Turtle Con-What? It's Called Turtle Conservation!

Let's picture our future for awhile. Will it be like this?

A seven year old child is playing with her toys during her play time. Deep in her imagination, she picks up her favorite barbie doll named Lucy, combs its hair and begin mimicking the dolls voice as if it was alive talking. While doing so, she quickly notices her other favorite toy, not knowing what exactly it is, which was given to her as a gift for her birthday. It was a green round shaped soft toy with flat 'legs', a turtle. She then placed the barbie doll on the turtle, as if it was the doll's carriage, moving her way around the kingdom. The child paused for a moment thinking, then skips to her mummy...

Child: Mummy, what is this actually?
Mother: Its a turtle honey. Why?
Child: Just wondering. Mummy where do turtles live?
Mother: They live in the sea, but turtles swim to the beach to lay eggs.
Child: (excited) Oh mummy! can we go and see turtles one day? At the beach?
Mother: I wish I could show you a real life turtle darling, Unfortunately they don't exist anymore.
Child: (sad tone) I don't understand.. What do you mean mum?
Mother: They've already extinct, meaning the last turtle died many years ago.....

How sad will it be for our future generations if Turtles don't exist anymore. They would probably have this pictures to look at, or the same skeleton of a Turtle in the museum only; just like dinosaurs.

But if everyone plays their part in conserving the Turtles, our future generations can still get to see them. Well of course it's not just one person's effort, but collectively everyone's effort to conserve turtles. Help mother nature a bit. 

In Malaysia, conservation efforts for the 4 types of turtles, as elaborated by Chang Minjun in the earlier blog post(see How Many Type of Turtles in Malaysia), have started all the way back in the 1980s. Many organizations related to turtle conservation are going all out in their effort to educate and encourage the public on turtle conservation. 

The question is, how do we conserve turtles? Many campaigns and programs have been organized for Malaysians to do their part. Some includes educational campaigns for the younger generation to be aware of this issue as well. And of course our Connect To Conserve campaign organized by Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication(Public Relations) Year 1 students of TAR University College is one fine example of an educative campaign in support of WWF-Malaysia, together with Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) as our partner.

Well, you can do your part in helping the conservation of turtles too! How? It all comes down to the basics. THE VERY FIRST, stop purchasing and consuming turtle eggs. Economics concept, if there is no demand, there will not be any supply necessary. In Malaysia, places like Terengganu is famous for consuming turtle eggs. This also applies to things that are made out of turtle parts, such as jewelry, guitar pick, cigarette cases and other decorative ornaments. 

Turtle eggs being sold in the market.

Tourist eating turtle eggs.

Next, by pledging to save turtles. "What you said? pledge?" Yes, pledge. Many people do not know the power they posses when they pledge to save something. Through the collection of pledge done by WWF-Malaysia, we can amend the law to ban leatherback turtle egg consumption in Malaysia; as it is one of the biggest cause of turtle extinction, it is no use when a mother turtle lays about 100 eggs every time and humans keep eating them and that causes the population of turtle eggs to decline even further. Hence all the more we should strive harder to save turtles by starting with saving their eggs first. 

We, the Sea Army, is ready to help WWF-Malaysia with the collection of pledges. So be sure to be there at our event(details are as below) and visit our Connect To Conserve FB Page to know more about our campaign. 

Date: 10th - 12th July 2013

Time: 10am - 5pm

Venue: TAR University College, College Hall.

And of course, don't forget to bring along your old mobile phones for these turtles! :)

See you there!

Posted by, 

Lee Marilyn

Project Manager

Connect to Conserve

Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication(Public Relations) Year 1

School of Social Science and Humanities

Tunku Abdul Rahman University College

Let's Protect! Let's Conserve!

 “Melaka has turtles? For real?” is a common response when Melaka and turtles are mentioned together in a sentence. And yes, we, the Sea Army, students from Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication (Public Relations) Year 1 are honoured to get support from Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Malaysia) to save the turtles in Melaka.

Did you know that only 1 in 10,000 turtle hatchlings make it to become adults? Why actually causes the turtles are now at risk? The causes are as follows: -

• Human harvesting of turtles and their eggs.
• Destruction of habitats.
• Accidental caught by fishing nets.
• Water pollution caused by oil spill and waste disposal.
• Illegal sale and consumption of turtle eggs.

Source: WWF-Malaysia Quarterly Magazine 2012,Issue 3, p.9

The turtle eggs being stolen by the human.

