KUCHING: World Wetlands Day is observed annually on Feb 2 to increase public awareness of wetlands and to emphasise the critical need for their conservation.
In keeping with this year’s theme, “It’s Time for Wetlands Restoration” which highlights the urgent need to prioritise wetlands restoration, the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) took part in the Rewilding activity by planting 226 trees within the vicinity of Kuching Wetlands National Park (KWNP).
Headed by its Totally Protected Area Management and Biodiversity Conservation & Research (Habitat) team, 61 members gathered at the KWNP on Thursday (Feb 2).
They planted various species of trees, including Ubah, Bintangor, Kapur Paya, Ficus, Bakau Kurap, and Teruntum, among others, at SFC’s very own wetlands setting at KWNP, led by SFC Deputy CEO I, Abang Arabi Abang Aimran.
In a Facebook post, SFC stated that the programme aimed to raise global awareness about the importance of wetlands to people and the environment.
“This day also commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on Feb 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.”
Later in the afternoon, the SFC team collaborated with 50 personnel from Sarawak’s Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) to continue the Rewilding project, which marked the end of the programme.
On the estuarine reaches of the Sibu Laut and Salak rivers, the KWNP spans a region of 6,610 hectares.
The majority of the park is made up of a saline mangrove system, which includes a vast network of coastal waterways and tidal creeks connecting the two main rivers that define the park’s limits.
The heart of the park contains a few sparse patches of heath forest. The park has a large variety of fauna and serves as an important spawning and nursery site for fish and prawn species.
The park also gives visitors a great introduction to the mangrove ecosystem, a chance to observe a diversity of wildlife, and the opportunity to spend some time taking in the sights and sounds of one of Sarawak’s most fascinating stretches of coastline.
