The Wetlands

By Miriam Chacko
Photo credits: Malaysian Nature Society Miri

SINCE A WRITE-UP on the wetlands of Sarawak would call for writing a book, I have decided to delve into an important component; the Peat Swamp Forest (PSF).

PSFs are said to cover 1.54 million hectares in Malaysia and according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) approximately 70% of it lies in Sarawak. A prime peatland is Loagan Bunut National Park, located 130kms from Miri on the periphery of Bunut Lake. Bunut Lake is the largest natural lake in Sarawak refueled by the Bunut, Baram and Tinjar rivers.

Living in Miri, we sometimes encounter birds and reptiles typical of wetlands while taking a stroll, peering through the window or even while waiting at a traffic light. They have adapted to perching on telephone wires, drinking out of open water drains, nesting in ceiling corners and slithering along tame lawns. It goes without saying that trekking through a protected wetland outside the city offers many more visual treats in terms of biodiversity. Along with Loagan Bunut National Park, Maludam and Kuching Wetland National Park are other gazetted areas rich in peat soil.

Swallow at LBNP.

PSFs in Sarawak were traditionally unattractive to the local communities due to inaccessibility and unfavourable physical conditions. Evidence suggests that these forests have been used only for the last 200 years. However, those who gained access practiced more sustainable and conservative methods in tapping its resources. For example, the Tapang tree found in Loagan Bunut is traditionally popular amongst the indigenous people for making quality blowpipes. But in honoring the tree’s cultural importance, they used the trees that had fallen from natural causes instead of logging them.

Loagan Bunut National Park.

Also, the tree is of more value to them standing as it attracts the Asian Giant Honeybee and is therefore a reliable source of wild honey. Yet another example of sustainable and traditional practice is Berawan fishing. The Berawan people of Loagan Bunut place their nets strategically to collect the migrating fish as the water level drops during the dry season. This technique is known as Selambau and continues till date.

With improved access to the wetlands, today, the locals are more interested in the agricultural use of peatlands as it generates revenue and provides direct value to them. Oil palm, coconut, pineapple, sago palm and rubber are the main smallholder crops.

Between 2005 and 2010, Sarawak lost 33% of its peatlands and 10% of its total forest cover due to logging and land conversion. Land conversion is an umbrella threat as it involves draining, burning, polluting, land reclamation, introducing non-native species and so on. The long and short-term detrimental effect of these actions on the wetlands and its surrounding environment is understood when realising the ecosystem services they provide.

For instance, a regulating ecosystem service wetlands provide is carbon sequestration. Wetlands sequester significant amounts of carbon through natural processes in plants and in sediments. Upon burning this ecosystem, the carbon that has accumulated over centuries is released as CO2 into the atmosphere in the matter of a few decades. Emissions from peatland drainage and peat fires account for nearly 6 per cent of global anthropogenic carbon emissions and about 25 per cent of carbon emissions from the land use sector.

Peat fires contribute to the haze that pervades the air around us during dry months. Slash and burn practices continue because the local stakeholders such as smallholders and estate managers view it as a tamable component of peatland use. The international conservation community, however, views the fires to be a threat due to its periodic and uncontrollable nature.

Ideally, these ideological differences can be reduced by increasing awareness, which in turn will improve the synergy amongst the different stakeholders. “…campaigns are needed that educate the global community about the situation faced by peatland users on the ground, and the local stakeholders about the wider and less tangible values of peatlands” (Cole et al, 2012).

Malaysia is involved in international efforts to promote the sustainable use of wetlands and has set up in-house management bodies to ensure the same. Such efforts include the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which is an international agreement aiming to advocate sustainable development by promoting all aspects of biological diversity including genetic resources, species, and ecosystems. The Malaysian government was one of the 150 that signed the agreement at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. In response to CBD, Malaysia set up a National Biodiversity Committee in 1994 to protect and manage the country’s biological resources and to ensure its fair and equitable use.

Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (1971) is another international effort which focuses on wetland ecosystems. The Ramsar mission defines itself as “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local, regional and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.”

