KUCHING: Staff members from Naim Group of Companies’ Kuching office spent a meaningful weekend helping to plant mangrove trees in the Kuching Wetlands National Park (KWNP).
This was part of a collaboration between Naim and the state Forest Department for an environmental conservation and awareness programme which commenced in 2015.
Over 50 Naim employees took part in the wetlands planting activity, the second to be organised under the programme.
Naim’s human resources general manager Tan Teck Jong said the activity was in line with the Group’s commitment to its triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.
“We want to inculcate among our staff the importance of conserving and preserving the environment and that it is everybody’s responsibility to do so for our own and also our future generation’s sake,” he said.
Tan said it took the participants about an hour to plant 500 “bakau kurap” seedlings due to the muddy conditions.
“This made mobility difficult. We also had some laughs when our employees’ boots got stuck in the mud! Overall, it was a fun yet meaningful time,” he said.
Irmadiana Ardi, an executive forester from the department, commended Naim for its efforts in conservation activities.
“KWNP is one of the few Ramsar sites in the world. The site was depleted due to the flood mitigation project in Kuching.
“Now, about 60,000 ‘bakau’ trees have been replanted in the area affected, covering about 58 hectares,” she said.
According to her, the wetlands were an important sanctuary for some endangered species of wildlife, including proboscis monkeys, crocodiles and Irrawaddy dolphins.
“As such, it is important for us to preserve the wetlands by planting ‘bakau’ trees. We understand that Naim has also embarked on various conservation activities in Miri and Bintulu and we greatly commend Naim’s efforts in this regard. We look forward to more of such initiatives in time to come,” she added.
Twenty volunteers from the department also participated in the wetlands planting activity.