2025 Earth Fest
3-5 October
George Town, Penang
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Join the celebration

Let’s build a sustainable, community-based future together

Welcome to
Project M.A.R.S.

A food forest located in Balik Pulau (Penang Island, Malaysia)

Learn

Educational workshops, training programs, events, outdoor activities, seed, flora and fauna database

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Act

Seed bank, sustainable framework and services, Grow Community Market, Earth Fest

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Recharge

Music festival, mud café, mindfulness days, farm-to-table experiences, holistic and green healing space

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Support

Volunteering opportunities and experiences, material and financial support, sponsors

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Mitigration, Adaptation, Resilience, Space

Founded in 2019 in Balik Pulau (Penang, Malaysia), Project M.A.R.S. is dedicated to nurturing a vision of sustainable living, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. At the heart of the project lies the creation of a food forest on a repurposed palm oil plantation, transforming what was once a degraded landscape into a vibrant hub of life and learning. Through a combination of community-based education, heirloom seed conservation, and ecosystem restoration, we aime to foster hands-on experiences that connect people with the land, teaching practical skills while inspiring a deeper respect for nature. What began as a bold effort to reclaim and restore the environment has grown into a thriving space where individuals and communities come together to explore sustainable agriculture, celebrate biodiversity, and actively contribute to a more resilient and regenerative future.

Learn more about our mission

2019

Foundation year

10,000+

People Reached Every Year

32

Species of Pioneer Plants Found on our Land

150

Species of Introduced Plants Found on our Land

1

Pioneering Naturally-Built Seed Bank

1

Pioneering Sustainable Market

A sustainable framework for future generations

For you, for us, for them

Project M.A.R.S. aims to serve as a sustainable model for food security, ecological resilience, and climate adaptation by educating the community, conserving native and heirloom seeds, and promoting sustainable practices that can be replicated across other regions. This is articulated through four main objectives and several United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

#1

Establish Project M.A.R.S. as a Sustainability Learning Centre

Promote

Promote sustainable agriculture and nature connection through syntrophic agriculture, Thai Royal self-sufficiency philosophy,  food forests, and seed saving to foster human-nature harmony and provide accessible tools for sustainable practices.

#1

Establish Project M.A.R.S. as a Sustainability Learning Centre

Build

Build resilient communities and biodiversity through decentralized seed saving networks, preserve heirloom seeds, and cultivate climate-adapted plants to enhance food security and genetic diversity.

#1

Establish Project M.A.R.S. as a Sustainability Learning Centre

Educate

Educate and raise awareness on conservation through developing replicable seed saving practices and organize biodiversity exhibitions.

#2

Conserve, Promote, and Study Biodiversity

Protect

Protect and propagate heirloom, wild, and local seeds to improve food security and biodiversity awareness through community engagement and educational programs.


#2

Conserve, Promote, and Study Biodiversity

Collect

Increase research accessibility through a shared database of collected seeds and varieties.

#2

Conserve, Promote, and Study Biodiversity

Compare

Compare the biodiversity of an abandoned oil palm plantation with a food forest to demonstrate the ecological benefits of sustainable land conversion.

#2

Conserve, Promote, and Study Biodiversity

Support

Introduce more plant families to support and increase animal and insect diversity and populations.

#3

Expand and Replicate Project M.A.R.S.’s Framework

Create

Create favourable conditions and suitable strategies to further expand and apply Project M.A.R.S.’s sustainable practices, approach and philosophy as foundations and model for other similar local and regional initiatives.





#3

Expand and Replicate Project M.A.R.S.’s Framework

Implement & Adapt

Implement and adapt the core concepts of this framework based on each initiative’s singular, local environmental characteristics, needs, and goals in the context of food security and sustainable living.

#3

Expand and Replicate Project M.A.R.S.’s Framework

Transfer

Build a resilient and collectively supported network between all these initiatives that is able to quickly adapt and evolve, by promoting the transfer and exchange of knowledge, tools, and practices, to ensure the future of the communities involved and the network’s self-sufficiency.

#4

Develop an Educational, Engaging & Awareness-Focused Online Platform

Update

Adequately update the currently existing website with the aim of turning it into a relevant and practical online platform focused on education, engagement, and awareness, materialized through the sharing of data, media, and other resources intended to share and further highlight Project M.A.R.S.’s progression, biodiversity dynamics, as well as sustainable practices, services, and other programs.

#4

Develop an Educational, Engaging & Awareness-Focused Online Platform

Share

Further promote knowledge sharing for educational and research purposes through the provision of an informative and engaging online database of the fauna and flora observed and studied on the land.

