Report: Citizen Science Nature Camp (CAKE14)
Group photo by: Mohd Amril Ramzi Mohd Rahimi / FRIM
Members: 27
Non-Members: 7
The 14th edition of Climate Action Kids Engagement (CAKE) launched 2025 with its first-ever overnight Citizen Science Nature Camp at Kem Perah, Site A within the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Kepong—recently declared Malaysia’s latest UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The event from 20th to 21st September 2025 was jointly organised by the MNS Selangor Branch (MNSSB) and FRIM’s Urban Forestry Branch, with participation from the MNSSB Bird, Flora, and Herp Special Interest Groups (SIGs).
Open to the public, the camp welcomed 34 participants—7 non-members and 27 members—supported by 10 volunteer MNSSB mentors and five FRIM staff. MNSSB secured the camp dates with a deposit, while the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), through its Urban Forestry Programme, kindly sponsored the accommodation, catering, and guided night walk.
After a warm welcome and introductions by MNS Selangor Branch mentor HY Leong and FRIM’s Muhammad Ammar Zamir, participants received a safety briefing from camp warden Mohd Seiful Salehin. The group then joined a lively icebreaker game — momentarily interrupted by a troop of long-tailed macaques, who cheekily made off with some of the prizes! (mandarin oranges)
Participants then learned to set up four-person tents with guidance from Seiful, assisted by CAKE mentors Ramon Fadli and several other volunteer mentors helped put up tents for two families arriving later in the day. Afternoon sessions featured introductions to flora, birds, and herpetofauna by Yao Tze Leong (Flora SIG), YM Liew and Arhwin (Bird SIG), and Marcus Lim (Herp SIG), followed by a short quiz with science-themed enamel pin prizes. These sessions aimed to provide participants with foundational knowledge and good field etiquette before observing, documenting, and contributing wildlife sightings to citizen science platforms.
Later, FRIM staff—Ammar, Wan Mohd Hakimi Wan Hamizi, and Law Siow Fei—accompanied participants by buggy to the tree-planting site, where FRIM’s Norsham Yaakob demonstrated proper sapling planting techniques. A light rain shortened the session, and not all saplings were planted.
After a delicious BBQ dinner (kudos to the FRIM staff and volunteers for starting up the fire and barbecuing the food), participants joined evening field activities. One group embarked on a guided night walk, while another conducted a herpetofauna survey led by 13-year-old Marcus, assisted by Arhwin, Lim Koon Hup, and FRIM staff. For example, sightings included:
Common wolf snake (Lycodon capucinus)
Malacca frog (Phrynella pulchra)
Malayan horned frog (Pelobratrachus nasutus)
Rhinoceros frog (Limnonectes plicatellus)
After breakfast, participants split into smaller groups for morning activities. Birdwatchers observed garden and wetland species at Paya Burung with Liu Lai Wah and Ramon, and forest birds around Kem Perah with YM and Arhwin.
Meanwhile, Yao and Koon Hup introduced participants at Fruit Arboretum 2 to native fruit trees that provide food for resident and migratory birds. The participants helped to pick up litter in the arboretum that is located beside a school. Younger participants returned to camp for a clay leaf art session with HY, while older participants, led by Yao, stayed behind to measure the diameter at breast height (DBH) of 20 trees at the fruit tree arboretum.
After regrouping, participants prepared and presented their findings at a mini citizen science forum, showcasing their observations. We capped off the children's presentations with a 12-year-old sharing why she enjoyed the clay leaf art activity.
Bird observations were reported to Cornell Lab's eBird as follows:
Paya Burung: https://ebird.org/checklist/S274813667
Kem Perah & surrounding areas: https://ebird.org/checklist/S275223946
While participants were out exploring the survey sites within FRIM, special acknowledgement is due to the Jaga Kem crew — MNSSB Bird Group members Tai Ping Ling and YK Liew — who diligently managed camp duties. They patrolled the campsite to safeguard participants’ belongings and ensured that wildlife remained outside the camp boundaries. In addition, they took care to keep mosquito coils lit at the common areas, and assisted during mealtimes by serving the catered food to participants and FRIM staff before taking the time to eat themselves.
Following lunch, the warden demonstrated how to dismantle tents, and everyone joined a final gotong-royong cleanup. Before departure at 3:30pm, each participant received a succulent plant as a farewell gift from the CAKE mentors.
Participant Reflections
Here’s what some of our members shared about their experience at the Citizen Science Nature Camp:
Khadijah Khalid:
“We had an awesome family time during this camp. Thank you for accommodating our five children. This was our first camping trip together as a family—sleeping in tents—although we’ve joined many nature excursions and glamping trips before. We learned so many new things, especially about herping, tree conservation, birdwatching, and climate change. Most importantly, we got to mingle with and learn from other like-minded families and passionate nature experts and activists. The best part was seeing our young children make new friends in a natural environment, with no gadgets involved. Thank you MNS Selangor and FRIM—we were well taken care of, and we returned home in one piece, with our hearts full.”
Dom Wong:
“All the knowledge and sharing from the mentors and volunteers were wonderful. It was especially like having an outdoor classroom experience.”
A. Leong:
“Learning how to bird better with Lai Wah! I truly appreciated the thoughtfulness, friendliness, and kindness of the MNS Selangor volunteers—especially in how they cared for all the children. FRIM, what a treasure we have.”
Sue Lynn:
“I really enjoyed the camping experience (a first for me!), the presentations, the night walk, and learning from the birdwatching group. Having a 13-year-old present and lead the herp survey was especially impressive!”
The Citizen Science Nature Camp was a memorable start to CAKE’s 2025 activities, fostering curiosity, collaboration, and appreciation for Malaysia’s natural heritage. The enthusiastic participation, insightful mentoring, and strong partnership between MNS Selangor Branch and FRIM made the camp a success—nurturing the next generation of young eco-citizens and nature advocates.