Stork Billed Kingfisher.

The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance (including Kuching Wetlands National Park among 5 other Malaysian sites) identifies wetlands from different geographical locations on account of their significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology or hydrology. Once they are on the list they are considered significant not only to the countries in which they are located, but for humanity as a whole.

These international conventions create opportunities for discussions and increasing awareness amongst the various stakeholders including government, management bodies and NGOs and can cumulate support (monitoring, funding and research) for the conservation and restoration of the ecosystem in question.

UNDP in 2002 in trying to meet the objectives of CBD and the Ramsar Convention funded projects in Malaysia including one in Loagan Bunut which focused on promoting integrated PSF management. The project faced challenges such as staff shortage, administrative delays and wavering commitment from stakeholders. Nevertheless, the 5 year effort was successful in raising awareness and providing training required for stakeholders to carry out the project activities.

Whiskered Tern at LBNP.

The shortage of research on ecosystem service processes of Sarawakian wetlands currently limits the scope of converting international conservation interest into action. Challenges of monitoring and funding also come in the way of realising the scope for effective conservation. On paper, the solution is a multi-sectoral integrated management approach but on the ground, it struggles to become a reality. These truths reveal the state of wetlands in the region and also reveal the trends that challenge conservation efforts country wide.

Appreciating the wetlands of Sarawak and acknowledging that its health affects our well-being is important in garnering support to protect it.

A glimpse of the mysterious Irrawaddy dolphin

By Patricia Hului
@pattbpseeds

 

THEY ARE CHARISMATIC and playful. Yet their friendly and fun nature has been exploited for marine tourism all over the world.

Tourist-packages like dolphin-watching and swimming with dolphins are among the tourism activities revolving around these highly intelligent animals.

Here in Sarawak, we are the only state in Malaysia that has commercial dolphin watching as a tourism activity.

GOODBYE SHORE: One of the two boats we rode on during the dolphin watch.

In Kuching, dolphins can be found in Kuching Bay which encompasses the area from Telaga Air to the west and the Bako peninsula to the east, as well as the rivers that connect these areas, Sungai Sibu Laut, Sungai Salak and Sungai Santubong.

The Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) held a guided dolphin watching trip on Aug 24.

This lead-up activity to the Santubong Nature Festival (November 8 – 9) was jointly organised with Permai Rainforest Resort and supported by Kuching City North Hall and Sarawak Museum.

Over a dozen members of MNSKB, members of the public and media boarded two boats heading to the mouth of Santubong and Salak rivers.

As the boats stopped hundreds of meters away from Pulau Kera at Kuching Bay, all of the dolphin watchers managed to catch sight of at least four Irrawaddy dolphins riding the waves.

It could have been beginner’s luck; due to the behaviour of these dolphins, the participants were warned of the possibility of not seeing any dolphinsat all.

The educational boat ride was cut short due to rain and choppy waves splashing everyone on board.

A windy, choppy day to be out dolphin watching.

Unfortunately, we only managed to catch blurry images of these dark Irrawaddy dolphins as the choppy waves made the boats unsteady and the Irrawaddy dolphins were too swift.

Still, everybody who signed up for the trip did not leave empty handed as during this trip to educate the participants on these lovely cetaceans was Cindy Peter, a research fellow from Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conversation (IBEC) University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

“The opportunity came back in 2008 when I finished my degree. I wanted to do something about wildlife again because I studied wildlife management for my degree,” said Cindy as she remembered how she got involved with dolphins studies in Sarawak.

The opportunity was as a research assistant for Sarawak Dolphin Project (SDP) which was launched in May 2008.

SDP was a project founded through a MoU between Unimas, Sarawak Forestry Corporation and Sarawak Shell Berhad where they focused on the four dolphin species most commonly found in Sarawak waters, Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris), finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides), Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus).

Through this project Cindy was able to continue her master research in 2009 to study Irrawaddy dolphins in Kuching bay.

