Sabah is home to southeast Asia’s largest nesting population of green and hawksbill turtles, both now critically endangered. The population of juvenile turtles surrounding Mantanani are of global importance, as their foraging behaviours are the first ever documented in Asia and have contributed to our understanding of this elusive period of turtle life. This makes them a worldwide conservation priority. However, the environmental pressure on the delicate ecosystem of the islands is increasing through unsustainable fishing practices, tourism, and pollution.

 

In 2017 Camps volunteers started construction of a hut that would house a plastic compression machine. This new facility will make it easier for plastic refuse to be compressed and sent off the island to be recycled, encouraging more residents to participate in regular recycling. This project is in collaboration with Reef Check Malaysia, a non-governmental association focused on protecting our marine environment by reducing the amount of marine debris that is harming our marine animals. The building itself is also constructed using concrete-filled plastic bottles that have washed up on the shores of Mantanani.