I am very happy to inform you that the Kinta Nature Park (KNP) project in Batu Gajah, Perak, has taken off! KNP is no longer a proposal but a reality. This long struggle to conserve a part of the ex-mining lands in Perak as a wetland sanctuary for waterbirds has finally borne fruit. Grateful thanks go to the former District Officer Kinta, Dato Sheikh Ahmad for his enthusiastic support and Dato Noramly Muslim for his
persistent lobbying. The project would have been very difficult without the commitment and assistance of the many MNS members who have contributed time, energy, expenses and materials in helping me to survey the area and to draw up the many proposal documents. My grateful thanks go to all of you.

Work on the park infrastructure, including some public facilities, began last week at the main visitor area beside Tasik Pucung. These include a carpark, toilet block, open-sided meeting hall, a container cabin (temporary information centre), pump house, small sub-station, 5 rest huts, 40ft watch tower, birdwatching platform and repairs to 2 bridges.

However, this does not mean that we can now lay back and enjoy our success. As MNS members, we can play our part to ensure that the park is developed and managed according to its main objective as a nature sanctuary. We can visit the site to monitor the area and to give feedback or reports to MNS, the District Office or the Dept of Wildlife & Nat Parks as the case may be. We can help publicise the park so that more visitors are aware of its existence, thus creating public support for this project. We can push for MNS to be more proactive in maintaining constant contact with the govt. agencies and to contribute also to its development, so that when the time comes for the decision on the management of the park, MNS is not left out of the reckoning.

This is a golden opportunity for us as nature lovers to be involved in a real sense to the protection of this special habitat in Perak. KNP is also a great opportunity, after many lean years, for MNS to have another flagship site that members can be proud of. It can be a site for the Society to demonstrate to the public and the government what MNS can do.

Regards,
Lim Kim Chye
ex-MNS staff