Cindy shared that for her studies, “I looked at the habitat preferences, how far from the river mouth they prefer and as well as the population number.”

She pointed out that through her masters studies there are about 150 to 200 Irrawaddy dolphins in Kuching Bay and Bako-Buntal area and about 150 finless porpoises in that area.

A question was raised to Cindy whether this population of dolphins in Kuching was growing or not.

Cindy shared, “It is hard to say whether the population is increasing or not because last time back in 2008 no one knew how many dolphins there were.

“Only now that we have the number,” she said “we have to continue monitoring. Only then we knew the number increasing or decreasing.”

What does the future hold for dolphins in Sarawak? Cindy hoped that she could study the morphometric and genetic makeup of Irrawaddy dolphins for her PhD, believing that the gene pool for the population here could be different from the ones they found in Australia and Indo-China.

“And another thing we are hopefully looking into is acoustics. Acoustics is the study of dolphins and whales’ sounds,” Cindy stated.

So far, the study of dolphins in Kuching bay has been restricted due to the dry season from March until October and daytime for safety precautions.

Little is known about what the dolphins do during the wet season.

She explained, “Using acoustics, we want to deploy equipment in certain areas and we want to see at what time they were there and they are doing.”

Currently there are no dolphin studies using boat surveys being done.

“We are now looking into the economic value of dolphin watch here in Kuching because we know it is a blooming interest, an economic importance but no one knows how much profit it is bringing to the state,” Cindy said.

“It is hard to say if it is affecting the population here. That is why everyone emphasised Safe Dolphin Watch, not only is it safe for us humans but also safe for the dolphins.”

According to Cindy, there is always risk when there is wildlife and human interaction anywhere even on the lands.

“If it is done responsibly, it is safe for the animals.” Cindy emphasised on not feeding or touching the dolphins as we do not know what disease they might have.

Boaters are highly advised to drive their boats in a predictable manner and avoid sudden changes of direction.

Cindy also shared that any complaints on irresponsible dolphin watching by any tour operators can be made to the Sarawak Tourism Board.

These dolphins are protected under several laws here in Sarawak; Fisheries Act 1985, Fisheries (Control of Endangered Species) Regulation 1999 and Wildlife Protection Ordinance 1998.

Unlike their land counterparts, it is hard to know what these marine mammals are doing underwater.

Hence for Cindy, studying dolphins has always been intriguing for her as dolphins are mysterious.

The Irrawaddy dolphin is only one of the animals that call the vast spread of Santubong offshore home. Back on the dry land of Santubong Peninsula, many more animals are waiting to be discovered.

One of the ways to discover Santubong is by joining SNF where MNSKB are giving environmental awareness on both the natural and cultural values of the Santubong peninsula.

For more information on Santubong Nature Festival email to mns.santubong@gmail.com or visit http://mnskuching.blogspot.com/and http://santubongnaturefestival.blogspot.com

The Red-bearded Bee-eaters by Jannie Tan

A male Red-bearded Bee-eater catches its prey.

WITH a descending “ka-ka-ka-ka” call, the green bird sat on its perch, waiting for its mate. “Ka-ka-ka-ka,” came the reply from above. The birds were taking turns to feed their young.

The male swooped down into its nest in the ground and within a few seconds out it came. It perched on the same branch. Then came the female’s turn. She entered the nest and came out again. With a final “ka-ka-ka-ka” the pair flew off.

Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! The cameras fired away. For a moment there was silence then chatter was heard as the birders relaxed and started chit-chatting while they waited for the return of the green bird.

Bee-eaters are members of the Meropidae family, of which there are 26 species worldwide. Of these only three are found in Borneo — one of which is the Red-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus), which is a locally common resident of primary and old secondary forests in Borneo’s lowland forests. It ranges from Borneo to Sumatra through the Malay peninsula and into Myanmar.

Red-bearded Bee-eaters are called this because of their vermilion throat feathers, which look like a beard when they are puffed out.

Unlike the elegant looking Blue-throated Bee-eaters, the Red-bearded are more robust in appearance. They grow to a size of 27 to 31 centimetres.

