KOTA KINABALU: Four certified tree climbers are set to boost conservation and operational efforts at the Sungai Pin Conservation Area by SKG Green Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Sabah's state-owned Sawit Kinabalu Group.
SKG Green Conservation and Biodiversity senior manager Charis Saliun said the trained, certified tree climbers were needed to improve efficiency and reduce annual operating costs in the company's conservation work.
He said the four certified tree climbers include one ranger who has attained advanced Level 2 certification, marking a first for SKG Green, which previously relied on external specialists for tree-based work.
He said the remaining three rangers are currently certified at Level 1, with plans already in place to upgrade their skills.
"Before this, we had to hire competent climbers for all activities that required climbing, which cost us between RM10,000 and RM20,000 a year, and our maintenance schedules were often delayed due to availability," he said on Tuesday (Jan 13).
He said only certified climbers are allowed to perform tasks such as maintaining three overhead canopy bridges for wildlife crossings, servicing eight aerial habitat nodes, installing and removing camera traps, collecting seeds, and pruning trees across the 2,632ha Sungai Pin Conservation Area.
"With our own trained climbers, our work can be carried out on time, and more camera traps can be installed higher up in trees, instead of mostly on the ground, to improve the quality of our wildlife monitoring.
"In Sabah, certified tree climbers are still limited, so this is an important capability for us. We plan to continue training our rangers and upgrading their certification," he said.
Beyond operational needs, SKG Green is also exploring ways to diversify its eco-tourism offerings by introducing guided tree-climbing activities for visitors.
"We are evaluating suitable trees near our facilities, including around the Canopy View Café, where a platform about 20m high is being considered. With certified climbers, we can ensure safety and compliance," he said.
The training was conducted by veteran tree climbing instructor Jamiluddin Jami, who has 23 years' experience.
Charis said the company also sees potential to offer professional tree-climbing services to other organisations.
"This skill set could eventually open up a new business segment for us, especially as competent tree climbers are still scarce in Sabah," he said.
