CONSERVATION WORK: Some of the geology students enter the Great Cave.
MIRI: A total 46 Curtin University geology students and five academic staff took part in the first ‘Curtin Cave Clean-up’ recently to help conserve Niah’s Great Cave and Painted Cave.
Applied Geology senior lecturer Dr Dominique Dodge-Wan said the project was to help return a small area of planet Earth to its original unpolluted state in line with Curtin’s ‘Make Tomorrow Better’ tagline and environmental sustainability efforts.
“I was very impressed by our students’ dedication and enthusiasm during the clean-up. They worked tirelessly both above and below ground in the caves and removed a large volume of waste from the areas we covered. I am sure these students will be able to contribute much to society in the future,” she said.
Participants removed over 30 large bags of refuse, which consisted mainly of drinking water bottles, discarded batteries, food wrappers and some bulky waste such as old cables. Most of the accessible parts of the Great Cave, Upper Painted Cave and lesser-known Lower Painted Cave were cleared of all visible refuse.
Sharp waste, such as glass and tins, was carted away in strong sacks while lighter waste was discarded in garbage bags.
Students carried the waste to Niah Park Headquarters for disposal by Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).
“The park rangers and our staff did an excellent job of keeping the students safe and motivated in the difficult conditions of the cave. At the end of the day, I believe all the students had a great sense of satisfaction and gained a deeper understanding of the particular vulnerability of the caves and karst environment, as well as the need to protect this valuable geo-heritage,” added Dodge-Wan.
The operation was supported by the Sarawak Forest Department and SFC, which assisted in identifying the areas of priority underground.
Curtin’s University Life Department also lent its support to the event.