FASHION FOREST @ RESORTS WORLD GENTING
Nature discovery via Resorts World Genting's Fashion Forest
~ Offers all kinds of activities that bring people closer to nature
~
The best of nature is
at our doorstep—we just need a bit of expert guidance to discover the treasure
trove of unique flora and fauna found in the pristine forests of Genting
Highlands.
Straggling oak trees,
exotic hornbills and rehabilitated pitcher plants are among the wondrous
sights that await discovery, and at Resorts World Genting, Treks Nature
Enterprise has made it its mission to demystify nature—by also using social
media and digital technologies.
Yes, nature meets
technology is the order of the day at the resort—a project dubbed Fashion Forest by the good
people behind Treks who proclaim that “an alliance of rainforests waits to be
discovered.” Their answer:
A whole range
of programmes that
would introduce you to
the natural features tucked away in Genting Highlands. Essentially, those who
participate in the programmes get to learn
about nature and
mindfully capture it in social
media in order to create awareness of the need to conserve
it.
Dato' Edward
Holloway, Senior Vice President of Resorts World Genting said, ‘Awana
offers a 130 millionth year old jungle with very rich biodiversity for
nature lovers to savour. We are now working with Treks Nature Enterprise to
bring nature to nature lovers in a fashionable way, thus the name Fashion
Forest is created.’
The focus of Fashion
Forest are the forests in Genting Highlands —located between 3,000 ft and 6,000
ft above sea level. There are three forest types Treks refers to as “alliance
of rainforests.”
These are divided
into four groups, namely Fashio n Forest at Awana (upper Dipterocarp Forest 3,000
ft above sea level), Slay Forest at Chin Swee Temple (Montane Oak Forest some
4,500 ft above sea level), Chocolate Forest (Montane Ericaceous Forest some
6,000 ft above sea level), and Skyride Forest in Awana.
The rustic realm of
the countryside promises education, fun and adventure whether you are a
stressed out urbanite in need of some downtime or a weekend warrior seeking the
adrenaline rush provided by sports and vigorous outdoor activities. Treks has
programmes for every need— from nature walks for the whole family to
sports-oriented teambuilding programmes for corporations and organisations.
Inspiration Behind
Fashion Forest
The name “Fashion Forest”
calls to mind supermodels and catwalks —and, well, it is meant to. Participants
are encouraged to dress in their best as they commune with nature. Describing
it as “a new paradigm
in nature walks,” Treks
says it has
re-invented the way
to explore nature through a concept called Eco
Chic—where you “dress up and walk with
attitude and with that wow factor.” This is said to be important in order for
you to get passionate about nature and share your experiences through social
media.
Certainly all the programmes offered are therapeutic as participants will lear n to count their blessings by
appreciating the “simpler” things in life—things people do not ordinarily
notice like a dead tree trunk or a
forest herb, says
Treks. The organisation
aims to “re-image how
art, music, fashion and social media can help us love nature more
spontaneously.”
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| Signed a Celebri-Tree Pledge to "Plant A Tree In Someone's Heart" |
The intention is to
introduce art forms like painting and sculpting into the forest environment,
while at the same time turning it into a platform for the enjoyment of music.
Toward this end, live performances of
musical events are
held, and likewise
designer furniture and
other fashionable amenities are installed
to create an artistic and creative atmosphere. In line with this, fashion labels and popular
animated characters from the world of film can be introduced to spice things
up.
An important element
to ensure the success of Fashion Forest is the availability of internet
connectivity—participants can expect to enjoy this free. Technology is
utilised to help people “see more, discover more and enjoy more” through
fun and practical ways—via visual aids like the
Natgeo Frame, living
sculptures (like trees
and plants), Nature
Pergolas and elevated platforms.
Brought to the fore
are the many special trees in the forest that are “animated” to heighten
appreciation of them. At Fashion Forest, trees
have personalities—there are the
Supermodel trees, and the
Celebri-Trees, among others. Participants are encouraged to
help promote awareness of these
trees by discovering and recording them via social media.
Programmes for
Different Needs
For as little as MYR 75
per person, the best of nature can be enjoyed, although generally a full -day
walk or nature tour can cost MYR130 per person (or MYR120 for children aged 11
and below) for a minimum group of
3 persons. Many types of
packages are offered
by Treks to cater to various groups including individuals,
families and corporations. The packages are all priced differently.
It is a programme
that is bound
to satisfy every kind
of pleasure-seeker there
is but those wanting to focus on
the environment may just opt for the
Fashion Forest Green Campaign that incorporates technology
in its line-up
of competitions and
games. The Mountain
Man Challenge, on the other hand, is for those seeking to indulge in
sports and physically -challenging recreational activities.
For corporations,
there are the Corporate Bonding Activities in store. These would include
teambuilding activities like
the REEL simulator —an
action learning programme
based on popular
movies—contemporary simulation games, treasure hunt, and Fashion Forest's own
Amazing Race!
