Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for Environmental and Biodiversity Conservation: The case of ‘ITBC Frog Museum’

Abstract

The Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC), Universiti Malaysia Sabah has always been fully aware of the importance of then, Environmental Education (EE) and now, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for perpetual environmental and biodiversity conservation. One of the most feasible strategies for environmental and biodiversity conservation is through the implementation of ESD that prompts people to collectively envisage a sustainable future, realize the effects of individual actions on the environment and biodiversity, assume responsibility, and forge continual partnerships among stakeholders. The ‘ITBC Frog Museum’ epitomizes an ESD project undertaken by ITBC aimed to (i) instil the concept of environmental and biodiversity conservation, and its imperativeness into people’s minds, and (ii) instigate people to bear higher conscience in their daily undertakings, all using frogs and toads (Amphibia: Anura) or anurans as a model of the environment and biodiversity. The museum highlights various facts on frogs and toads, in the form of posters, reading materials (journals, books, proceedings and magazines), documentaries, (wet and dry) specimens, and tailor-made replicas. The museum also proffers activities for young children to better understand and subsequently, appreciate the uniqueness and richness of frogs and toads found in Sabah and Borneo, in particular and Malaysia and the world, in general, as well as the relatedness to the daily life and survivability of humans. As a complementary arm of the National Technical Sub-Committee of Faunal Biodiversity (Amphibia) Malaysia being led by ITBC, ‘ITBC Frog Museum’ also assembles relevant governmental agencies, other higher learning institutions and NGOs in realizing the intentions of the museum. In order to integrate mass media into the mechanism to achieve the ultimate aims of ‘ITBC Frog Museum’, the museum works closely with a local newspaper for wider dissemination of information and knowledge via the fortnightly publication of ‘BORNEENSIS Corner’ in New Sabah Times. Other mass media used are the Internet and several locally well distributed magazines. Last but not the least, ‘ITBC Frog Museum’ includes the participation of the private sector, namely tour operators, through the running of two tourism products incorporating the museum: ‘Anurans Tourism’ and Campus Tourism. Hence, the private sector is provided a much needed avenue to also contribute, as other stakeholders, towards conservation by encouraging more people, both local and international tourists, to learn about and value the environment and biodiversity. Thus far, ‘ITBC Frog Museum’ has received favourable response from various stakeholders. ITBC strives to further enhance the participation and collaboration of the stakeholders in creating a sustainable future for all.