#4

Develop an Educational, Engaging & Awareness-Focused Online Platform

Design

Design accessible, entertaining, educational booklets intended for a wide range of students, based on the resources and information shared and presented through the website.

Explore our sustainable framework

A project by the community, for the community

Raising awareness by engaging and connecting 10,000+ people through sustainable, conservation, and educational initiatives

Seed Bank

Collection and preservation of local, heirloom varieties

Workshops, Training Programs, Events

Sharing of tree planting, natural building, sustainable living skills

Volunteering Opportunities

Weekly volunteering hands-on experiences

Get Involved

Join us at Project M.A.R.S. and be part of a movement towards sustainability, resilience, and community to inspire, educate, and connect. Dive into our educational workshops, help preserve biodiversity through our seed bank, or lend a hand in our volunteering experiences that connect people and nature. Discover the richness of our seed, flora, and fauna database, support local green initiatives at the Grow Community Market, and celebrate together at Earth Fest. Every step of involvement—big or small—creates ripples of change and brings us closer to a brighter, regenerative future.

Grow Community Market

One of the oldest, active green markets in Penang

Earth Fest

Our annual festival promoting green initiatives and practices

Seed, Flora and Fauna Database

Database of local seeds, flora and fauna observed on the land

Last news, updates, and upcoming events

See what we have been up to and attend one of our upcoming events

Earth Fest,  Events,  News & Updates

[Pre-Earth Fest 2025 event] Stop Motion Experience

Invitation to Join – Stop Motion Animation Experience Hello dear Grow Market family, We’re preparing something exciting for Earth Fest 2025: Ripple – Small Act, Big Impact— a stop motion animation short movie! Dates: 1st – 5th September 2025Time & Flow: 1) *1/9 (Mon) – Material Prep | 10am – 5pm2) *2/9 (Tue)– Setup & Shooting…

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Events,  News & Updates

Banana Seed Paper Making Workshop

Ripple: Small Seeds, Small Acts, Big Impact In conjunction with Earth Fest 2025, we’re hosting a fun and meaningful Seed Paper Making Workshop! Come and experience the joy of turning banana plants into handmade paper. Together, we’ll learn how to transform banana fibers from our food forest into beautiful seed…

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Last additions to our local seed, flora and fauna database

Explore the plant and animal species that can be observed and researched on our land

Database,  Fauna

Pygmy Grasshopper (Systolederus ridleyi)

GroupGrasshopperClassInsectaOrderOrthopteraFamilyTetrigidaeScientific nameSystolederus ridleyiCommon namePygmy GrasshopperObservation dates on Project M.A.R.S.’s land12/14/2024 (1st ; during the night) Systolederus ridleyi is a species of pygmy grasshopper (family Tetrigidae) found in parts of Southeast Asia. Members of this family are small, ground-dwelling grasshoppers often seen near damp habitats, where they feed on algae, mosses,…

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Database,  Fauna

Fulgoroidea Planthopper (Ricanula stigmatica)

GroupPlant Hopper / BugClassInsectaOrderHemipteraFamilyRicaniidaeScientific nameRicanula stigmaticaCommon nameFulgoroidea PlanthopperObservation dates on Project M.A.R.S.’s land12/14/2024 (1st ; during the night) Ricanula stigmatica is a striking planthopper species (family Ricaniidae) found in parts of South and Southeast Asia. It is easily recognized by its dark wings marked with distinct pale or white spots,…

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Database,  Fauna

Yellow Banded Wasp Moth (Psichotoe duvaucelii)

GroupWasp MothClass/Order/FamilyErebidaeScientific namePsichotoe duvauceliiCommon nameYellow Banded Wasp MothObservation dates on Project M.A.R.S.’s land11/13/2024 (1st), 11/27/2024 (2nd) Psichotoe duvaucelii is a species of wasp moth (family Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae) found in South and Southeast Asia. It mimics the appearance of wasps with its narrow body, dark wings, and bright markings, a…

Read More

Meet the core team and supporting members

Driving change, one step at a time

Hoyyee

Founder

Pop

Founder

Xuxan

Organizer & educator

Yun Yun

Educator

… and all the people that are making Project M.A.R.S. a reality

Let’s connect and collaborate together

If Project M.A.R.S.’s initiatives and vision resonate with your field of work, your company or your community and wish to work together, please get in touch.

Join us on social media and stay updated on our project, future initiatives and events

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Together, let’s be part of the change we all need

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Support Project M.A.R.S.