Herbal garden at forest reserve

Herbal garden at forest reserve

THE Friends of Kota Damansara (FoKD) was brought together in their fight to save the forest from development and it eventually became a close-knit community. However, their work did not stop with the forest reserve’s gazettement.

“Our work actually began from there but there’s so much more we ought to do to protect and preserve our community forest, which we see as an ecological platform for nation building, from both the environmental and social aspects,” said FoKD co-chairman Dr Jeffrey Phang.

The group proudly unveiled their latest achievement — a herbal garden they named after Local Agenda 21 (LA21) and the Green Communities programme — recently at the forest reserve.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, Subang MP R. Sivarasa, Kota Damansara assemblyman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, representatives from Selangor Forestry Department officiated at the launch.
Gems for the future: Roslan (right), Landscape and Urban Greening Department director Zuraidah Sainan (left) and Nasir planting a sapling at the LA21 Herbal Garden in Kota Damansara.

“We feel that LA21 will be a meaningful name for the herbal garden. The secret of achieving good social impact lies in working together, and this is all embraced in the concept of LA21,” Dr Phang said.

The herbal garden, occupying a site previously filled with bushes and domestic waste, is complete with disabled friendly facilities as well as BBQ pit and camp site for a great family outing next to the jungle.

Dr Phang thanked the local council and relevant government departments for their attention and assistance in matters pertaining to the forest reserve, adding that the community strengthened with the involvement of the orang asli community would continue the endeavour in an integrated, inclusive and inter-dependant manner.

Roslan congratulated the group and pledged his full support for all green efforts, adding that it was everyone’s obligation to go green in the face of climate change that caused the many catastrophes across the globe.

“Making the environment green has always been our priority, we have always been providing assistance and sometimes allocations to the caretakers of Bukit Gasing, Damansara Damai and Kota Damansara forests as well as Kelana Jaya lake among others.

“As long as I am the mayor, there will be no development in these places,” he said.

Nasir expressed his excitement over the herbal garden as it would enable the community to benefit from the plants’ medicinal values while appreciating nature.

Sivarasa said the success of the programme was an actual manifestation of LA21.

“We think the state should also consider a more permanent form of protecting the forest, to set a law so that future governments cannot degazette it easily.

“It was the first forest reserve in the country, gazetted by the British government, but was then taken from the people for development, this is what’s left for us,” he said.

-News courtesy of The Star-