection

Recognised

as

Friends of

Tourism Johor

International Visitors

Future Plan:Kelab Alami Nature & Heritage Centre

Bridging of science, social science & local knowledge

Presentation of human-habitat interactions

Consolidation of traditional ecological wisdom with

scientific research & documentation

Centre will be the nexus of all Kelab Alami activities

Support multiple segments of the community –

opportunities for income, jobs, environmental education,

showcase of heritage

Managed & run by Kelab Alami staff – anchored under

Koperasi Alami Johor Berhad

Kelab Alami Nature & Heritage Centre

Proposed location presented to Setiausaha Negeri Johor

through Dato’ Zamani Kassim (Astaka Padu) on 5/2/2017

Kelab Alami Nature & Heritage Centre

INDOORS

Exhibition of samples, herbariums, maps & posters

Interactive exhibits – audio-visual displays

Seagrass growing aquariums

OUTDOORS

Fishing boats, tools, equipment, artifacts display

Heritage demonstration area (net-making etc)

Courtyard for workspace, lectures, workshops etc

Kelab Alami Nature & Heritage Centre – Organic Farm

Beyond Mukim Tg Kupang:

Community Habitat Outreach @Sibu-Tinggi

West to East (Johor) youth-to-youth,

community-to-community initiative

Replicating the Kelab Alami model of

community empowerment through the

combination of engagement, outreach,

science, research and ecotourism.

To share and exchange knowledge of

seagrass, dugong & coastal/island

habitats.

In collaboration with our scientific advisors

Dr Jillian Ooi, Affendi Yg Amri and Dr Leela

Rajamani

In continuation of our engagement and

outreach in Pulau Tinggi (since 2010)

Find out more / get in touch…

kelabalami.weebly.com

www.facebook.com/KelabAlamiMukimTgKupang

IG:kelabalami_

General email – kelab.alami@gmail.com

Guided walks – kelabalami.walks@gmail.com

Serina Rahman – serina_mola@yahoo.com / +60-17-6729367 (via watsapp)

OFFICIAL REGISTRATION

Kelab Pencinta Alam, Tanjung Kupang, Johor Bahru, Johor (2634-10-JHR)

Anak Alami Enterprise (002222420-D)

Koperasi Alami Johor Berhad (J-F-1299)

THANK YOU!