langkawi magazine
Nature SECTION
Conservation News:News from the Scientific and Heritage Expedition Langkawi, 16 April 2003
Work and play! 7th day already? Apparently so. It?s true that time always seem to run faster when you?re having fun. And that?s exactly what we have been having. Who said we can?t work and play at the same time? Look at us! Actually, I don?t think we know how to do otherwise. So off the researchers went, to have fun and get some work done.
The UM geology/geography team were again off to the coastal areas, this time around joined by their colleagues from the marine science team, while their entomologists carry on with their field work. As for the folks from UKM, they were simply everywhere! Up the mountains collecting moss or annonnaceae, in the forests trapping small mammals, and everywhere else to observe primates and catch cicadas.
The aquatic plant collectors were very productive, collecting specimens from Mt. Raya. We also had new researchers from FRIM who hurriedly carried out their work, to catch up with everyone. And who says you?ve gotta be in the field to get some excitement? We, the dedicated ones left at the secretariat to hold the ford were not missing much either! We just had to look out the window and voil just perched on the tree outside is an Oriental Pied Hornbil. If you still don?t believe me, you just need to be present at the 9.00 p.m talks, to see my earlier point, that work and play go along very well.
The botanists from UKM went up Mt. Raya and then decided to give the famous ?Tangga Helang Seribu Kenangan? (The Eagle Steps of A Thousand Memories?) a go, for fun. And so they came down. All 4200 plus of them steps! And they actually bumped into a potentially new species of annonaceae (locally known as mempisang) at the foot of the mountain. Almost made them forget about their "loosened" legs. Almost.
We also found out that when Dr. Harinder Singh goes frolicking in the water, near jetties, he?s not just having fun. He?s also checking out the marine termites! Yes, they actually exist, boring their way into wooden structures, n circles after circles, costing us a bomb! And when we go out at night into obscure places, we?re not just taking the night air. We?re actually trying to catch some cicada (see pix). Need I say more? Tomorrow, find out how some small, minuscule plant could be making BIG news.
Langkawi 16/04/2003