The male has a pinkish lilac forehead and crown with a narrow fringe of blue feathers at the base of the bill and around the eyes. Their lores (spot between the eye and start of the beak), chin and throat are red.

The female’s forehead is vermilion and forecrown lilac. The bill is dark and curves downwards at the tip. As it calls, the bird stretches forward, puffs its long throat feathers out, and bobs its head up and down with each note. It may also jump a few steps sideways along the perch, then turn around to face the other way. When making the rattling call, it wags its tail backwards and forwards.

Red-bearded Bee-eaters hunt for food alone or with mates, chasing after insects from a perch. They eat a variety of invertebrates in flight, preying not just on bees but also beetles, wasps and ants. They rest quietly hidden on a chosen branch, waiting for their prey to come within range, and then fly fast with great agility to capture it.

Unlike most bee-eaters, the Red-bearded are not colonial breeders and nest either solitarily or in pairs. They build their nests on perpendicular earth banks or road cuttings. The nest burrow is about 1.2 metres long and while many may be excavated, only one is actually used. Both the male and female guard the nest.

I have seen the Red-bearded Bee-eater chasing off a shrew that invaded the nesting area and the fight went on for a couple of minutes with the shrew running off into the forest. It was amazing! No matter how many times you see these birds, they can still make a day special and cause excitement.

For more information about Red-bearded Bee-eaters or other birds of Sarawak read ‘Phillipps’ Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo’ by Quentin Phillipps and Karan Phillipps.

The female Red-bearded Bee-eater’s forehead is vermilion and forecrown lilac.

The Malaysian Nature Society

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/31/the-red-bearded-bee-eaters/#ixzz3BwmZCuAW

Medicinal plants around us

Getimang is a small tree about five metres tall. — Photos from Sarawak Biodiversity Centre

BORNEO abounds in medicinal plants.

From the earliest days through to today, village folk have used them to treat ailments.

They are also part of Chinese traditional medicine, surviving hundreds of years. The Dayak community also have their own catalogue of plants to treat illnesses.

Science has been interested in these plants but only recently has there been serious study.

The first applications were for the study of cancer, the possibility of a cure, or at least a breakthrough treatment.

Plants are a fickle bunch to study. They are different morning, noon and night. The time of year, either rainy season or not, and the soil conditions are factors examined in the studies.

One cannot simply dig up a plant and move it to England and expect it to have the same chemical composition as it has in Borneo.

The village herbalist or traditional healer is the person who has acquired the knowledge of plant life.

He/she knows when to harvest and when to let the plant lie fallow.

The herbalist is aware of the subtle changes in the weather, which allows medicinal properties to reach their peak.

However, the village herbalist or traditional healer will not give up this knowledge easily, having spent years acquiring the secrets, passing down the unpublished materials from one generation to the next. The herbalist holds on to this expertise.

Savithri Galappathie from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia and his colleagues, have made an attempt to summarise what little knowledge exists on the subject of traditional remedies.

They have studied some of the plants that are recorded under the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre’s Traditional Knowledge Documentation Programme.

The plants they studied were possible cures or treatments for bacteria or fungus-related diseases and their affects on the microbes were measured.

The following six plants were the subject of their study:

Lepso (Baccaurea lanceolata)

This tree, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, grows to a height of 21 metres, has a thick skin and bears a sour white fruit.

In 1989, the plant was found to have alkaloids, a nitrogen-based chemical.

Alkaloids have been found to have an effect on the human body. Examples are nicotine, anti-malaria drug quinine and others.

In 2010, an electron microscope identified three unknown and four known compounds.

The Lepeso tree has a thick skin and bears a sour white fruit.

Fibraurea tinctoria

This has several common names, including Uwar Birar, Akar Badi, Akar Kinching Kerbau, Akar Kuning, Akar Kunyit, Akar Penawar, and Sekunyit.

It is a large, woody, dye producing plant. It can grow up to 40 metres in height and has a stem diameter of five centimetres. It was found to have anti-tumour properties.

