Conservation through education

Abstract

The urgent need for wildlife conservation throughout the world needs little elaboration here. Conservation as the protection and maintenance of natural ecosystems with their populations of wild plant and animal species, is fully justified on both material and aesthetic grounds. In regions like Malaysia they can provide under controlled conditions of utilisation, a continued source of valuable natural products; a potential source of, as yet, unexploited natural products; a potential reservoir (gene pool) for the improvement of domestic stocks; a source of revenue from tourism; areas for further general research and investigation into biological control and environmental studies, as well as the important considera- tions of a public amenity for relaxation and enjoyment and a refuge for plant and animal species (which in the absence of such provision, are in danger of ex- tinction). These facts have been clearly established and generally accepted but nevertheless, an ever-increasing and uncontrolled exploitation of natural environ- ment and denudation of native flora and fauna continues apace - in the name of progress and development.