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| Nature walk |
KUCHING:
Festival goers will be spoilt for choice at the coming Santubong Nature
Festival.
There
will be activities for all and the young at heart from easy-going heritage and
nature walks, to adrenaline rush bike race, kayaking, night photography and
night walk, eco-fashion contest, youth concerts and charity auction.
These
activities will be take place concurrently at eco-resort Permai Rainforest
Resort and Damai Central in Sanbutong on 9th and 10th
November, 2013.
The
Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) is
co-organising the Santubong Nature Festival with Permai Rainforest Resort. The
inaugural event is supported by Friends of Sarawak Museum (FoSM), Sarawak
Heritage Society (SHS), Sarawak Museum, Sarawak Economic Development
Corporation (SEDC), Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd, LimKokWing Institute of
Creative Technology, UCSI University, SSPCA and Damai Central, to name a few.
Participation
to this festival is free but certain activities required pre-registration due
to limited seats, while firefly watching that required rental of boats a fee of
RM50 will be imposed per child/adult.
On
Saturday (Nov 9), nature talks will take place at Permai Rainforest Resort’s
conference room starting at 2pm. The speakers comprise a senior geologist from
the Geological Department Sarawak Mr. Henry Litong who will speak on Geology of
Santubong; wildlife photographer and biologist Mr. Chi’en Chien Lee on The
Carnivorous Plants of Santubong (2.30pm); social scientist Tengku Hilda Tengku
Ahmad on Santubong Stonehenge (3pm); writer and teacher Mr. Tom McLaughlin on
Chinese Settlers In Santubong (3.30pm); ecologist with SFC Mr. Rambli Ahmad on
Defining Wallce’s Line (4pm); and researcher and entomologist with UNIMAS Mr.
Ikhwan Idris on Butterflies & Moths of Santubong (4.30pm).
An indoor 30-minute talk by herpetologist Mr. Hans Breuer, introducing forest
creatures of the night will be held at 7.30pm and to
be followed by a night walk which will take 90 minutes.
The first nature walk
starts at 2pm guided by Datin Dr Katherine Pearce, a botanist and
forest ecologist. For those interested
in the geology of Santubong, Mr. Hans Hazebroek who is a geologist, author and
professional photographer will give a hands geology walk at 2.30pm after Mr.
Henry Litong’s talk.
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| Archaeological site at Sungai Jaong |
At 3.30pm, there will be a 90-minute Santubong
Heritage Walk which is a a visit to some archaeological & historical sites
in Santubong, led by Karen Shepherd,
Sarawak Heritage Society. Shuttle departs Permai and early registration is
required.
There will be workshops on p
hotography with a professional photographer, Mr. John Arifin, from Singapore at 2pm at Permai. The second workshop
is on night photography which will be conducted outdoors and this starts at
7pm. Registration required.
For those children age three
to 18 years old, there will be games station conducted by UCSI University
students at Permai starting from 2pm onwards.
The three-hour Night Kayaking Experience along the
coast of Santubong with trained
Professionals starts at 5.30pm. All equipment supplied
but early registration is required.
Depending on the weather, a two-hour guided boat tour to observe the firefly
colonies along Sungai Buntal will start at 6.30pm. Registration is required, on a first-come-first-served basis. Intending
participants are to pay RM50 per adult/child.
At Damai Central, festival
goers are invited to visit local bazaar booths set up
by various organisations and local community around Santubong with a variety of
merchandise and goods. The bazaar will be opened for the whole day and on
Sunday, from 9am to 2pm .
At the same venue on Saturday, a musical treat by the AZAM Young Souls Musical Group will
take place at 2pm onwards. This group showcases
busking by youth, and will move all over the venue, with breaks.
At 6.30pm is the Trienekens Eco-Fashion Contest
featuring participants from colleges and secondary schools.
Open Mic featuring Malaysian vocalist and songwriter Amir Yussof will take place at Escobar
Bar and Grill at 9pm. Open Mic is an evening of music celebrating Santubong,
brought to you by Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA).
On Sunday, the nature talks continue at 9am with the first
speaker talking on Oriental Pied Hornbills at Piasau Camp, Miri by MNS Miri
Branch chairman & SFC honorary wildlife ranger Mr. Musa Musbah; , a bird specialist and environmental consultant, based in Penang Mr
Dave Bakewell will speak on Surveying Migratory Waterbirds In Sarawak (9.30am);
head of Protected areas Biodiversity Conservation Sarawak Forestry Corporation
& and MNS Council member Mr. Oswald Braken Tisen on Endangered Animas &
Enforcement in Sarawak (10am); and TRAFFIC Southeast Asia senior programme
officer and MNS Council Ms. Kanitha
Krishnasamy and senior communications officer Ms. Elizabeth John will speak on
Illegal Wildlife Trade In Malaysia (10.30am).
The Santubong Heritage Walk led by Karen Shepherd from SHS starts at 11am.
Shuttle departs Permai carpark and early registration is required.
At 9am, a walk in the forest guided by Datin Dr Katherine Pearce ecologist. The one
hour walk will take participants through the forest trails in Permai Rainforest
Resort.
At 8am is the Race
through Time which is a bicycle treasure hunt around Santubong assisted by Kooch Cycling Club. Exciting prizes
are to be won and those interested are to register early. RM60 per participant.
UCSI University’s Games Station offering great prizes will be
opened from 9am to noon. Registration
required.
End.
SNF
OBJECTIVES
To raise public awareness
of the priceless natural and historical – local and global - heritage value of
the Santubong Peninsula; to advocate for a holistic and integrated approach to
development and management of the area safeguarding its unique landscape,
biodiversity and historical assets; to showcase the tourism and recreational
potential of the natural and cultural values of the Santubong Peninsula; to
stimulate reflection on responsible and sustainable further management of the
peninsula and its surroundings; and to created environmental awareness and
value among our public especially our young ones.
ABOUT
MNS
The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) is
the oldest environmental NGO in Malaysia. Its mission aims at promoting the
study, appreciation, conservation and protection of Malaysia’s natural
heritage. It was formed in 1941. MNS Kuching
Branch or MNSKB was set up in 1996.
ABOUT
PERMAI RAINFOREST RESORT
Operating since 1990, Permai Rainforest Resort is an
eco-resort set in pristine Borneo rainforest located on the shores of the South
China Sea, and at the foot of mystical Mount Santubong. Carefully designed to
minimise impact on the natural environment, it offers a unique rainforest
experience. The resort is only 25 km or 30 minutes drive north of Kuching, the
capital of Sarawak.