Getimang (Goniothalamus tapisoides)

This is a small tree about five metres tall. It is a member of the Annonaceae family along with the next two plants Goniothalamus velutinus and Polyalthia hookeriana.

Kayu Hujan Panas (Goniothalamus velutinus)

This plant is about three metres in height and with a stem of about three centimetres in diameter.

Sinai (Polyalthia hookeriana)

This tree grows to between 15 and 25 metres tall with hanging branches and dark green leaves and has a yellowish red flower.

It is found mainly in lowland and submontane forests. There is little information available about this plant.

Kayuh Lilui (Pyrenaria sp)

This species generally grows worldwide and has no known chemical properties. It belongs to the Theaceae family. Members of this genus are generally small trees or shrubs.

The studied followed scientific procedures. The effectiveness of the extracts from the six species mentioned in inhibiting or stopping the spread of six types of bacteria and one fungi were measured and recorded.

All of the plants tested were shown to have an effect on the bacteria, but Baccaurea lanceolata showed an ability to be a strong killer of all six types of bacteria used in the study.

Polyalthia hookeriana also had an effect on four of the six bacteria tested. Pyrenaria sp was an effective fungicide.

The plants seem promising. There are some diseases which have mutated beyond common antibiotics and these plants seem to be excellent candidates for their treatment. However, more rigorous testing needs to be carried out – a long process indeed.

The above was adapted from: ‘Comparative antimicrobial activity of South East Asian plants used in Bornean folkloric medicine’ by Galappathie G, Palombo EA, Yeo TC, Lim DSL, Tu CL, Malherbe FM, and Mahon PJ (2014); J. Herb Med. 4: 96-105.

Kayu Hujan Panas grows to about three metres in height.

The Malaysian Nature Society

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/24/medicinal-plants-around-us/#ixzz3BPNr3HUG

Public Talk on Captivating and Rare Snakes of Borneo on 15 September 2014

Dear members and friends, 

You are invited on behalf of Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) and Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) to a talk on Captivating and Rare Snakes of Borneo by Rob Stuebing.

Date :15 September 2014
Venue:UCSI University, Sarawak Campus
Time:7.30 pm

Snakes are undoubtedly one of the most misunderstood creatures of nature and are given a wide berth by humans and other animals alike. Yet, there are those who are amazed by the wonders of these slithery reptiles and akin them to beautiful jewels in the animal kingdom.

In Borneo, snakes are both feared and respected. Borneo is home to some of the most beautiful and venomous snakes around as Robert Stuebing who has spent more than 40 years of fieldwork in Borneo researching on snakes on the island.

In a publication entitled A Field Guide to the Snakes of Borneo, Stuebing, along with Robert F. Inger indicated that there are more than 160 species of snakes found throughout the coastal areas, mangroves, lowlands and mountains of Borneo. 

The talk, jointly organised by the Sarawak Biodiversity Centre (SBC) and Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) will see Stuebing presenting an overview of the diversity and natural history of Bornean snakes, as well as several species not seen alive in Borneo for decades, and in some cases, for over 100 years.

The public talk is also aimed at creating awareness for, and appreciation towards the biodiversity found in Sarawak and Borneo.

• Those interested in attending the talk are to register their names and contact number with Constance Vanessa or Ha-mim Marzuki by calling them at 082- 610610 or emailing them at constance@sbc.org.my or hamim@sbc.org.my, before 15 September 2014.

• The talk is open to members of the public of all ages and is free of charge. 

See you there.

Love Life,Love Nature

Society warns irresponsible tours can harm dolphins by Samuel Aubrey, reporters@theborneopost.com

KUCHING: The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) has warned that dolphin watching tours that are not managed responsibly could actually harm the cetaceans.

Photo Credit: http://mnskuching.blogspot.com/

A statement issued yesterday said it is important to observe dolphin watching ethics and etiquette and always put the animals’ welfare first.

MNS Kuching Branch will hold a guided dolphin watching trip on Aug 24 at 2pm.

