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Declare green stand, MNS challenges politicians - Nation | The Star Online

Declare green stand, MNS challenges politicians - Nation | The Star Online

Experts confirm 14 pygmy elephants were poisoned - Nation | The Star Online

Experts confirm 14 pygmy elephants were poisoned - Nation | The Star Online

Malayan Tapirs

Friends how well do we know our Malayan Tapirs. Read all about them in the latest Malaysian Naturalist. The online version is here - http://www.mns.my/article.php?aid=2216

http://www.mns.my/article.php?aid=2216

Hans Breuer (right) posing with his young audience in this file photo

Make a date with Malaysia Nature Society Kuching Branch’s  very own expert in snake, Hans Breuer   this 26^th April, 2013 (Friday) at UCSI University, Kuching at 7.30pm. 

Hans, a German expatriate, will be giving a 90-minute talk on snakes. 

The talk will cover general discussions with the audience about what snakes mean to them, what they mean to people in general and why they are important, what to do when one meets a wild snake, snake bite treatment, and natural history and biology of snakes.

During the talk, there will be a show and tell session by the speaker. 

Hans was previously based in Taiwan since 1989. Over the years, he has  accumulated quite a fair amount of knowledge about Taiwan's herpetofauna.

He speaks fluent Mandarin and has experienced in giving talks to primary and secondary-level children on Taiwan’s snakes and snake conservation.  

He believes in giving children a chance for a deeper understanding and appreciation of a highly fascinating, yet much-maligned class of animals, their role in the environment and their beauty.

As a rule, children do not fear snakes until adults teach them them to, so he tries to enlighten them before ophidiophobic relatives get a chance to ruin it forever for them.

Admission to the talk is free, please register with mnskuching@gmail.com

Frogs no more? l the  Borneo post l April 7, 2013 

Our Face book page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Malaysian-Nature-Society-Kuching-Branch/346415533135

Public Awareness Talk entitled The M&Ms - Malaria, Man, Monkeys and Mosquitoes by Professor Balbir Singh of UNIMAS

Dear Friends of SBC

Come join us for a Public Awareness Talk entitled The M&Ms - Malaria, Man, Monkeys and Mosquitoes by Professor Balbir Singh of UNIMAS.

The talk will be held on ...

Date: 26 April 2013, FRIDAY
Time: 2:30 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre, Sarawak Biodiversity Centre, KM 20, Jalan Borneo Heights, Semengoh

Please do extend this invitation to your colleagues, students, friends and family members as well.

To register please reply to this email (with names and contact numbers of those attending).

You can also give me, Constance, or Ha-Mim a call at 0826-610610 to let us know that you will be attending the talk.

For more information on the talk, please check out our Google+ page (https://plus.google.com/106658075510053602393/posts)

Looking forward to seeing you then!

Regards
Asha Devi Kaushal
Sarawak Biodiversity Centre

Make a date with snake expert - Hans Breuer

Make a date with MNS's very own expert in snake, Hans Breuer this April 26 (Friday) at UCSI College, 7.30pm. Hans, a German expatriate, will be giving a 90-minute talk on snakes. 

The talk will cover general discussion with the audience about what snakes mean to them, what they mean to people in general and why they are important, what to do when one meets a wild snake, snake bite treatment, and natural history and biology of snakes. During the talk, there will be a show and tell session by the speaker. 

Admission to the talk is free, please register with mnskuching@gmail.com

http://www.snakesoftaiwan.com/schooltalks.html

Santubong Peninsular cruise Announcement

Dear Members and Friends,

 

Have you ever noticed how Mount Santubong looks different - and ever majestic - from different angles? Come for a unique experience of cruising around the whole Santubong Peninsula, one which is not available through the commercial cruise operators. You will be able to appreciate the beauty of Santubong from all angles and discover aspects that you have never seen before. There will be rare photographic opportunities, especially for those who are going to enter the photography contest (details to be announced at a later date). This is the first of a series of activities  in the run-up to our Santubong Nature Festival 9^th – 10^th November.

 

Date:                       Wednesday 1^st May

Time:                       9 a.m. sharp

Departure Point:    Buntal village

Duration:                3 to 4 hours.  The boat will sail around the Peninsula and return to the starting point via the Buntal River.

• Price:RM100 per person for MNS members; non-members RM 120; Children 6-12 years half price.No children under 6 years. Advance payment required.
• Deadline to register and pay is Monday 22 April, unless we reach the maximum number before that date.

• Please register with Cynthia at: mnskuching@gmail.com (only registration by email is accepted), and make arrangements with her for payment.
• Please provide your name, H/P number and IC or Passport number when registering for our indemnity form.

Life jackets will be provided.  The boats are covered and operated by experienced cruise operators from Buntal.

In the event of heavy rain or bad weather, the cruise will be postponed or cancelled.  A refund will be given if cruise is cancelled.

No toilets on board.

Limited number of places are available on first-come first-serve basis, priority will be given to our paid up MNS members.  So sign up early to avoid disappointment!

 

Love Life, Love Nature,

MNS Committee,

A third of frogs in danger of extinction

KUCHING: A third of frogs are in danger of going extinct, mostly from human-induced factors, said professor of herpetology Dr Indraneil Das.

However, the amphibians are being discovered faster than scientists can describe them, with 7,044 species (including other amphibians) recorded and new ones emerging every week.

During ‘The Amazing World of Frogs’ talk held by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Kuching on Tuesday, Das from the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) said frogs and other amphibians are our window to nature.

“By protecting frogs, we automatically protect nature,” he said, adding that frogs need both good forests and clean streams to survive.

He said frogs could potentially hold answers to human ailments.

Das described one genus of frogs where the mother would swallow the fertilised eggs, incubate them in her stomach and regurgitate them as young frogs.

Their ability to halt their digestive process with the eggs could have provided a cure for gastric, he said.

Sadly these particular frogs went extinct shortly after they were described.

While it is a better know fact that male frogs primarily call to attract females, Das said that certain species of frogs also emit a distress call when grabbed.

“Very often, the victim will have no chance of getting away when grabbed, but it will still make noise.”

He said that it is possible to tell if there is a snake in the vicinity by the calls made.

“Even if the frog is swallowed by the snake, you can still hear them call from inside the stomach. So what is the function? You have to devote some serious behavioural theories to understand this.”

On a lighter note, he said male frogs also have a specific release call they use when grabbed by another male.

He also warned those who come into contact with frogs to wash their hands thoroughly.

“Frogs are full of different chemicals on their skin, and are not to be messed with,” he said.

Das said there are over 180 species of frogs in Borneo, based on their limited research and unpublished research.

“Around 110 species were described in Mulu alone,” he said, before pointing out that Southeast Asia and South America are hotspots for amphibian research.

Meanwhile, the Bornean Frog Race 2013 will be held on April 27 at Kubah National Park.

Held in celebration of the international ‘Save the Frogs Day’, the race hopes to raise public awareness of declining populations of frogs and other amphibians.

Event general-secretary Pang Sing Tyan said 65 of the 100 spots have been filled.

“Those who do not want to join the race itself can still attend the talks and workshops in the afternoon,” she said.

The race will involve participants following designated trails in the national park within two hours to take photographic evidence for the most number of amphibians found, rarest amphibian found, and best amphibian photo taken.

Registration is RM25 for students, RM30 for non-students and RM50 for foreigners.

Participants must bring along their camera with appropriate flash, lenses and download cables.

For more information, go to http://theborneanfrograce2013.weebly.com or www.facebook.com/TBFR2013.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/04/04/a-third-of-frogs-in-danger-of-extinction/#ixzz2PU7stE3R

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