For children,
the Fashion Forest
Summer Camp packages
are education, adventure
and fun rolled into
one. The main
concept of the
camp is to immerse
children in multi -disciplinary
programmes filled with challenging recreational activities that will help them
acquire the right disciplines. Among others, they learn about camping, nature
and conservation, and they get to
indulge in sports like archery and rock-climbing.
Other interesting
programmes to pursue at Fashion Forest are the Art, Music & Nature
Festival, and the Sax & Jazz Art Club.
The Experts Show the
Way
Wandering around
the countryside can be a
hugely exciting adventure,
especially when you have an agenda. And at Fashion Forest,
you will be armed with a programme—the
one you opt for.
Treks Nature
Enterprise, that is based at Awana and the English Garden in Theme Park Hotel,
is a consultancy that designs nature
activities for everyone. At the helm are
Eddie Chan and Pat Ang who ensure there is a programme for every need.
The “stars” awaiting
discovery, of course, are the flora and fauna in Genting Highlands —and there are many of them. Most
notable are the Montane-Ericaceous
forest located above 1,500 metres altitude and the Hill Dipterocarp forest, the most extensive
forest type in the country that exists at between 300 and 700 metres
altitude.
The
Montane-Ericaceous forest is especially
fascinating, with trees that are generally smaller in size and are gnarled and
stunted. Bamboos, ferns and mosses are also main residents here.
According to Treks,
these forests are unique for many reasons including their bio-diversity that is intact and abundant, and the fact
that they enjoy protection from public abuse, being part of Genting Highlands.
Accessibility and t he short distance
between the forests and Kuala Lumpur are other interesting factors.
And apart from
programmes offering nature
walks and recreational outdoor
activities, Treks offers some
unique programmes like Discover
the Elusive Helmeted Hornbill,
where you can find out more about the four species of hornbills that
call the area home—the other three being the Rhinoceros Hornbill, the Great
Hornbill and the Bushy Crested Hornbill. This particular programme is priced at MYR250 per person for a minimum group of four persons.
Other programmes
worth pursuing: Discover the Elusive Black Gibbons, Discover Birding, and
Enjoying Herping Searching. Discover Birding sees avid bird watcher Henry Goh
sharing his knowledge of the endemic birds and migratory birds that are found
in the Awana area.
Goh is the incumbent
President of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and chairman of the
Selangor branch of MNS. The society is
the oldest and largest local conservation
NGO, having celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2015. With his expertise,
he'd be able to share interesting knowledge with those hoping to learn more
about avian lifeforms.
Goh has a vast
collection of photos to show for his numerous sojourns into the great outdoors.
His photos have, in fact, been featured in numerous books on nature and
wildlife.
Enjoying Herping
Searching means searching
for amphibians and reptiles —not
a vocation for the faint-hearted! This programme is conducted at night by
Steven Wong, the head coordinator of the Herpetofauna Special Interest Group of the MNS (Selangor
branch). Night walks are his forte and he is only too keen to introduce people
to the world of reptiles, amphibians and other nocturnal creatures.
Wong, who
acquired an interest
in herpetofauna at
an early age
after watching Crocodile Hunter, aims
to dispel the
negative stigma that
is attached to
reptiles and amphibians
by educating the public about them. Through his night walks, he hopes to
enlighten people about these misunderstood creatures so they are able to better
appreciate them.
No less
interesting are the pitcher plants found
in Genting Highlands —the main
conservation project of Treks. This involves rescuing pitcher plants from roadsides, hill slopes and pieces of land earmarked for
development.
The pitcher plants
are rehabilitated and are available for public viewing at the Treks Nepenthes
Conservation & Display
Wall at the English Garden in Theme
Park Hotel (and also the Treks outlet in Awana). If you
are keen to know more about these wonderful plants, the man to talk to is Mohd
Fauzi bin Abu Bakar who has been growing pitcher plants since 2002.
Fauzie graduated
from Universiti Putra
Malaysia with a
Bachelor of Science
in Forestry. He designed and built Taman Nepenthes Kledang
Saiong for the Perak State Forestry Department in 2013 and is on their Panel of
Advisory for Nepenthes. He has also featured as a speaker at the Convention of
International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since
2010.
As for the main people
behind Treks, Eddie Chan and Pat Ang themselves, their
passion for nature stems from the
fact that they believe it can inspire people in many ways. Chan and Ang created a concept
trail where nature
stories abound in order
to help people discover
more about themselves.
They see
themselves as unison builders who help people achieve
“unity of mind, vision
and effort.” Their
activities are hence
filled with self
and team -discovery opportunities that stimulate people and help
them develop as individuals.
Address:
Resorts World Genting Highlands, Malaysia.
Contact:
+603 27181118
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