F.I.R.E. - a collaborative model integrating creative storytelling and living lab learning for natural heritage education in Royal Belum, Malaysia

Aim: This case aims to present the F.I.R.E. Creative-Living Lab Heritage Education Model as an innovative approach to natural heritage education in Pulau Banding and Royal Belum, Malaysia. The model seeks to bridge scientific knowledge, indigenous ecological wisdom, youth engagement, and creative storytelling to strengthen public understanding and stewardship of tropical rainforest heritage. Methodology: The model integrates four key components: Field Immersion, Indigenous Knowledge, Research Integration, and Creative Expression. Through the Kem Rimba Rimbun living lab programme, youth participants engage in biodiversity observation, line transect sampling, nocturnal forest activities, tree planting with Orang Asli communities, laboratory-based learning, and sustainability modules. These field-based experiences are then translated into digital storytelling outputs, including animation and VTuber-based heritage communication, to reach wider audiences. Results: Since 2019, the Kem Rimba Rimbun framework has engaged more than 350 youth participants across seven cohorts. The initiative has strengthened environmental awareness, promoted youth participation in conservation, and created a multi-stakeholder collaboration involving MyRimba Sdn. Bhd., UPM/INTROP, UMK-TRaCe, TNB, Pulau Banding Foundation, and local Orang Asli communities. Its digital storytelling initiatives have also received recognition through national and regional awards, demonstrating the potential of creative media to enhance heritage education. Conclusion and future work: The F.I.R.E. model demonstrates that heritage education can move beyond conventional knowledge transfer toward experiential, participatory, and emotionally engaging learning. By combining science, culture, creativity, and cross-sectoral collaboration, the model provides a practical and scalable framework for empowering youth and communities to become active custodians of natural heritage. Future development will focus on expanding the model across other tropical heritage landscapes in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, strengthening impact assessment, developing more digital learning assets, and collaborating with AWHEIC and international heritage education networks. The model also has potential to support cross-border knowledge exchange, youth-led conservation, and Gen-Z-friendly heritage communication through animation, virtual personas, and immersive storytelling. Key words: Natural heritage education; Royal Belum; Pulau Banding; Creative-Living Lab; youth engagement; indigenous knowledge; digital storytelling; biodiversity conservation; Kem Rimba Rimbun; sustainable heritage education.

Text V2 HK_F.I.R.E. - A Collaborative Model Integrating Creative Storytelling and Living Lab Learning for Natural Heritage Education in Royal Belum, Malaysia.pdf - Presentation Download (115MB)

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