Ability Expeditions Community and environmental Service programmes

Community and environmental conservation projects

Ability expeditions work with project partners around Malaysian Borneo to find the suitable, educational and valid projects for your team. Our commitment is to provide projects that benefit the communities and causes that we work with. Choose from a project with either a community or an environmental conservation objective.

Our environmental projects see us work with experts in conservation who are working towards, protecting the incredibly rich and bio-diverse environment in Borneo. There is a wealth of wildlife, landscapes, flora and fauna in Borneo and also a vast variety of threats to the forests and the animals that habitat here. Volunteering on environmental projects is an amazing first hand educational experience. Our community projects are based in Sabah, Borneo, a developing part of Malaysia with a wide income divide, many communities still do not have access to fresh drinking water, schools, hospitals or sanitation systems. Many villages are remote and access to these resources is limited. Ability Expeditions projects aim to improve the facilities of marginalised communities and expose young people to the different lifestyles of others. Through these projects students learn about Borneo culture through, food, drink, dance, home-stays and language; learning about what makes Malaysian Borneo unique. Living or working in a Borneo ‘kampung’ will be an unforgettable experience! Thursday, 23 May 2013

Ability Expeditions Community and environmental Service programmes

community and Environmental Project Duration: 6 days Location: Kinabatangan The Danau Girang Field Centre is a collaborative research and training facility owned by the Sabah Wildlife Department and comanaged with Cardiff University, focusing on biodiversity research and training and for field courses in tropical biodiversity assessment. Researchers are currently undergoing studies into elephants, monitor lizards, nocturnal primates, civets and otters, frog species, sun bears, crocodiles and you will be assisting them with their research. DGFC situated in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah, Malaysia and is surrounded by a mixture of lowland dipterocarp forest types, ranging from primary forest to disturbed secondary forest, in a matrix landscape with significant human impact as including villages, small scale agriculture and oil palm plantations.

Wildlife here includes ten species of primate, the Bornean elephant, carnivores such as the clouded leopard, other cat and civet species, sun bears and binturong, eight of the ten species of hornbill in Borneo along with over 300 other bird species. Herpetofauna are also abundant including salt water crocodile, monitor lizard, reticulated python, king cobra and many others. The invertebrate and plant diversity in the Sanctuary is also very high.

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Danau Girang Field Centre Your team will:

• Rotate between 4-5 different research teams in groups of 3/4 assisting them with their studies

• Work first involved in camera trapping, home ranging, taking

samples, putting out baits, mapping results in the labatory, satellite telemetry and animal tagging

• Learn first hand form scientists and researchers about the forest, wildlife and their studies

• Listen to lectures and presentations at the field centre • Take part in an early morning wildlife river cruise in a wooden long boat spotting animals as they feed

Ability Expeditions Community and environmental Service programmes

Bio Diversity and Research Project Duration: 1days Location: Kinabatangan The MESCOT Initiative was founded by the  local indigenous people of Batu Puteh, who formed a village based cooperative for conservation activities and their community projects. They are fundamentally concerned with  protecting the forest habitat, wildlife and biodiversity of the Lower Kinabatangan while preserving the livelihood of the local population.

Model for ecologically sustainable community operated tourism Your team will: •! Plant trees and cultivate seeds in the nursery for reforestation. •! Play volleyball games with the village. •! Take part in a traditional dance show and lessons.

As a community with the help of volunteer teams, they have developed the village and built an eco-tourism lodge, creating a shared community led income source through sustainable eco-tourism. This project has reduced the use of logging as an income source and the subsequent deforestation that this causes. Live and work alongside these passionate people who have worked together to take bold steps to improve their future.

Thursday, 23 May 2013

•! Cruise down the river seeing wildlife such as hornbills, proboscis monkeys and gibbons. •! Stay in home stays in the community.

