A total of 400 saplings were planted at a section of the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Puchong that was affected by a recent lightning strike incident, as part of the Trees for Tomorrow tree-planting programme held recently.
According to the Selangor Tengah District Forestry Office, the affected one-hectare area is being restored with saplings from 11 high-value native tropical rainforest species.
The initiative involved 40 volunteers comprising students and instructors from Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia France Institute (UniKL MFI), who worked together to replant the area with selected native species.
Among the species planted were Meranti Tembaga, Meranti Sarang Punai, Meranti Kepong, Meranti Rambai Daun, Meranti Langgong, Meranti Melantai, Nyatoh Taban Merah, Kasai, Keladan, Balau Bukit and Kembang Semangkuk.
The programme was held at the Sultan Idris Shah Forestry Education Centre (SISFEC) on 1 July 2026 and was also attended by Selangor State Forestry Director, Azhar Ahmad.
In addition to the tree-planting activity, volunteers took part in environmental education sessions, including the Forest Conservation Discovery Trek and Forest Stream Discovery.
These activities offered participants first-hand exposure to the importance of protecting forest and river ecosystems.
The initiative not only supports the rehabilitation of the tropical forest ecosystem but also helps nurture stronger awareness of sustainability among the university community for the benefit of future generations.
For the record, the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve is managed by SISFEC under Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). It is a Permanent Reserved Forest awarded to UPM through a long-term agreement.
Covering an area of 1,182.07 hectares, the forest supports activities related to education, research and knowledge development in forestry and environmental studies.
Note: This article was originally published by the Media Selangor news portal on 7 July 2026.