Turtles and their eggs are homeless due to the construction work.

The turtle was accidentally caught into the net.

The heartless people do not dispose of the plastic bag carefully and this causes turtle accidentally eating plastic bag instead of jelly fish.

Some of the turtle eggs illegally being sold at Pasar Besar Kedai Payang in Kuala Terengganu.

In the latest study of Nokia (2012), there is only 9% of people recycled their old phones. Why phone recycling is important? First, phone can endanger sea turtles by the mercury of the phone and also the phone batteries as the acid leaches not only into the soil but also goes into the ground water. Second, the phone materials can be recovered and transformed into new products such as plastic fence posts, gold rings and aluminium cans. Apart from that, recycling old phone can help to reduce pollution and also to generate energy. 

What is the first thing that you can think of once talking about turtle? Sea? Endangered? It should be Malaysia. It is because turtle is Malaysia’s national icon. You can notice that the sea turtles are on the reversed side of the new  4^th series RM20 banknote.

The two well-known species of sea turtles, Hawksbill Turtle and Leatherback Turtle were chosen to represent Malaysia’s rich and colourful marine life. It is also a reminder from government so that Malaysians could make some effort in conserving marine life.

Turtles- Penyu are our friends, why we should harm them? Come and join us to accomplish this green mission together! You just have to: -

• Bring your unwanted phone(s) for recycling during our 3 days-campaign  (10^th to 12^th July 2013, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, TARUC College Ha­­­ll)
• Play (station games and first real-life experience Angry Turtles), visit and learn (exhibition about phone recycling and the importance of conserving the turtles)  in our campaign.
• Pleging not to consume turtles parts or eggs.

Let’s start conserving turtles and balancing the healthy marine ecosystem today!

Turtles need your old phone(s) to bring them home! 

A Phone Recycled, A Future for Turtle.

You may find out more about saving turtle mission on our  Connect to Conserve official Facebook page.

Posted by:

Jennifer Chin Sook Yee

Turtles are Treasures !!

In collaboration with Nokia Sustainability DIvision (SEAP), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College and WWF-Malaysia as beneficiary. It's just a fresh combination of cooperation in order to promote a green project which saving sea turtles in Pantai Padang Kemunting, Malacca. Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) has been in a number of times by contributing in green project , such as re-planting trees previously.

But of course, saving turtles it's not the first time that Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) doing. But why Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) chosen to save sea turtles? Is this shows we should concerned about environmental issue? Or we should care more about nature creature? Why is it saving sea turtles in Malacca? And how they save those turtles?

It's been a lot of confusion and questions been asking around. Sea turtles is one of the most precious animals in Malaysia. Why are they so precious and what makes them so special? It's because there's a certain period of season, the sea turtles will swim to the sea side where near to the Malacca and lay their eggs. In 2006 and 2007, WWF-Malaysia fitted five hawksbills that nested on Malacca's beaches with satellite transmitters. It is one of the most interesting and attractive moment while the tourists around the world would purposely have a tour by only take a look at this amazing scene in their life.

Hatching season of sea turtles are from March to September

Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) is trying to conserve these cute little sea turtles and attempt to get them back to the ocean by recycling phones. People might curious about how recycle a unused phone could helps to conserving turtles. The reason of Nokia are re-collect the unused phone is because the one of the reasons to cause extinction of sea turtles are affected by components of mobile, such as the alkaline in the battery of cell phone. Nokia are decomposing the components inside an unused phone are divided into pieces accordingly and reproduce' into other things, such as instruments and many others stuff.

How Nokia Contributed in Recycling Old Phones

Please find out more during our campaign to know more about our 'Connect 2 Conserve' campaign in regarding 'How Recycling a Phone Conserving Sea Turtles'. Following are details for our event :

Date      : 10th - 12nd July 2013
Time      : 10am - 5pm
Venue   : College Hall, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College

For more details and interesting information , please log on to our Facebook page.
Connect to Conserve FB page

Cheers, stay tuned !!

Chee Weng Hoh
Head of Sponsorship Team
Connect to Conserve
Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication (Public Relations)
School of Social Science & Humanities
Tunku Abdul Rahman University College

How Many Type of Turtle In Malaysia?

Malaysia is a beautiful country which holding rich natural sources. Marine turtle a.k.a Penyu(Bahasa Malaysia) is one of the treasure of Malaysia. We should proud to born on this wonderful land, because we have 4 type of turtle and one of it is world largest turtle.

