PETALING JAYA: Raleigh Malaysia will be hosting 25 eligible young people aged from 17 to 24 on a two-week expedition to the Taliwas River Conservation Area (TRCA) from Aug 4-18.
It will prepare aspiring candidates so that they will be able to contribute to the environment, rather than just be mere tourists, when they sign up for Raleigh Taliwas Mini Expedition 2023.
In the spirit of promoting resilience and independence, participants are also expected to raise their own funds for this trip, rather than just asking their parents or guardians for money.
Fees are expected to start from RM900, excluding flights to Lahad Datu.
Activities will be centred on the TRCA headquarters, which is located about 450km by road from the state capital of Kota Kinabalu, or about 40km from Lahad Datu.
The Taliwas River area, which is within the famed Danum Valley Conservation Area, is one of the five areas under Yayasan Sabah’s conservation efforts, along with Danum Valley, Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon and Silam Coast.
Previously known as Taliwas Camp by Sabah Forestry Department, TRCA covers a unique lowland forest area of about 9,546ha.
In the mid-1970s to 1980s, some of the areas within TRCA underwent agroforestry intervention or silvicultural treatments through girdling and enrichment planting by the Sabah Forestry Department, before its management was handed over to Yayasan Sabah in 1991.
Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition and structure as well as quality of forests to meet certain objectives, in particular timber production.
In fact, TRCA is enriched with dipterocarps, and is managed by Yayasan Sabah for research, education, training and ecotourism.
TRCA is now a family-friendly destination as it has a highly accessible waterfall, coupled with crystal clear river water and fish in the Taliwas River, along with water bodies that attract wildlife.
According to Raleigh Malaysia communication officer Ru Yi Teh, participants can look forward to a trip like no other, as they will be actively contributing, rather than just being passive visitors.
“You will help with the conservation and sustainable management of landscapes in the area. There are opportunities to have fun and work with rangers and researchers to learn more about our beautiful Sabah,” said Teh.
Raleigh Malaysia will also be having an introduction weekend at Kuala Kubu Baru in Selangor from June 16-18 so that aspiring participants can get a taste of how the Taliwas expedition would be like.
More information about the Taliwas expedition can be found on RaleighKL Facebook page.
