KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)’s agriculture officers and assistant agriculture officers are now called park rangers as part of efforts to improve the quality of landscape management services, shade trees and public parks around the capital.
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah (pix) said in addition to creating special uniforms, the scope of work of the unit, under the Landscape and Recreational Development Department, was also expanded.
“Now this unit not only has to manage the maintenance of trees and landscaping but is also responsible for security control, giving information about the types of plants to visitors and identifying the health status of the trees,” he said in a press conference here today.
He said the scope of maintenance of shade trees is also now being expanded with the inspection and treatment of trees at risk as well as an inventory of old trees around the capital to ensure the safety of the public.
Mahadi said the park rangers’ duties were also diversified by propagating unique and endangered tree species for conservation purposes, in addition to seasonal crops for landscape plants in the city, including at tourist hotspots.
Earlier, Mahadi officiated the presentation of letters of appointment to park rangers and he also launched the book entitled Wayside Trees The Natural Pillars and Roofs of The Perdana Botanical Garden.
The book, published in collaboration with the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), lists information on 343 tree species found around the Perdana Botanic Garden area to facilitate the identification and learning process for visitors in addition to raising awareness and supporting urban forestry efforts.-Bernama
