Earlier this year, members from the ASAP team visited our Partner, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia. Elizabeth Zhang, our Communications Officer, shares her experience.

It was early morning in February when the ASAP team arrived in Malaysia, eager to catch the start of the Southern River Terrapin nesting season in Kemaman, Terengganu. This trip was a chance for us to better understand the work of our long-standing Partner and grantee, Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCSM).

*Elizabeth with Aminah Madi, Research and Conservation Officer at TCSM and a Terrapin Guardian*

TCSM is the first non-profit organisation in Malaysia dedicated to restoring freshwater turtle populations through research and conservation, with a particular focus on the Southern River Terrapin. This species has historically been exploited for its eggs and continues to face threats from habitat destruction. Realising the need to take immediate action to prevent their extinction, TCSM, led by Dr Pelf Chen Nyok, initiated a community-based terrapin conservation project with the local community in Kemaman.

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the team, who took time to walk us through their facility – from egg incubation, to tagging and microchipping hatchlings and carrying out routine health checks on terrapins under their care.

*Staff of TCSM preparing hatchery for egg incubation.*

*Staff of TCSM carrying out routine health check on terrapin*

One of the more unique aspects of their project is the Terrapin Guardians programme. The Terrapin Guardians are local people from Kampung Pasir Gajah — many of whom are former egg poachers. TCSM engages these individuals, raises awareness about the importance of the species, and trains them to protect the turtles. Terrapin Guardians help to run river surveys, report sightings, and speak with others in their community. To date, 14 Guardians are actively supporting the programme and conducting weekly surveys.

*Terrapin Guardians preparing for river patrol*

Aminah Madi, Research and Conservation Officer at TCSM shared, “The Terrapin Guardians are important to us as they have been living alongside the river for many generations. With their knowledge of the terrapins, the rivers and nesting banks, we work together to improve our conservation efforts.”

The highlight of the trip was joining the TCSM team on a river survey to monitor for any signs of nesting activity and to visit a few of their key sites. Conservation work often comes with challenges. During the trip we found two cameras set up to monitor nesting activity had been destroyed by curious monkeys! As we travelled further downstream, we witnessed first-hand the threats that the terrapins face: sand mining operations that degrade the habitat, and discarded fishing nets that both hatchlings and adults can get entangled in. Amidst it all, we were lucky enough to spot terrapins surfacing for air – one of them a male, distinguishable by its bright golden yellow eyes.

We were also fortunate to visit one of the women tailors involved in TCSM’s initiative to empower local women in the community. Through this programme, women are engaged to design and sew handcrafted batik products, which TCSM sells to raise funds and awareness for their conservation efforts.

When we asked about her experience, the tailor shared that she enjoys being part of the programme as it gives her a creative outlet while also helping to supplement her family’s income.

TCSM were recently awarded an ASAP Continuation Grant. Pelf, a 2023 graduate of ASAP’s Network of Women Leaders programme, spoke about how beneficial this type of support is to organisations like TCSM:

“Multi-year funding is very important. For a conservation project, a very limited amount can be achieved in just one year. Having multi-year funding gives us the flexibility of exploring different methodologies to see which is the best.” Pelf added, “ASAP’s funding is also very different from other grants that we have received in the past. It gives us organisational development funds to help us build the capacity of our conservation staff.”

Unfortunately, the nesting season started late this year, and we were not lucky enough to see any nesting Terrapins. Nonetheless, the trip was incredibly valuable as it gave us chance to speak to the team directly, understand their challenges and see how different pieces of their work come together.

Fieldwork is not something I get to do often in my role as a communications officer, so this trip was a a special opportunity. Seeing the work happen in real time reinforced why this job matters. It was also my first time conducting a partner interview on-site, which gave me a deeper appreciation for the people behind the projects we support. I’m looking forward to visiting more Partners in the future and I am excited to be developing content that helps support and raise awareness of our Partner’s work.

TCSM are doing such valuable work with their ongoing efforts to protect Southern River Terrapin. We thank Dr Pelf and her team for their hospitality and taking the time to share this with us.

To learn more about ASAP’s grants and how you can apply, click here.

Stories from the field: A visit to Turtle Conservation Society Malaysia

Rescuing the Turtle Rescue Centre