Nature Guide Course at Fraser’s Hill

Members of the local community of Fraser’s Hills from different walks of life recently took part in a nature guide course titled Latihan Asas Pemandu Pelancong Alam Semulajadi (LAPPAS) organised by the Majlis Tindakan Pelancongan Negeri Pahang (the Pahang State Tourism Action Council under the Ministry of Tourism) with the co-operation of WWF-Malaysia.

Shahzan Inn in Fraser’s Hill, the venue of the course, was a hive of activity over five days between the 11th and 20th August 2009. The ultimate objective of the training was to create a cohort of nature guides who are knowledgeable, responsible and environmentally-conscious who will contribute towards the development and progress of eco-tourism and the conservation of Fraser’s Hill. 

There were a total of 18 participants in all with 7 trainers. The modules covered included introduction to basic guiding, communication skills, montane forests, Fraser Hill’s tourism products, bird watching, the flora and fauna of Fraser’s Hills, risk management and safety as well as environmental legislations, issues and conservation concepts. There were both theoretical and practical sessions involved. Participants were exposed to a side of Fraser’s Hill they might have not encountered before.

Much alike high school, participants took assignments home too. Group work and presentations gave everyone a chance to speak up and ideas seemed to come from all corners of the room. There were daily review tests that gave participants a forum to discuss their answers and expand on them. The final assessment involved both an oral and written assignment. The written one covered all nine modules of the training whereas the oral test was situational. Participants were asked to explain or act out how they would react should they be in a certain situation.

Anandha Prabu a/l Kumarasamy, a hotel management student who was a participant of the course, enthused, “I gained confidence in public speaking. The course is also very relevant to us because it equips us with a lot more knowledge of Fraser's Hill and thus, makes it easier to talk to tourists about Fraser's Hill”. He also mentioned that the trainers are great and friendly.

“The training gave me the opportunity to learn new things and make new friends. I hope that this training can be conducted more in the future so that we will not forget what we have learned”, said Afiq bin Amin, a handicraft maker. He also hoped that future training will contain more outdoor sessions as it makes the learning process easier for him.

Nalini, Sales Manager of Shahzan Inn, commented that “The course is very good, the assignments are heavy but I understand that it is necessary. I also like the practical sessions better including the group work - presentation, role play, etc as it is easier to understand the material. I hope that in the near future that there would be refresher courses in the form of hikes through the trails, for instance, lead by experienced guides so that I would not forget what I have learned”.

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About WWF-Malaysia:
WWF-Malaysia (World Wide Fund for Nature-Malaysia), the national conservation trust, currently runs more than 75 projects covering a diverse range of environmental protection work. Since 1972, WWF-Malaysia has worked on important conservation projects, from saving endangered species such as tigers and turtles, to protecting our highland forests, rivers and seas. We also undertake environmental education and advocacy work to achieve conservation goals. By conserving our natural resources, WWF-Malaysia is helping to protect our livelihoods,

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