Hawksbills Turtles

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man

Hawksbills Turtle always avoid deep waters, they are more preferring coastlines where sponges are abundant and sandy nesting sites are within reach. Hawksbills will growing up to 45 inches (114 cm)
in shell length and it weight can reach 150 pounds (68 KG).While young, their carapace is heart-shaped and as they mature it carapace will elongates.

It is the largest population of marine turtle that found in Turtle Island of Sabahm and Malacca's sandy coastline has the second largest populatio, while Johor and Terengganu have lower numbers of Hawksbills.

Leatherback Turtles 

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man

Leatherbacks are the largest turtle on the earth and it also one of the largest living reptiles. it will growing up to 7 feet (2 meters) long and exceeding 2,000 pounds(900 KG). While all other sea turtle have hard, bony shell but leatherbacks is different with other, it carapace(shell) are somewhat flexible, distinguished and almost rubbery to the touch.

Although leatherbacks is the most largest turtle, but surprised it is the most migratory of all the marine turtle. Leatherbacks can be found in rantau Abang, Terengganu and its population has declined by more than 99% since the 1960s.

Olive Ridley Turtles

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man

The Olive Ridley turtle is named for the generally greenish color of its skin and shell, and it is the smallest among all the marine turtle. It weighing up to 100 pounds(45 KG)and reaching only about 2 feet(65 cm) in shell length.

These migratory turtles often travel thousands of kilometers between feeding and nesting sites. During nesting, they use the wind and the tide to help them reach the beach. Females lay about a hundred eggs, but may nest up to three time a years. Very little is know about these turtle in Malaysia.

Green Turtles

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man

The Green Turtle is endangered, it have smooth carapace(shell) and lack-brown or greenish yellow but is so called because of the greenish color of their cartilage and fat deposits. Green Turtle are among the largest sea turtle in the world and it will growing up to 700 pounds (317.5 KG) and with a heart-shaped carapace that measures up to 5 feet (1.5 meters).

Green Turtle is the most abundant species in Malaysia, it nests in great number on sandy beaches and islands of Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Perak.

A Phone Recycled, A Future for Turtle.

Do find out more in our official Facebok Page : https://www.facebook.com/connecttoconserve

Cheers,

Chang Minjun

Sponsorship Executive

Connect to Conserve

Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication (Public Relations) Year 1

School of Social Science & Humanities

Tunku Abdul Rahman University College

Challenge Accepted!

Challenge Accepted!

Noticing the number of marine turtles in most places has declined and some of them are on the brink of extinction, we, the Sea Armies, students from Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication (Public Relations), Year 1, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARUC) have taken up the challenge to strive for these beautiful creatures.

Sea Army has now come up with a campaign - Connect to Conserve with the concept of Under the Sea to educate people about the turtle conservation work done by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Malaysia), encourage people to get involved in phone recycling greatly supported by Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) and also raise funds to protect the turtles.

We are fortunate to tie up with Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) for this green mission to save the turtles and also contribute to the marine ecosystem. Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) will generously donate 1 USD to WWF for each phone recycled and 1 USD for our Connect to Conserve campaign. Big thank-you for Nokia!

There will be a lot of fun and exciting activities held in the Connect to Conserve event such as exhibitions demonstrating the importance of conserving the turtles and environments and also the significance of recycling phones, 3-Dimension Phone Recycling Factory, Mini Cinema, Photo Booth, Station Games, Pledge for the turtles and more! Participants can get to experience the first ever real-life Angry Turtles in the campus too! For those environmental enthusiasts or animals lovers, please feel free to visit the WWF booth for more environment related information.

Details of the Connect to Conserve campaign are as below:

Date:  10^th-12^th July 2013

Time: 10am – 5pm

Venue: College Hall, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College

With the cooperation of TARUC, great support from Nokia Sustainability Division (SEAP) and professional conservation knowledge from WWF, we believe that we could get our mission accomplished!

A Phone Recycled, A Future for Turtle.

Do our part as an earthling. Save the earth. Save the environment. Save our dinosaur-like friends – Penyu. Come join us today!

You may find out more in our official Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/connecttoconserve?skip_nax_wizard=true

Cheers,

Chan Kar May 

External Relations Executive

Connect to Conserve

Advanced Diploma in Mass Communication (Public Relations) Year 1

School of Social Science & Humanities

Tunku Abdul Rahman University College