Local dolphin experts Cindy Peter and Wayne Tarman will share with participants findings from the Sarawak Dolphin Projects, the cetaceans’ habitat in Kuching Bay and dolphin watching ethics and etiquette.

Kuching Bay encompasses the area from Telaga air on the west and the Bako peninsula on the east, as well as the rivers that connect these areas — Sungai Sibu Laut, Sungai Salak and Sungai Santubong.

To join the dolphin watching trip, email particulars (full name, IC number and mobile phone number) to mns.santubong@gmail.com by Wednesday (Aug 20).

For MNS members, payment for the boat is RM50 per adult and RM25 per child under 12.

For the public the charge is RM80 per adult and RM40 per child under 12.

Children under five are discouraged from joining this trip.

Participants are to gather at Permai Rainforest Resort’s front desk at 1.45pm to fill in the activity’s indemnity form, make payment and attend the safety briefing.

Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia that has commercial dolphin watching as a tourism activity.

The MNS trip is in line with the objectives of the Santubong Nature Festival to be held on Nov 8-9, which is jointly co-organised with Permai Rainforest Resort and supported by the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Sarawak Museum.

Among others, the Santubong Nature Festival aims to raise public awareness about the priceless natural and historical heritage value of the Santubong peninsula, and also to enhance environmental awareness and inculcate a sense of value for the area among the public, especially youth.

For more information, email mns.santubong@gmail.com or visit mnskuching.blogspot.com or santubongnaturefestival.blogspot.com.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/16/society-warns-irresponsible-tours-can-harm-dolphins/#ixzz3AXio4700

In need of more birding guides

KUCHING: Sarawak is gaining popularity as one of the destinations in Malaysia for bird-watching among nature lovers from near and far.

As the demands for birding guides increase, there is a need to train licensed nature guides in the state on bird-watching.

To address this need, the Ministry of Tourism Sarawak in collaboration with the Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) will be organising a bird-watching workshop for beginners at Borneo Highlands Resort, from Aug 22 to 24.

A similar workshop was held two years ago at Kubah National Park.

About 20 participants including licensed guides, park guides, Sarawak Forestry Corporation staff and MNSKB members are expected to attend the workshop.

Borneo Highlands Resort, Mount Penrissen, Sarawak.

The hands-on workshop covers topics such as bird identification, how to use binoculars, telescopes and bird field guides, birding ethics and etiquette and bird conservation.

Malaysia has 55 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) out of which 22 are in Sarawak. IBAs are areas which have been identified as being important for birds based on a set of global criteria. These criteria have been developed through the Birdlife International partnership, covering 170 countries. As of 2009, some 11,000 IBAs have been identified globally.

Sarawak’s specialist birds include the Pygmy White-eye Oculocincta Squamifrons which can be easily seen in Ba Kelalan and Borneo Highlands than anywhere else.
Some birds which are rarely seen but can be spotted within the Kuching vicinity include Blue-banded Pitta in Kubah National Park and Borneo Highlands, Borneo Bristlehead in Matang Wildlife Centre and Kuching Wetlands National Park, and Bornean Barbet in Borneo Highlands.

Borneo Highlands Resort which is located on Mount Penrissen is an IBA. The western-most mountain range on Borneo, Mount Penrissen is isolated from the central highland spine of Borneo, and has a distinct ecology. It is a very important area for endemic birds and migratory birds.

The resort is the first property developer in Malaysia to adopt the IBA and commits to managing its property in a manner that protects the IBA, enhances and enriches the environment for birds and builds nature-based activities into its programmes focusing on birds and their habitats.

The empty forest

Bringing back the forests by Gerard Proust. Posted on August 10, 2014, Sunday

The first portage section is difficult with a fully loaded canoe.

FOR many centuries traditional societies lived within the natural world with minimal impact.

The traditional inhabitants of Australia lived there for over 40,000 years and nurtured the land.

In the last 200 years, this has changed with the loss of much of the natural areas.

What is left of these natural areas (the forests, the grasslands etc) is degraded and fragmented.

