Eco-educational tour for pageant’s finalists
Posted on June 9, 2011, Thursday
LOVELY POSE: The finalists of Miss Earth Sabah 2011 during a photoshoot session on the Tip of Borneo at Simpang Mengayau.
KOTA KINABALU: After the finalists of Miss Earth Sabah 2011 travelled to the north of Sabah for their eco educational tour, they visited Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort as one of their official educational tour venues on Monday.
Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, which won the Asean Green Award last year, was next on their itinerary before returning to Kota Kinabalu.
According to the organising chairperson, Mandy Nandu, who is also Miss Earth Malaysia 2009, the girls enrolled themselves in many educational green activities during the stopover at the resort.
“The activities include a visit to the Nature Interpretation Centre (NIC) where they saw the Orang Utan rehabilitation centre.
“Later, each one of them was given a tree to plant while the most interesting activity undertaken by them during this tour was mudball making,” she said.
The finalists were elated and excited to dip their hands into the mud and later rolled them to form mudballs.
The mudballs were made of a combination of earth, EM (effective micro organism) a treated rice-rinsed water and Bokashi, a fermented organic matter made using sawdust and bran.
After the fun-filled mudball making, the finalists proceeded with the throwing of the mudballs into the ponds of Dalit golf club.
The throwing of mudballs would contribute to the environment as this green practice breaks down harmful bacteria in the water and helps to purify water.
This gave a wonderful experience to the girls as they learned the significance of taking from earth and giving back to earth.
The day ended with a beach clean-up activity with the staff of Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort and the residents from the nearby villages.
Earlier, when they visited a farm at Kampung Langkon, Kota Marudu they were briefed and had hands-on activities on waste management, eco-vermi composting that uses a species of worms to produce organic fertilizer as well as the importance of leading an organic lifestyle.
The girls proceeded to Simpang Mengayau for a photoshoot session and to enjoy one of Sabah’s most beautiful nature’s paradise before heading to Kudat Golf & Marina Resort, the official accommodation for their eco-educational tour.
“Although it was a long and tiring journey, yet they learned a lot and the tour gave them a whole new experience,” she said yesterday.
