Written by Wild Asia on 29 Jan 2010 with 2 comments. Contribute!

With news that the tree-planting area at Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF) is being threatened by new development, how will Wild Asia address this issue as trees planted by donors are at stake? A quick Q& A with Reza Azmi, Founder of Wild Asia, on the background of "Plant a Tree" at KDCF.

What is the vision behind "Plant a Tree"?

"PAT" was a concept we developed as a leveraging tool. We wanted to use the act of tree planting as a means to engage and involve people in taking some kind of responsibility for our natural environment. It was a tool to see the protection of a natural area either directly or by creating awareness.

Why did you choose Kota Damansara Community Forest as a site to support?

When we first floated the idea to the residents living in Kota Damansara and were directly involved in the trail building at KDCF we had all agreed that "PAT" might work to bring awareness of the importance of KDCF as a natural area for the local community at large. The site chosen for the tree party was an extension of land directly adjacent to KDCF that was barren. The idea was to effectively increase the potential of the land to be a thriving, living forest in years to come.

How successful was the tree party event organised?

The total number of trees planted that day exceeded 300 but what was amazing to see was the event itself attracted some 500 over people to the site; it generated a buzz on social networks and picked up by media. Looking back, the tree planting event reached out to thousands and highlighted the importance of KDCF and natural areas as a whole. That in itself was a success.

When did you hear about the possible development?

Probably the first time was in October 2009 when some friends were at a government department and they were alerted because they knew the site was planted with trees previously. The next piece of news we heard was early this year when some residents came across surveyors who were marking the boundary of the site. The natural thing to do was to alert the residents we knew and wait for some direction on the next course of action.

What should we do now that a development is about to take place?

In the spirit of PAT it's important we use this as our leveraging tool. Yes it is private land, but natural areas on private or public land are important. I think the best direction is to channel our energies to informing the developer that we care. If enough people speak up for what they care for I feel that we could help chart a new course for the development.

What I am hoping is that the developer sees this as an opportunity for working with the community and protects the trees by incorporating them into their design plans. If they are going to be damaged, then at the very least, we could get help to dig up the existing trees and have them replanted elsewhere.

What message do you have for the supporters of PAT?

PAT was always more than "the tree" or the "act of planting." PAT stands as a symbol for what we care for and materialize the vision we have for the spaces we live in. Now is the time for our voice to be heard and to let the developer, in fact, all developers know that natural spaces are important and that they have a rightful place in any development plan.

For latest updates follow us on Facebook or on our website.

Teckwyn

Guest

Sunday, 31 January 2010 at 9:48 AM:

Please can you let us know how to contact the land owner?

reza

Wild Asia Staff 05-Jun-2004 Posts: 21

Sunday, 31 January 2010 at 4:56 PM:

Little birdie tells me this is the holding company...we have difficulty verifying. Worth contacting anyway as they are major developer for the area. Here you go: http://ow.ly/12eRQ