Sarawak Eco Warriors on guiding youth into exploring biodiversity
In Sarawak, where rich rainforests sit beside fast-growing towns, Sarawak Eco Warriors president and environmental educator Mark Liao, 30, has made it his mission to help young Malaysians rediscover the landscapes they often overlook.
Through Sarawak Eco Warriors and the Sarawak Youth Green Leaders Programme, he brings students and young adults into the field to experience biodiversity for the first time.
During workshops, Liao sees the same pattern repeat. Young people can speak confidently about global environmental icons, but not the nature in their own backyard. He shared how students talk about protecting “the polar bears or the Amazon rainforest” even though many have never entered the forests near their homes.
That disconnect motivates much of his work. Sarawak may hold some of Malaysia’s beautiful ecosystems, yet the state has only a handful of NGOs and fewer than a hundred conservation jobs available.
Instead of waiting for opportunities to appear, Liao has helped build youth-led clusters in Kuching, Sibu and Bintulu so young people can design and run their own conservation projects. He has watched these groups grow in confidence.
“We see over the last few years these young people are starting to grow their own clusters, and they are even starting to engage with different groups in Malaysia to run their own initiatives,” he told theSun.
Partnerships have been important too. Liao said his team is very lucky to receive consistent support from organisations like Youth Environment Living Labs, which funds and follows up on the youths’ progress. When young participants get that kind of attention, he said it gives them a newfound confidence because they feel “I am not just doing a small thing anymore.”
Field exposure remains central to his teaching. Scores of participants see local wildlife for the first time during his programmes.
“A lot of young people around here, when we bring them out, they always say it is their first time seeing orangutans or their first time seeing macaques even. This new connection with nature excites them and they feel confident and find themselves wanting to do more of this,” he said.
The work is demanding, and Liao admits that he is still learning to find balance. But his focus remains clear. His advice for young Malaysians is simple.
“Never be too afraid to ask questions. Coming from different backgrounds is not a weakness, it is an advantage,” he said.
For Liao, conservation in Sarawak is not just about protecting forests. It is about helping youth see themselves as part of the landscape and giving them the confidence to care for it.
