Shah Alam, May 12, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - Portsmouth University students didn't allow COVID-19 to ruin their big field trip to Malaysia. They organized a virtual trip. They collected field data which they can use for their university field course module and learnt about conservation issues in Malaysia. This shows when there is a will there is a way.
The students from the BSc Environmental Science course at Portsmouth University should be traveling around Malaysia for their biology field trip now. They would have been working with Fuze Ecoteer to learn about urban ecology, as well as visit tropical rainforests in Taman Negara and Merapoh and then finish up studying marine ecosystems in the turquoise blue waters of Perhentian Islands.
However, due to Covid-19, things had to change. But, the pandemic shouldn't put things to a complete stop. Conservation entities like Fuze Ecoteer, which is a social enterprise conservation travel company, are suffering from 98% of school field trips to Malaysia being cancelled in 2020. It is not just Fuze Ecoteer that are suffering but right across the conservation and ecotourism sector as highlighted by Conservation Careers.
The lockdown caused by COVID-19 though has led to novel ideas such as virtual field trips, which have boomed in the past few months. You can take trips to see hurricanes, visits to zoos and even visit the Grand Canyon.
Fuze Ecoteer offers virtual field trips to all over Malaysia and that is just what the students from Portsmouth University did. The Portsmouth University students had to do a fieldwork assignment based on this trip. They were transformed from their homes to visit the people and communities on the ground in Malaysia.
They experienced 3 different topics over three days ie 5-7th May 2020. They spent two hours learning about sea turtles in Malaysia and how the Perhentian Turtle Project conducts photo identification research using the facial scutes of the turtles and how that research has helped them identify over 350 individual turtles nesting and feeding at the islands. Then, they had a detailed briefing from Izereen Mukri of the Malayan Rainforest Station learning about how the station collaborates with research entities to conduct studies on species such as flying squirrels, clouded leopard and more. Izereen also gave an insight into how they use camera traps to study species behavioral patterns.
Finally, the third session was conducted by Siti Naquiah who taught the students how the Perhentian Eco Education Project involves the local primary school children in basic citizens science initiatives such as Coral Watch and the Big Microplastic survey by Portsmouth University.
The students will use the data collected by the organisations to generate reports for their university third-year fieldwork module.
Covid-19 shouldn't stop us from doing things but we just have to do things a little differently. Virtual field trips and even virtual volunteering can really make a difference to small NGOs around the world as we all change to face the new world.
Quotes
"The incredibly in-depth description of turtles and the threats that they face in Malaysia currently and about how photo ID'ing is so essential for monitoring turtle populations, as well as for many other marine and terrestrial species! I learnt so much in such a short space of time and all my questions were answered coherently and concisely!"
"Learnt an extensive amount of information about how camera trapping is set up and works in the field and also gained a lot of knowledge about why many species are under threat within Malaysia's rainforests! Was a very interesting session and watching the camera trap footage was just incredible!" ______________________________________
Notes to editor
About Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures
Fuze Ecoteer Outdoor Adventures is a social enterprise conservation travel company which aims to connect people with nature. They run of their own conservation projects, Perhentian Turtle Project, Perhentian Marine Research Station and the Perhentian Eco-Education project. They are a Malaysian licenced travel agency and are leading immersive school and university programmes throughout Malaysia which visit their projects and other NGO's around Malaysia. In 2019, their activities contributed over RM400,000 to local communities in the locations they work. Visit www.fuze-ecoteer.com for more information.
If you would like to contact any of the students or people involved please see the contact details below.
Raw versions of the images are available upon request.
Contact Details
Daniel Quilter, Managing Director, Fuze Ecoteer - Daniel@fuze-ecoteer.com
Sarah Reynolds, Senior Lecturer, Portsmouth University, sarah.reynolds@port.ac.uk
Raw versions of the images are available upon request.
Media Contact
Fuze Ecoteer
0122173208
22 Jalan Setia Impian U13/4f, Setia Alam
Source :Fuze Ecoteer
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