Ability Expeditions Developing a spirit of adventure in young people

Biodiversity and Research program on the kinabatangan Day 1 am

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Breakfast at DGFC

Breakfast at DGFC

Breakfast at DGFC

Breakfast at DGFC

Breakfast at DGFC

Breakfast at DGFC

Breakfast at DGFC

Arrive in Sandakan and drive to MESCOT a community operated tourism start up in a village called Batu Putih

In groups of 3-4, students Rotate again and assist a will join the work of one for different research team the scientists or with their program researchers at the field centre for the day and assist them with their studies

Early morning wildlife Rotate again and assist a cruise down the different research team Kinabatangan River looking with their program for proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, hornbills and more

Lunch at MESCOT centre

Lunch at DGFC

Lunch at DGFC

Lunch at DGFC

Lunch at DGFC

Rotate again and assist a Transfer to MESCOT jetty. Transport back to different research team Take part in a seed Sandakan and flights with their program planting and work in the back to Singapore nursery the MESCOT team who are trying to protect their forest by generating income and job through eco-tourism and reforestation Lunch at DGFC Lunch at MESCOT

pm

Transfer by boat from the Continued work with the MESCOT jetty to Danau research team Girang Field Centre. Ability Expeditions staff and DGFC staff will run an expedition briefing and a safety briefing.

Continued work with the research team

Continued work with a different research team

Continued work with the research team

Continued work with the research team

Dance and cultural show at MESCOT, learn about the tradition of the indigenous people of Borneo. Settle into a homestay for the evening

eve

Dinner at DGFC - hot local buffet dinner Settle into the DGFC dormitories with 5 to a room

Dinner at DGFC - hot local buffet dinner Review of the day with the team, sharing their experience of the day and learning outcomes

Dinner at DGFC - hot local buffet dinner Presentation from a DGFC researcher on their specific field of research

Dinner at DGFC - hot local buffet dinner Review of the day with the team, sharing their experience of the day and learning outcomes

Dinner at DGFC - hot local buffet dinner Presentation from a DGFC researcher on their specific field of research

Dinner at DGFC - hot Dinner at homestay local buffet dinner Final review of the Play volleyball and football expedition, achievements with the village and future goals

O/N Dormitory

O/N Dormitory

O/N Dormitory

O/N Dormitory

O/N Dormitory

O/N Dormitory

O/N Homestay

Email: [email protected] Website: www.abilityexpeditions.com Thursday, 23 May 2013

Ability Expeditions Developing a spirit of adventure in young people

There is a wealth of wildlife around the field centre such as the Bornean elephant, slow loris, tarsiers, clouded leopards and hornbills, theses are just a few of the animals you can see and contribute to the research projects of.

The field centre is set upon the Kinabatangan River in a remote area accessible only by river boat. Wildlife cruises are the best way to spot animals as they come to drink and feeds on the banks

Email: [email protected] Website: www.abilityexpeditions.com Thursday, 23 May 2013

The team at the research centre rescue and protect wildlife that is at risk or injured

Ability Expeditions Developing a spirit of adventure in young people

How do we provide a SAFE Expedition experience? Risk assessments – Detailed risk assessments and casualty evacuation plans are prepared for all components of the programme.

Tried and tested – All routes and activities have been tried and tested with numerous student and youth groups. Our

leaders are follow the Singapore Adventure Leader Training standards and our activities comply to standards such as International Rafting Federation and PADI. Detailing of the safety standards we comply to for each activity are provided to the school with the programme outline.

Expedition leaders – Our expedition leaders have extensive local and international experience of group management, risk assessments and leading outdoor activities. They ensure that our international safety standards and procedures are followed at all times.

Experienced guides – All guides are experienced and trained in basic first aid. They have handled numerous student and youth groups previously. There will be an overall full-time leader complemented by local full-time trainers, and specialist guides as necessary.

Safety procedures – At all times there is a safety vehicle available for the group. Communication is ensured at all times and we have systems in place for all casualty evacuation eventualities.

Medical – We have first hand knowledge of the hospital facilities in the area and have easy access to a local hospital and an

excellent city hospital is only 45 minutes away. We carry first aid kits, collate medical and allergy information on all participants prior to the expeditions and have casualty evacuation plans in place for emergency.

15 years of experience - We have been established for 15 years and have extensive collective experience in running expeditions worldwide within our staff team.

Ability Expeditions Sdn Bhd KPL/LN 4668 B1317. Wisma Merdeka, Phase 2, Level 13, 88000, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Contact: Tel:+ 60 88 268289. Email: [email protected] / Website: www.abilityexpeditions.com Thursday, 23 May 2013