The good news is that many people are doing something to fix these imbalances. The main problems are habitat loss, weed invasion, erosion and feral animals.

I feel privileged to be an ecological restorator and work in many amazing places restoring the balance. The work is hard but so rewarding.

After assessing an area, I take a crew in to start the forest regeneration process by various on ground works (ie removing the weeds etc).

These work areas vary from islands, river systems to mountains, rivers and deserts.

A journey of time – The river journey

After three failed attempts (due to weeks of rain) we were finally off on our mini work-play adventure.

What could be a 20km or 20-minute drive through a country landscape would be a 10km or three-day canoe trip down one of Sydney’s main river systems.

Our mission was to record and map all the invasive woody weeds and control, by stem injecting with herbicide, as many as possible.

Four of us set off in two fully laden canoes from a sandy bank under an old disused suspension bridge.

The natural beauty of the steep sandstone valley was captivating and made it hard to keep focused on the task at hand.

A Diamond Python suns itself on a branch.

We soon fell into a rhythm of slowly paddling the wider sections where we recorded the most weeds, so it was these sections where we had to get out and stem inject as many as possible.

We recorded 15 different woody weeds species and the main ones we controlled were Honey Locust, Privet and Box Elder.

The worst weed was Honey Locust, which forms dense stands, excludes native animals and has thorns designed for major damage, which I can attest to after getting stabbed in the temple, neck and hand with painful results.

All up we recorded over 2,500 woody weeds (at 150 different GPS points) and controlled over 1,000.

There were many narrow rocky sections where we took on the rapids till they got too shallow and then we had to start dragging the canoes. In several sections, the water disappeared under the boulders and we had to do the long portage of hauling canoes over difficult terrain. It was in these fast rocky sections that no weeds had established.

Finding a suitable camping place was difficult due to the rocky and/or steep shores and slopes. One was found high up the bank on a mini-bench.

After setting up hammocks, drying clothes and having a spartan dinner, a warming fire was appreciated to contemplate the expanse of time and place under the brilliant clear sky.

We were 1km (as the black cockatoo flies) from the main highway and rail line and 60km from the Sydney central business district but it seemed like we were miles from anywhere.

I thought of the time and enjoyment we took from the 5km of river we travelled compared to the pace we all usually go about on this planet.

As we worked our way downstream, we saw and heard many native animals. While not in the amazing biodiversity league as the Kinabatagan River in Sabah, it still yielded some great finds despite its current state.

In areas where the native forest was still intact or had elements left; we saw Azure Kingfishers darting along the banks in search of fish, Wedge-tail Eagles being chased by Magpie Larks, Swamp Wallabies bounding through the dense ferns, Diamond Pythons sleeping in their favourite sunny spots, Water Dragons diving for cover and Long-necked Turtles floating in the shallows.

We heard the lugubrious cries of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, the mimics of the lyrebird, the coo-ee of the Brown Fruit Dave and the nocturnal whoo-hoos of the Powerful Owl.

I know that these animals will only increase in number with projects such as this one where government, community and professionals are working to restore the damage we have done over many years.

We have started work on 15km of the river with plans to expand to 45km over the next five years. The river is 170km in length so I am determined to do and see as much of this and other systems on this fragile planet while I am still able.

As we left feeling exhausted but also elated from our last few days, we passed a large mixed flock of Firetail Finches and Double-barred Finches bidding us farewell.

They reminded me that despite what humans have and are doing to this planet, there is a strong natural resilience out there that we can tap into to continue the restoration process.

Dense stands of Honey Locust have thorns designed for major damage.

The Malaysian Nature Society

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/08/10/bringing-back-the-forests/#ixzz39ye07t2u

Rocking Santubong in Geology walk Travel By Patricia Hului @pattbpseeds

PEOPLE TAKE THINGS for granted. When you visit a nature park you listen to birds chirping, look at the branches swaying, leaves falling, tree standing tall, insects crawling. The last thing you go out of your way to look at when you are out in nature are the rocks.

