Spreading the green message

FROM the day he first delivered his conservation message to a group of primary schoolgirls in 1977, A. Lasal has never looked back. Thus began his career as an education officer with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia.

Twenty-five years down the road, Lasal is just as excited and enthusiastic about his work as the day he first started. His zeal and concern for the environment are all too apparent whenever anyone broaches the subject.

Lasal, 50, is attached to WWF Malaysia’s Mobile Education Unit (MEU). He has probably visited more schools and spoken to more students than any education official in the country.

 

Picking up garbage is just part of Lasal`s duty as WWF Malaysia`s education officer. His other duties include visiting schools and speakign to students about environmental issues.

Up to last year, Lasal has logged 4,187 schools and addressed about 1.3 million students, exposing them to a wide range of environmental issues.

Recalling his first day at work, Lasal said: “I was trembling in front of the crowd. I was so conscious of the 300-odd pairs of eyes staring at me. Environmental education was a relatively new issue then. I had no training when I jumped into it.”

A zoological graduate and a science teacher for two years, Lasal decided that he is most effective when talking about nature, a subject close to his heart. He has come a long way since, learning through trial and error, to become the engaging speaker that he is today.

Topics for the educational programmes are periodically revised to keep abreast with current developments. Lasal usually focuses on the prevailing ecosystem within a state which the pupils can identify with.

“In Perak, for example, we would discuss the mangrove forest – its flora and fauna, its function and threats to the forest. I would then introduce WWF’s role in conserving this important ecosystem.

“Where I used to talk about the leatherback turtles in the East Coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu, now I focus on the threats to the turtles rather than the biological aspects.”

Lasal firmly believes environmental awareness must start with the young, or else it would defeat the purpose of any conservation programmes.

“It is not enough to just distribute pamphlets. The personal touch makes a long-lasting impact compared to printed literature.”

Students who want to do more for the environment are recruited into WWF Rangers, an effective extension of the educational programme, to keep their interests up.

“I always tell the students that the lesson does not end with the programme and that they can continue to be concerned about the environment and pass the message on to their children.

“In this way, we hope to achieve the multiplying effect. We encourage them to start as a WWF Ranger. When they are above 18, they can become a Kawan WWF,” said Lasal.

Lasal’s passion for environmental conservation is such that he refused to be hampered by any language barrier. He even visits Tamil and Chinese schools, picking up keywords on the environment from the teachers and students. His infectious enthusiasm won him the support of a few teachers who volunteered to translate the topics for him.

WWF’s Mobile Education Unit first started as a joint education programme with shoe manufacturer Bata. The company has remained a faithful sponsor all these years, supporting the new features introduced by MEU.

While slide shows and quizzes typified the earlier years of the programme, the students are now given hands-on experience and invited for trips to reinforce what they have learnt.

“Last year, we launched the special events programme where we get the schools involved in environment-themed community projects. We take the students out of their classrooms so that they can see for themselves the effects of human activities on the environment. This gives the conservation message a greater impact,” said Lasal.

Lasal’s job takes him away from his home in Petaling Jaya, 25 days a month. The father of two boys aged 13 and 15, Lasal is thankful for having an understanding and supportive wife.

After all these years, it is not uncommon for Lasal to come across a school principal or teacher who had once attended his talks as a student.

As a nature lover with a mission and a vision, Lasal is happiest when he meets former students who tell him that his conservation messages have impacted their lives, and they are now with him in heart and spirit, championing the same cause.

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