This weekend it’s party time in Petaling Jaya’s oldest and only forest. There is plenty to celebrate: the Selangor government has regazetted the area as a forest reserve after a lengthy battle by the residents.

rain forest rainforest jungle 010708 02 Covering an area of 321.7 ha, the Kota Damansara Forest was part of the Sungai Buluh Forest Reserve that covered an area of 6,590 ha. When it was revealed that there were plans to rezone the reserve for residential development, residents fought back.

Thus Friends of Kota Damansara (FoKD) was formed from a coalition of 20 resident associations and environmental groups, championing the forest’s use for recreation, education and research purposes.

Mega Earth Day

On April 24 and 25, this weekend, the Mega Earth Day celebration is being held in conjunction with the 40th World Earth Day.  FoKD is organising it jointly with the PJ municipal council and Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The organisers say the theme ‘Forest for All’ reflects their desire to ensure all residents of PJ and Selangor benefit from what they call a ‘community forest’.

Plenty of family-friendly activities have been organised, including movie screenings, night hiking, camping and a morning yoga session.

The highlight of the event is the Voices in the Forest concert, featuring green singer/songwriter Zainal Abidin and a host of other artistes.

On the second day, there will also be a community breakfast in the forest for 300 people. FoKD vice-president Jeffrey Phang says that is just part of an effort to make the celebration more inclusive. Buses have even been chartered to ferry residents from nearby flats and low-cost housing areas to the forest.

For more information, visit the official site at www.forestforall.com or its Facebook event page .