Why would you look at rocks anyway? One rock looks like another; unless you are a geologist by profession.

Former geologist, Hans Hazebroek led a group of 18 people – myself included – on a trek through the Santubong National Park on Aug 2 telling us there were more to the rocks than meet the eye.

It was a trip called ‘Geology Walk’, one of the lead-up activities to the Santubong Nature Festival (SNF) jointly organised by Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) and Permai Rainforest Resort and supported by Kuching City North Commission and Sarawak Museum Department.

Before we started our 45-minute trek to the waterfall in the national park, Hazebroek explained the geological basics of Santubong.

Hazebroek giving a briefing before starting the trek.

Mount Santubong is made up of sandstone. Sandstone is composed of sand-sized grains of mineral, rock or organic material.

Besides sandstone, Hazebroek also explained to us about intrusive igneous rocks. It is formed when magma flows from the cracks within the crust of our Earth which already cooled and solidified, surrounded by pre-existing rock.

Speaking of crust, do you know how Mount Santubong was formed? Our Earth’s crust is divided into continental crust and oceanic crust.

When these two crusts collide and slide under each other, the continental crust gets pushed upwards, which explains how Gunung Santubong is presumed to have risen up from the ocean.

Overall, here are some geological features you should take note if you find yourself in Santubong National Park:

The Rocks on the Streambed

Have you ever noticed how round the rocks in a streambed are? No corners, no sharp edges. Hazebroek had an explanation for it, “First we have the mountain being pushed up. As it is being pushed up, since sandstone is brittle, it will cause a crack in the sandstone. Water flows into the crack leading the crack to get bigger.”

Example of sandstone can be found in streambeds in Santubong.

“Eventually, part of the sandstone breaks off and rolls down because the mountain is quite steep.”

He explained that when the water started pushing them, these rocks start bouncing and knocking each other which explains why the rocks are smoother.

Hazebroek also asked us to imagine the power of water as it could push some of the big boulders that some bigger than us.

The Rocks Lying Around

We also noticed some boulders lying around the forest near the trail. Some were even taller than an average adult human’s height.

An example of a boulder found in the middle of Santubong forest, most probably weighing several tonnes.

According to Hazebroek, “The last ice age ended about 10 thousand years ago. There were several ice ages; in between these ice ages are warm periods called interglacial.”

During these interglacial periods, he explained that the tropical areas including Borneo had severe raining weather. Due to the heavy raining, there were big avalanches causing a lot of rocks to fall from the steep mountain.

Another example of big rock near the trekking trail of Santubong National Park.

Voilà! That is how those huge rocks get in the middle of Santubong forest.

The Waterfall

Our final stop during our trek before heading back was the canopy bridge built over a waterfall.

We took turns in groups of five going up to the canopy bridge to listen to Hazebroek explaining about the geological features beneath us.

Hazebroek (second right) explaining on the geological features to some of the trekkers while on the canopy bridge.

He introduced us to the term ‘cross-beds’ which we could see at the waterfall. They are sedimentary structures of big rocks with lines running across formed by downstream migration of bedforms such as ripples or dunes in flowing water.

Cross-bedded sandstone at the waterfall where you could some lines although most of the surfaces are covered with mosses.

From the canopy bridge, we could also see three bedding planes at the waterfall; surfaces separating layers of sedimentary rock.

So what does this geological structure tell us? Hazebroek said the cross-beds were where sands were deposited due to flowing water so thousand years ago this area could have been a riverbed or shallow seabed.

Hazebroek also shared how old these rocks were; based on pollens found inside these sandstones dating back to upper Cretaceous to early Eocene period time which is about 70 to 60 million years ago.

“But the intrusive rocks here are much younger, about 35 to 5 million years ago,” he stated.

So the next time you visit Santubong National Park, don’t take the rocks for granted. They have been there longer than you can imagine.

We are happy trekkers!

For further information on MNSKB and their upcoming SNF, contact them at mnskuching@gmail.com. You can also visit http://mnskuching@blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/mnskb.