For decades, Dr. Jane Goodall inspired generations to believe that every individual has the power to make a difference. Through Roots & Shoots, that belief has grown into a global movement led by young people taking action in their own communities. We speak to TP Lim, President of Roots & Shoots Malaysia, and Keilly Lim, Project Manager of the Roots & Shoots Malaysia Award (RASMA), to discuss how that legacy continues here in Malaysia, and how youth can join the 2026 cycle of RASMA. RASMA was created to instill hope and encourage Malaysian youths to go beyond awareness and bring positive change to their environment and communities. 

For decades, Dr. Jane Goodall inspired generations to believe that every individual has the power to make a difference. Through Roots &amp; Shoots, that belief has grown into a global movement led by young people taking action in their own communities. We speak to TP Lim, President of<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rootsandshoots.my/"> Roots &amp; Shoots Malaysia</a>, and Keilly Lim, Project Manager of the<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rootsandshootsaward.my/"> Roots &amp; Shoots Malaysia Award</a> (RASMA), to discuss how that legacy continues here in Malaysia, and how youth can join the 2026 cycle of RASMA. RASMA was created to instill hope and encourage Malaysian youths to go beyond awareness and bring positive change to their environment and communities.&nbsp;

Climate change, ferocious weather and ‘the haze’ are now part our everyday lives. How are our lifestyles connected to them, and what can we do about it? What does the economy have to do with it? Earth Matters engages with activists and experts to explore our changing relationship with the planet that we only borrow from our children.

Earth Matters

Roots & Shoots Malaysia: Keeping Jane Goodall's Legacy Alive

In Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Buloh, a group of Temuan women are running a community nursery, growing native plants using knowledge rooted in the forest around them. Their work supports both livelihoods and conservation, while drawing on generations of lived experience and connection to the land. This has been brought together in “A Guide to Our Nursery and Plants”, a booklet shaped by the women’s knowledge and experiences, and produced under the Rantaian Urban Green Spaces or RUGS project by the Malaysian Nature Society, and done in collaboration with Gerimis Art Project. We chat with Wen Di Sia (Co-founder, Gerimis Art Project) and Sharon Yap (Art Director, Gerimis Art Project) who worked on the booklet, about the value of indigenous plants and knowledge, the women behind the nursery working to preserve this legacy, and what we can all learn from their work.

In Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Buloh, a group of Temuan women are running a community nursery, growing native plants using knowledge rooted in the forest around them. Their work supports both livelihoods and conservation, while drawing on generations of lived experience and connection to the land. This has been brought together in “<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rugs.my/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A-Guide-to-Our-Nursery-Plants-Web.pdf">A Guide to Our Nursery and Plants</a>”, a booklet shaped by the women’s knowledge and experiences, and produced under the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rugs.my/">Rantaian Urban Green Spaces</a> or RUGS project by the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mns.my/">Malaysian Nature Society</a>, and done in collaboration with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://linktr.ee/gerimisart">Gerimis Art Project</a>. We chat with Wen Di Sia (Co-founder, Gerimis Art Project) and Sharon Yap (Art Director, Gerimis Art Project) who worked on the booklet, about the value of indigenous plants and knowledge, the women behind the nursery working to preserve this legacy, and what we can all learn from their work.

Growing Native Plants, Protecting Indigenous Knowledge

This year marks ten years since the Sarawak government cancelled the proposed Baram Dam, a project that would have displaced thousands of people and flooded vast areas of Indigenous land. It was a hard-fought victory, led by communities who stood their ground for years to protect their rivers and their homes. But today, Sarawak is once again pushing forward with new dam proposals, raising familiar concerns about environmental impact, energy needs, and whether communities are being properly included in the process. Are we seeing history repeat itself? We discuss this and more with Peter Kallang, Chairman and Founder of SAVE Rivers, and Celine Lim, Managing Director of SAVE Rivers.


Image: Sarawak, Bakun Jan 5, 2018, Murum dam

Image Credit: Shutterstock

This year marks ten years since the Sarawak government cancelled the proposed Baram Dam, a project that would have displaced thousands of people and flooded vast areas of Indigenous land. It was a hard-fought victory, led by communities who stood their ground for years to protect their rivers and their homes. But today, Sarawak is once again pushing forward with new dam proposals, raising familiar concerns about environmental impact, energy needs, and whether communities are being properly included in the process. Are we seeing history repeat itself? We discuss this and more with Peter Kallang, Chairman and Founder of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://saverivers.org/">SAVE Rivers</a>, and Celine Lim, Managing Director of SAVE Rivers. Image: Sarawak, Bakun Jan 5, 2018, Murum damImage Credit: Shutterstock

Who Benefits From Sarawak’s New Dams?

Indigenous knowledge, cultural identity, and environmental stewardship all come together in a project called Jungle School Gombak, which offers something quite different from a typical classroom. Here, the forest becomes the learning space, and Orang Asli community members take on the role of teachers, sharing skills, stories, and perspectives that are rarely experienced firsthand. It’s an initiative that not only brings people closer to nature, but also challenges how we think about knowledge, expertise, and whose voices matter. We're joined by its co-founders, Major Retired Kalam Pie, an Orang Asli activist and former Royal Malaysian Air Force officer, and Assistant Professor Dr Norzalifa Zainal Abidin, from the faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Indigenous knowledge, cultural identity, and environmental stewardship all come together in a project called <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/jungleschoolgombakmalaysia/">Jungle School Gombak</a>, which offers something quite different from a typical classroom. Here, the forest becomes the learning space, and Orang Asli community members take on the role of teachers, sharing skills, stories, and perspectives that are rarely experienced firsthand. It’s an initiative that not only brings people closer to nature, but also challenges how we think about knowledge, expertise, and whose voices matter. We're joined by its co-founders, Major Retired Kalam Pie, an Orang Asli activist and former Royal Malaysian Air Force officer, and Assistant Professor Dr Norzalifa Zainal Abidin, from the faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

Roots & Shoots Malaysia: Keeping Jane Goodall's Legacy Alive

Earth Matters

In 1 playlist(s)

Earth Matters

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips