pencinta alam - Malaysian Nature Society

PENCINTA ALAM
NEWSLETTER OF THE MALAYSIAN NATURE SOCIETY
Oct 2014
www.mns.my
Our 67th Annual General Meeting
Report by Stephanie Bacon
2014 AGM Coordinator
Photos by Chong Kong Wai, Melaka
For the first time, I feel I can say “I hope you enjoyed the
AGM”. If you joined the morning session of tree planting
and talks, there was fresh air, exercise, education and fun.
I would like to thank Dr Zorina, N9/Melaka Chairperson, for
her suggestions and for her dedication to making both
events so successful. Additionally, it was her contact that
provided us with the superb venue at UTeM, Melaka.
The trees we planted were donated by SJH Nursery &
Landscaping of Parit Jawa, Muar and the University
landscape department. With a little help from a JCB
excavator, the 26 members
completed their task of planting the trees in
the allocated time.
By ten o’clock and once inside the
University Auditorium, they could relax a
little while listening to a series of talks ably
introduced and moderated by Lim Teck
Wyn. First, Chen Pelf Nyok gave us an
insight into her work with Turtles, then our
guest speaker Jo Chua enlightened us on
By ten o’clock and once inside the University
Auditorium, they could relax a little while listening to a
series of talks ably introduced and moderated by Lim
Teck Wyn. First, Chen Pelf Nyok gave us an insight into
her work with Turtles, then our guest speaker Jo Chua
enlightened us on Conservation of Melakan
buildings and customs.
During the wait for the results, a number of matters were
heard including details of our 75th anniversary celebrations
next year and plans to acquire a new building for our
headquarters. Two motions from the Membership Advisory
Committee were passed. One was to employ a Branch
Liaison Officer and the second to have a dedicated Youth
member on the Council. Both are aimed at increasing
membership numbers.
Thanks goes to the staff for organizing our AGM,
the distribution and collection of the voting
papers and to the scrutineers for their
conscientious counting of the votes.
Following Jo, Dr Zorina took the stage to recount
her conservation and recycling measures while
she was in charge at the Duchess of Kent Hospital
in Sandakan. Finally, new member Dr Ng Liang
Shing and our own well known speaker Lim Tze
Tshen introduced us to Alfred Russel Wallace,
naturalist and explorer who visited Melaka in
1854. If you would like to watch the BBC film
about his work, see http://vimeo.com/104743232.
After lunch followed the AGM, starting promptly
at 2pm with over one hundred and thirty
members registered. For the first time in my
memory, the appointment of a timekeeper
(Maggie Seldon) proved a big success and she
managed to keep the whole proceedings on time
and efficient.
The Treasurer reported that funds have been
difficult to secure during the past year and
subsequently the Executive Director had resigned
and left the Society.
Other management
reports on our conservation
and environmental education activities followed
and most notable was ecoCare Environmental
Education Centre on the Kerteh River in Terengganu
which completed its first year of operation.
Colourful presentations of their activities from the
Branch chairs or their representatives came next
and we thank them for showing the depth of
dedication, sensitivity and fun we have in our
society.
If you joined any of the activities after the AGM,
we hope you enjoyed yourselves. On Sunday, we
were privileged to witness more than 100 tiny,
two inch Hawksbill Turtle hatchlings make their
way down the beach at Pengkalan Balak, before
disappearing into sea but hopefully some will
survive and return in three years time to lay the
next genetioan of eggs.
Lastly, a big thank you to all the Negeri Sembilan
and Melaka members who helped make this AGM
so successful.
The main event was the announcement of the
voting by the members for the next Council. With
over seven hundred votes cast, it was delayed. You
can check out the results and meet your new
Council at
https://www.mns.my/article.php?aid=2844.
2
GREEN LIVING
SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD
GREYWATER SYSTEMS
By Wong Ee Lynn
<wongeelynn@yahoo.com/ gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com>
The call for water conservation and wise use
and management of water is now more urgent
than ever, especially taking into consideration
the recurring water crisis in Selangor. In the
past, homeowners were often urged to collect
and harvest rainwater for household use.
However, deforestation has led to reduced
rainfall and we are not able to collect rainwater
as frequently as we used to.
Many MNS members have expressed an
interest in installing greywater systems and
reusing greywater.
Greywater is water from non-plumbing systems
A greywater tank at the Eats,
such as hand basins, showers, baths and
Shoots and Roots edible garden
washing machines. It is safe for use in the
premises.
garden and for flushing toilets with. It should
never include water from toilets, washing
diapers and kitchen sinks, as these often
harbour pathogens. Greywater should never be
used on fruits, vegetables and anything you plan
to eat.
Most homeowners and building occupants are
deterred by the high cost involved in installing
greywater systems. The greywater tank system
in the picture below, for example, involves quite
sophisticated plumbing and pipes and takes up
a significant amount of space.
A toilet lid sink, by SinkPositive
(Image credits:
http://realgoods.com/sinkpositive-toiletsink)
Even simple retrofit systems such as the Toilet Lid Sink
as pictured are not easily available in Malaysia or within
the economic means of the people who need it the most
to keep their utility bills down.
What can you do to collect and reuse greywater, if you
are renting, living in a small space, living in shared
accommodation or simply not inclined to install a complex
plumbing system or purchase expensive equipment?
Here are some tried and tested tips which may seem
inconvenient in the beginning when you first implement it,
but will soon become second nature, just like sorting your
recyclables and taking your reusable shopping bag with
you when you leave the house:
SIMPLE WAYS TO COLLECT GREYWATER:
1. Use phosphate-free and biodegradable soap,
shampoo, detergents and household cleaning
solutions whenever possible. White vinegar is an
excellent cleaning agent for glass surfaces and
mirrors, for example. This is to ensure that the water
collected will pose less harm to the environment and
to human and animal health when used.
2. If you have a wide and sturdy tub, you can stand in it
while showering and let the water collect. The
advantage of this is that there is usually a very short
distance between the shower and the toilet, so the
greywater collected can then conveniently be used for
flushing the toilet with.
3. For general household cleaning tasks such as cleaning
the windows, mopping the floor and wiping down
tables and furniture surfaces, let the water from
cleaning and rinsing collect in a basin and then pour it
into a bucket or pail that can then be put in the
bathroom or outdoor areas for reuse. You can also
collect water directly into a bucket or pail by washing
and rinsing directly from a standing tap or hose.
3
ECO KIDS
Setting Up Butterfly Feeders
Habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use have
led to a decline in butterfly populations.
Unbeknownst to many, butterflies do not live on
nectar alone. Some species prefer, even require,
overripe fruit to feed on. Decaying fruits have
carbohydrates and minerals, necessary for most
butterflies. Help out the butterflies in your garden by
supplying them with flowers, fruit, water and plants,
and you will hopefully have a large, happy and
diverse butterfly population visiting you regularly.
Put a plate of cut fruit inside a larger plate or saucer
that is filled with water to keep ants away from the
fruit. Butterflies have a good sense of smell. They
have scent receptors at the ends of their antennas,
and taste receptors on the bottoms of their feet.
Butterflies are particularly fond of oranges, papayas,
mangoes, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries,
peaches, nectarines, kiwi, apples, watermelon and
bananas, especially mushy bananas that have been
stored in the freezer and then thawed.
To filter out hair, lint and other dirt, put a piece of
fine wire mesh, mosquito screen or an old piece of
muslin, cheesecloth or light bedsheet over the
opening of the bucket. Use pegs or clips to hold the
cloth or screen in place over the opening of the
bucket. The piece of screen or cloth acts as a sieve
to filter out dirt from the greywater.
4. Some items such as delicate items of clothing, shoes
and rugs may need to be handwashed. Pour away
the water used for soaking these items, as the water
in the earliest stage is likely to be dirty. Collect the
water from the subsequent rounds of washing and
rinsing for reuse in the bathroom or garden.
REUSING GREYWATER:
1. It is safe to use greywater on trees, ornamental
plants and non-edible plants. There is some degree
of risk to watering vegetables and herbs with
greywater that comes from the bathroom and
kitchen. If you wish to use greywater on edible
plants, pour the water into the soil / at the plants'
roots, and not all over the leaves and edible parts of
the plants.
2. The average person flushes the toilet 5 times a day.
Toilets make up 31% of household water
consumption. If you were to place a greywater
bucket and scoop by the toilet and encourage those
who use the toilet to flush using greywater, you can
potentially save over 70 litres of water per person
per day. Ensure that the greywater is free of grease,
lint and dirt that may clog up the plumbing. The last
person to use the toilet that night should flush it
with the water in the cistern to 'rinse' the toilet and
therefore prevent dirt and stains from building up in
the toilet.
3. Use greywater wash the driveway or other outdoor
areas. Use clean water from a tap or hose only for
the final rinse to ensure that the floor does not end
up slippery, stained or dirty when dry.
4
PATHFINDERS
Trip to Jelawang Waterfall and Gunung Stong
The 13 of us including seniors Lee and CY
Tan, left around 9am. It was an hour to
Jelawang National Park and Resort. Upon
arrival, everyone repacked and adjusted
their ‘12kg’ load.
After warm-ups and some briefing from
Deq, we immediately hit the slopes. We
started hiking at 1030am. Deq helped to
carry some of our heavy load as some of us
jumped across rocks. At one point, he was
carrying 2 backpacks, one at the back and
one in front and hopping from one rock to
another. Such agility!
I signed up for this trip the moment I read
about it from the MNS newsletter
sometime end of July 2014. We left on
Friday evening after work. It was raining
heavily and we left promptly at 7.40pm.
We drove past oil palm plantations using
Jalan Alternatif Kuala Lipis. There were
many heavy vehicles and trucks carrying
logs. Saw a few warning signs with ‘Alert!
Cows on the road’. It took us 4 hours to get
to Gua Musang town . We had ‘teh halias’
at the open air warong and drove back to
the hotel after. The food here is good, we
also sampled Kak Izzah’s famous ‘nasi
kerabu’ and ‘nasi dagang’ the next day.
We were greeted
with a big hello from
our guide ‘Deq’. I
pointed to the top of
the falls. “Is that our
destination?” I
squeaked, my voice
registering the
tiniest quiver. Deq,
who looked like he
could conquer
Gunung Stong in a
single leap and
bound, nodded his
head, grinning at my
fear.
While admiring Jelawang waterfall, we
were greeted with ‘Rhinocerus hornbills’
flying in pairs. What a sight to behold! We
saw a few more and someone ID them as
‘Helmeted hornbills’. After crossing the
river, the inclines were pretty steep, and I
had to grab hold of whatever tree roots I
could to haul myself up.
Soon, we found ourselves at Kem Baha
(Baha Camp) at the top of the Jelawang
Waterfall, the standard pit-stop for hikers
on their way further up. Arrived at Kem
Baha at 1pm.
After setting up our tents, some of us
explored the area, swam and sat around
chatting while some had some snooze in
their hammocks. Deq told me the famous
‘viewpoint of Kem Baha’. A sight to behold
as most people sat there watching the
world below wind down after a day’s
activities. I learned later that our trek up
from the foot to the summit of the
Jelawang Waterfall was a mere one
kilometer distance. But with the steep
inclines, it seemed longer and took us
about two hours to reach Kem Baha.
Next day, I woke up early at 630am to
catch the sunrise from Kem Baha
viewpoint. The crisp, cool morning air had
created a carpet of thick fog on the
ground and it was just a magical feeling of
walking on clouds and cotton candy.
Located near Kem Baha are some river
pools such as the Kolam Tuan Puteri (The
Princess Pool), Telaga Tujuh (Seven Wells)
and Air Terjun “Y” (The “Y” Waterfall), so
named thanks to the converging flow of
waters from both Gunung Stong and
Gunung Ayam. Even if you don’t reach the
peak of Gunung Stong, the time spent in
these pools would have made the trip
extremely worth it!
After breakfast, 10 of us hiked up Gunung
Stong. We passed Gua Bogo and Batu
Kelambai. Our group spilt into two, 5 of us
hiked with Deq while the 2nd group hiked
with Sim. My group went ahead of the
2nd group. We had many rest stops along
the way and while resting at Gua Bogo,
we admired how the swiftlets flew by
going in and out of Gua Bogo. We hiked
5
past a huge rock, Batu Kelambai and within an hour or so, reached
Permatang Bonzai. From here, it is another 15 minutes to the peak of
Gunung Stong. We reached the peak around 1245pm, made lunch while
waiting for the remainder 3 of my group to arrive. We were greeted with
a resident squirrel who was not shy to come forward for food.
Left: The Jelawang Waterfalls
Below: Princess Pool
Photos: JC Tan
After conquering Gunung, there is a unique gait to my walk. I’d like to
think of it as a confident swagger of one who smugly rejoices in her recent
conquest. The truth is far less pretty — the knees crack with every stride,
the muscles pull mercilessly, and every step is excruciatingly painful —
resulting in a less-than-flattering limp.
We relaxed by the viewpoint again to watch the full moon. Drank ginger
tea and ate mooncake while watching the Dabong town below in little
lights. It was not as chilly as the previous night. As I sat quietly, I
watched the rest laughed and pose for the camera, while the world
below stood silent. It is the eve of mid Autumn festival and celebrating
with these new found hiking friends made my mid autumn festival
another mark in my life to remember. Retired to tent around 930pm.
Next morning, Monday, our last day at Jelawang national park, Deq took
us to Telaga Tujuh. It is a short 30 minutes hike up the waterfall. You can
see 6 natural wells at the 3rd tier and the 7th well at the 5th tier. It is
believed when you immerse yourself into the 7th well you will have
youthful skin according to Deq. A few of us braved the cold water and took
the opportunity to submerge ourselves in the 7th well. It is a small well,
fits one person.
We had lunch, packed our bags and descended around noon. It took
around 30 minutes to descend, all the way down and cross the hanging
bridge to get back to the resort. We cleaned up at the resort’s public
toilets and washroom. We had ‘nasi goreng’ at the resort’s restaurant. We
said our goodbyes and left Jelawang National Park around 3:30pm.
I came away from the experience with greater confidence and motivation
in my life. Back at work, my friends compliment me on the glow on my
face and the vigour in my life. Yes, I did the Stong Waterfalls and if you ask
me if I’d do it again, I’d say, “In the blink of an eye, my friend!”
By Elena Shim
The Gunung Stong State Forest Park (GSSFP)
located at Dabong, Kelantan, covers some
157,087 ha of forest; is one of the top
5 ecotourism destinations in Malaysia covering some oldest
rain forest in the world. It's popular for visitors from
Malaysia and Singapore with an estimated 10,000 visitor per
annum. It's famous for the purportedly highest waterfall in
South East Asia, Jelawang waterfall ( 309m), (so high that
you can see it from a great distance. Gunung Stong ( 1,422
m) is about 4-5 hours from Baha Camp 1-2 hours hike to Baha
Camp site) and another 3-4 hours return trip. Baha Camp is
where you will spend most of your time, swiming in the
natural rock pool, watching sunrise from the waterfall and
the magnificent panoramic view of Dabong. Besides the view
the forest reserve also rich in fauna and flora that some
native plants only grow here.
6
MNS Photography 2014 Final Quarter Contest:
Calling for submission on "Birds"
1st October to 31 December 2014
Photos must be in their natural state i.e. without studio set up. Do NOT
place visible watermarks on the image files. This is to avoid bias in photo
judging. Any photos found with watermark will be rejected.
Use ONLY the JPEG format. Any other format will automatically be
rejected and will not be entered into contest. Please resize your image
files to a maximum of 1,024 pixels on the long side.
Photos will be evaluated based on: (1) Relevance to theme, if any, (2)
Composition, (3) Colour, (4) Lighting and Shadow and (5) Creativity.
Starting this quarter, the MNS Photogroup Committee is conducting its
final quarterly photography contest. This contest is open to all MNS
members. The contest will run from this third quarter till end of
December 2014. The theme for this quarter’s contest is “Birds”.
From the submissions received, three (3) best photos will be selected
per contest. First, second and third winners will be awarded prizes.
As we are encouraging amateur and beginner photographers to
enhance their photography skills, all photographs captured with digital
camera will be accepted into the contest.
Rules & Conditions:
For Birds category, images can be captured on the wild and those in
Bird Park and in Zoos. Images captured are judge on esthetic and
creativity. We do not condone images captured by contrive method; ie:
physically moving the individual bird to another location to create that
shot, such images will be disqualified.
Photographs can be captured with any types of digital camera. Select
3 of your best shots for the theme. You may use a post-processing
software to tweak your photos such as cropping, brightness, contrast,
colour, saturation, HDR, panoramic stitching and etc. but not introduce
superimposition i.e. putting other things there; or you may leave them
as they are without modification.
Do NOT submit more than 3 image files; above that number will also be
ignored. Photos that had previously won prizes in other contests are not
eligible for entry into this contest. EMAIL the 3 image files to
mnsphotogroup@gmail.com and/or photo_submit@mnsphotogroup.org
For this quarter, please SUBMIT latest by 31st December 2014. Image
files submitted after that will be ignored.
Nature Photography Competition
“MNS Natural History Photographer of the Year 2014”
For all the submissions received in the year during our MNS
Photography 2014 Quarterly Contest, we will select the best 20 highest
points garnet in all the 3 contests entered for them to enter for another
round on the same 3 theme and Best Image and will name Him/Her "The
MNS Natural History Photographer of the Year". There will be a Grand
Prize courtesy of Schmidt Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.
This Photo Competition is open to all paid-up MNS members only.
1st Prize:
2nd Prize: Lenspen &
3rd Prize: Lenspen
NLP1 & Minox Suntimer
SensorKlear & Loupe Set
Lenspen MiniProll
7
Calendar of Activities
FESTIVAL OF WINGS
18th OCT (SAT) AT KSNP
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
The Nature Guides SIG will be registering
volunteers who would like to be mangrove
guides for the Festival of Wings at KSNP. If you
are keen to learn and would like to be a guide,
please register asap. The Volunteers must be
MNS members.Please register with Pasu at
pasupathy_jayaraj@yahoo.com, by sending us
the following data:Full name
Email address
Hp no.
MNS membership no.
Expiry date
Area of Residence (for carpooling purposes)
A compulsory training session will be held at
KSNP on 11th Oct( Sat) , 8.30 a,m - 12.00 p.m.
Hurry as there are only limited places
available.
All events times and venues are correct at time of printing. For latest updates, contact the Special Interest Group or check the MNS
website regularly. Booking priority will be given to the organizing branch‘s members unless stated otherwise
SEPANG HOMESTAY
25 OCT (SAT)
Flora Group is planning an outing for 25-26 October 2014
with an overnight homestay in the vicinity of Sepang/
Tanjung Sepat area after a brief gardening event at
Sepang EIC. More details will be sent out later.
Here is a rough itinerary:
25 October 2014 (Saturday)
• 8am
Depart for EIC
• 9 am
Briefing
• 9.30-12pm Gardening
• Lunch at Kg. Pelek
• 1pm
Depart for homestay
• 3-4pm
Check in
• 4-5.30pm Trekking
• 7pm
Dinner/BBQ
• 8pm
Night walk/sharing session
26 October 2014 (Sunday)
• 7am
Morning walk/birding
• 8am
Breakfast
• 8.30-11am Free n easy/marketing/leisure
• 12pm
Checkout/Farewell
• 12.30pm
Lunch at seafood restaurant/farewell
Those interested to participate, please contact Koon Hup
at 016-5912472 or email to koonhup@hotmail.com
giving your contact number and email address.
UMCARES BIODIVERSITY WEEK:
TREE MAPPING WITH PERICOPSIS
27(Mon) & 29 (Wed) OCT
Time: 9am-12pm
Dates: 27 and 29 October (independent
events, different sites)
Venue: To be determined (within University
of Malaya campus)
Tree Mapping at UM campus with UMCares
27 Mon and 29 Oct. Wed at 9am-12pm. This
will be followed by a light lunch (provided).
UM campus and exact location will be
announced later. All MNS members are
invited. The sessions will be divided into
three parts: an introduction to the Pericopsis
online tree-mapping platform, field work to
map trees, and data entry on Pericopsis.
Flora Group intends to have a separate tree
Mapping session on 1 Nov Saturday Tree
Mapping 9-11am. Venue and other details
will be announced later. Those interested to
participate, please contact Koon Hup at 0165912472 or email to koonhup@hotmail.com
giving your contact number and email
address.
MIGRATING RAPTOR COUNT AT BEDONG, KEDAH
PENANG BRANCH OCTOBER 2014
MNS Penang Branch is unable to carry out a daily 6 week count this year. We will try to carry out a count on
every Sunday starting from Sunday 21st September and on every Sunday till Sunday 2nd November. Due to
unforeseen circumstances we may not be able to carry out the count on certain Sundays, so members wishing
to take part in the counts please confirm with Kanda or Tan Choo Eng a week before each Sunday.
Contacts: Kanda - kandakum@hotmail.com, Tan Choo Eng - chooengtan@yahoo.com
8
Calendar of Activities
All events times and venues are correct at time of printing. For latest updates, contact the Special Interest GroupAdvertisement
or check the MNS
website regularly. Booking priority will be given to the organizing branch‘s members unless stated otherwise
NIGHTWALK AND BIRDING AT GENTING:
A HERP GROUP AND BIRD GROUP EVENT
MOUNTAIN GOAL ADVENTURE CONSULTANT (742912-V)
Website: http://www.mymountaingoal.com
E-mail: goalus@mymountaingoal.com
Everest Base Camp via Gokyo Lake Trek 09/04/2015 to 24/04/2015 (16D15N)
Dates: 4 – 5th October 2014
Meeting Time: 4pm, 4th October 2014
Meeting Place: Genting Awana Longhouse
Genting Highlands is a hotspot for birds and home to a great
variety of frogs, some found exclusively in montane habitats.
The Herp Group and Bird Group are glad to show you what
Genting has to offer for nature lovers! Join us on our nightwalk
on the night of 4th October and birding first thing in the morning
on the 5th of October. The nightwalk will be on paved roads, so
casual wear is okay. Bear in mind that it will be cold and there
may be a lot of precipitation from mist or rain, so bring warm
clothes and a poncho.
We’ll be staying at the Awana Longhouse; it is an open air affair.
Very basic, mattresses, clean sheets, blankets, pillows and
showers with HOT water will be provided. Air conditioning
courtesy of Mother Nature. There is a charge of RM60 for nonmembers and RM55 for members, but if you choose to settle
accommodation on your own then it’ll be RM10 for members
and RM15 for non-members. Meals will not be provided.
Experience the culture of the Sherpas in route to Khumbu village.
Enjoy a climb to the scintillating Kalapattar 5,545m. /18190ft, one of the most spectacular
vantage points in the Everest region.
Explore enchanting views of Everest, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu and many
other towering peaks.
Two free training trips will be provided for this trip.
Contact : Thong at goalus@mymountaingoal.com H/P : 016-6375622 Off : 03-40248896
Further info please sign in:www.mymountaingoal.com/everestkalapattar.htm
Annapurna Circuit trek from 28/04/15 to 13/05/15 (Confirmed Trip)
There is a limited spot for 20 participants. So register NOW by
sending the following details to steven.wong.sp@hotmail.com:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name
NRIC/Passport Number
Handphone Number
Name of Next of Kin (NOK)
Relationship with NOK
NOK Handphone Number
Membership Number
Expiry Date
Duration: 16 days
Maximum Elevation: 5416m
Grade: Medium / Hard
Season: Mid September to November and March to mid May
Summary: Walk completely around the Annapurna massif. Trek through low land Brahmin and
Chhettri villages to the remote Manang village, and down the Kalkigandaki Gorge (officially
deepest George in the World). Cross a 5416m pass-probably the highest you will ever get
without climbing a mountain.
Two free training trips will be provided for this trip.
Contact : +60166375622 WhatsApp, WeChat and Line.
Further information please sign in:- http://www.mymountaingoal.com/AnnapurnaRegion.htm
9
Calendar of Activities
All events times and venues
are correct at time of printing. For latest updates, contact the Special Interest Group or check the MNS
Topics:
website regularly. Booking priority will be given to the organizing branch‘s members unless stated otherwise
Training Workshop: An Introduction to
Coastal Waterbirds and Wetlands.
The Flyway Campaign launched in February 2013 during the World Wetlands
Day, is to create awareness, advocate and conserve the North Central
Selangor Coast Important Bird Area (IBA MY11). At the same time, MNS
announced to propose Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP) to be listed as a
Ramsar site due to the location at that site. KSNP will be the Wetlands
Center for Outreach and education to the communities. In 2014/5, GEF SGP
sponsored the above project for 18 months, and one of the objectives is to
capacity build MNS members and communities to strengthen the
sustainability of the above project. One of the capacity- building initiatives
that SGP GEF sponsored together with Ricoh is to train more MNS members
to annually count water-birds for a much longer period and in larger areas,
so as to build up more accurate and representable records.
Training Workshop: An Introduction to Coastal Waterbirds and Wetlands.
The Bird Conservation Council (BCC) of the MNS’s Conservation Division
wishes to invite interested birdwatchers (who must be fully paid-up MNS
members) to attend a training workshop on coastal water-birds and
wetlands. The objective is to promote interest as well as increase the
number of experienced coastal water-birds watchers in the country as part
of the MNS program for capacitybuilding. Annual counts of water-birds are essential tools for advocating the
conservation of important coastal habitats. In addition, they contribute
valuable data toward the EAAFP network and BirdLife International projects
for global coastal water-bird conservation. The training workshops will be
conducted during weekends by MNS members who have considerable
expertise in coastal water-birds. Each training workshop will have a theory
session on Saturday, followed by a practical session on Sunday.
Trainers:
Mr. Ang Teck Hin and Mr. Khoo Swee Seng.
1. How to distinguish water-bird (waders) from the other bird families;
2. Identification of waders based on their plumage, bill, legs and tail, feeding
characteristics, etc.;
3. The significance of Peninsula and East Malaysia along the bird migration route
known as the East Asia Australasian Flyway (EAAF).
4. The importance of conservation of coastal wetlands
Eligibility:
Must be a fully paid up MNS members, and has been watching birds for a year or
more. To be a proficient water-bird watcher, constant practice and revision is the
key. Therefore, I would like to encourage participants to attend as many workshops
as possible.
Cost:
The training workshop is free. Board and lodging is provided at the Kuala Selangor
Nature Park (KSNP) from Friday to Sunday. Packed lunch will be provided for the
Sunday field work. However, transportation cost is on your own and car- pooling is
encouraged. Please bring along your binoculars or telescope. More details will be
included in the registration pack which you will receive in advance.
Workshop dates and registration:
First workshop: 31 Oct. -2 November 2014 (Friday to Sunday). Closing date 20 Oct.
Second workshop: 21-23 November 2014 (Friday to Sunday). Closing date 10 Nov.
Third workshop: December 2014 (to be announced).
Fourth workshop: January 2015 (to be announced).
Fifth workshop: February 2015 (to be announced).
Keep a look- out for them in email, fB, MNS website and Pencinta Alam.
To facilitate catering of meals and accommodation, members who wish to attend
the workshops are requested fill up the registration form at www.mns.my
(upcoming events), digitally sign and email it to
Mr. Lim Aun Tiah: limbird42@gmail.com
Registration of participants for all workshops will be closed 10 days before the
actual dates. Please download the registration form from MNS website:
https://www.mns.my/article.php?aid=2842
10
DIRECTORY
MNS HQ
JKR 541, Jalan Kelantan,
Bukit Persekutuan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
(just before the Seri Perdana turn-off on
Jalan Mahameru)
Mondays –Fridays 9 am–5:30 pm
T: 03-22879422 F: 03-22878773
mns@mns.org.my www.mns.my
Membership: Leong Wee Chin
Branch Committee Members
JOHOR BRANCH
c/o Vincent Chow
32 Jln Molek 3/11, Tmn Molek,
81100 Johor Bahru; www.mnsj.org.my
Blog: www.mnsj.org.my
Chairman Vincent Chow
vkkchow@yahoo.com
Vice Chair Wee Soon Chit
soonchit@hotmail.com
Secretary Belinda Wong May Lang
belinda@bellogistics.com
KEDAH BRANCH
291 Jalan Shahab 1, Shahab Perdana,
05350 Alor Setar, Kedah
kedahmns@yahoogroups.com
Chairman Left Kol Husamuddin bin
Yaacob
Vice Chair Wan Muhaimin bin Wan Jamil
wanatc@yahoo.com
Secretary Phang Fatt Khow
fkphang05@yahoo.com
KELANTAN BRANCH
204, Jln Sultan Yahya Petra, 15150 Kota
Bharu, Kelantan. meklawa@gmail.com
Chairman Aweng a/l Eh Rak
aweng@umk.edu.my
Vice Chair Amir Hamzah Abdul Shukor
amrieta@yahoo.com
Secretary Nazahatul Anis Amaludin
anisamaludin@gmail.com
LANGKAWI BRANCH
mnslangkawi@yahoogroups.com
Chairman Eric R. Sinnaya
morahols@gmail.com
Vice Chair Kamal Ibrahim
ezkamal@gmail.com
Secretary Preti Babu Sashikant
summerfurnishing@yahoo.com
NEGERI SEMBILAN/ MELAKA BRANCH
c/o Cooltek, 350 Jalan Woodland,
Tiara Melaka Golf & Country Club,
Ayer Keroh, 75450 Melaka
Chairman Dr Zorina Khalid
drzorina@moh.gov.my
Vice Chair Peter Loke
peterpkloke@yahoo.com
Secretary June Teng
MNS.N9Melaka@gmail.com
PAHANG BRANCH
30 1st Floor Jalan Gambut, 25000 Kuantan,
Pahang mnsphg@yahoo.com.sg
Chairman Zela Azni binti Nahizan
palia_potter@yahoo.co.uk
Vice Chair Nurul Azne Ibrahim
Secretary Noor Hassikin Binti Hamsah
noor_hassikin@yahoo.com
PENANG BRANCH
Nature Information Centre (NIC),
673-B Jalan Kebun Bunga,
10350 Penang. 016-484 0747
Open Mon–Sat, 7.30–11.30 am (please
phone before visiting)
http://www.geocities.com/mnspenang/
Blog: mnspenang@yahoogroups.com
Chairman Tan Choo Eng
chooengtan@yahoo.com
Vice Chair James Ooi Teik Kok
jamesooiteikkok@yahoo.com
Secretary Tan Pek Tao, Peggy
peggypeach@yahoo.com
PERAK BRANCH
8, Jln Virgo, Star Park, 31400 Ipoh, Perak
mnsperak@gmail.com
Blog: mnsperak@yahoogroups.com
Chairman Ooi Beng Yean
bengyean@gmail.com
Vice Chair Leow Kon Fah
leow_kingfisher@yahoo.com
Secretary Georgia Tham Yim Fong
georgi8tham@yahoo.com
SABAH BRANCH
P O Box 12377, 88826 Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah
mns_sabah@yahoo.com.sg
Chairman Anna Wong
anna888@ums.edu.my
Vice Chair Jimmy Omar
jemyomar@gmail.com
Secretary Dewina Saidin
dewinuwa@gmail.com
SABAH (SANDAKAN) BRANCH
Lot 322, Lorong Pertama 17, Tmn
Pertama,
90000 Sandakan, Sabah
Chairman Chow Kok Cheng, Charles
kcccharles@yahoo.com
Vice-Chair Gengadharan G Pillai
genga_pillai@yahoo.com
Secretary Chia Ah Theng
asrio_88@yahoo.com
SARAWAK (KUCHING) BRANCH
mnskuching@gmail.com
Chairman Anthony C. Sebastian
aonyxenvironmental@gmail.com
Vice Chair Rose Au Nyat Jun
njau44@yahoo.com
Secretary Asha Devi Kaushal,
princezhope@gmail.com
SARAWAK (MIRI) BRANCH
mnsmiri@yahoo.com
Blog: mnsmiri.blogspot.com
Chairman Musa Musbah
sammua@yahoo.com
Vice Chair Yeo Hong Yan, John
drjyeo@gmail.com
Secretary Mairead Boland
maireadgboland@gmail.com
SELANGOR BRANCH
c/o MNS HQ address
www.mns.org.my/selangor
mns.selangor@gmail.com
E-group:
malaysiannaturesociety@yahoo
groups.com
Chairman K. S. Goh, Henry
henrygks10@gmail.com
Vice Chair Pasupathy Jayaraj
pasupathy_jayaraj@yahoo.com
Secretary Wong Pui May
wongpuimay@hotmail.com
TERENGGANU BRANCH
1926 Bukit Kubang Jambu,
20050 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
mnsterengganu@gmail.com
Chairman Wong Chee Ho
cheeho@umt.edu.my
Vice Chair Wee Seng Whatt
swwee88@gmail.com
Secretary Anuar Abdullah McAfee
anuar@ms.kusza.edu.my
Computer Recycling
Collection Centre
The MNS Penang, Nature Information Centre
(NIC) is a designated recycling collection centre for
old computers and computer parts by the Penang
City Council. Please send your unwanted
computers and parts to the NIC to be send for
recycling by DOE approved recycling
establishment. Contact Kanda at 013-4537992 for
more information or check out Penang Branch web
pages
11
PENCINTA ALAM is a monthly newsletter made possible by dedicated
volunteers and contributors from the Malaysian Nature Society. Accuracy is
the contributor’s responsibility. The Editor reserves the right to edit for length
and content.
Submissions: Articles including the author and photographers’ names (max.
800 words), advertisements, digital images (100 dpi & no larger than 640 x
480 pixels & separately from the article), etc. must reach the Editor by the
13th of each month (unless noted otherwise) via the following e-mail address:
tapir2005@gmail.com.
Advertising rates:
Classifieds: RM5 per column inch
Quarter page ad: RM30
Half page ad: RM60
• All payments must be made to ‘Malaysian Nature Society Selangor Branch’.
• Please bank in cash or cheque to Maybank Account no 014150307352.
• After banking in, please scan the slip and e-mail it with your advertisement
to: tapir2005@gmail.com and berniechin118@yahoo.com.
Discount rate for ads paid in advance:
3 adverts paid in advance – 5% off published rate;
6 adverts paid in advance – 10% off published rate;
9 adverts paid in advance –15% off published rate;
12 adverts paid in advance – 20% off published rate.
This issue’s editor : Beng Beng Chan
Next issue’s editor : Alina Thomas
Renew Your Membership via Online Credit Card Payment
Settling your MNS membership fee is now made easier with on-line credit card
payment via the MNS website.
To renew, please visit https://www.mns.my/subscription/.
For inquiries, contact Wee Chin at membership@mns.org.my
Love the outdoors?
Enjoy peace of mind…
for you and your family by writing your Will today!
Do you know that all our Assets including banks' accounts
will be frozen upon Death? With OR Without a WILL!!
How do you ‘unlock’ them?
A Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration from the High
Court. This process applies to Muslims and non-Muslims.
If you pass on without having a VALID WILL this is what happens:
1. Your Family
o Your spouse and children will face cash flow problem because all your bank
accounts including joint accounts maybe frozen.
o Your children's welfare may not be taken care of by the people of your choice
2. The Legal Process
o Delay in distribution due to the legal administrative process (2–6 years)
o 2 guarantors / sureties required (amount equal or more than deceased's estate)
o Much more costly resulting in financial burdens to your family
3. Your Asset Distribution (as per Distribution Act 1958 amended in 1997 or
distribution under Faraid)
o The law will decide on the distribution of your estate such as
house(s), businesses, bank accounts, shares, etc.
LOVE YOUR FAMILY, WRITE YOUR WILL TODAY AND ENJOY
PEACE OF MIND wherever you may be.
Why leave to chance? For more information, please call..
MARY OOI
Making Your Wishes Come True
Rockwills Estate Planner (Rockwills Corporation Sdn. Bhd.)
Islamic Estate Planner (as-Salihin Trustee Sdn. Bhd.)
H/P: 012-337 9906 or email: mary_3_ooi@hotmail.com
(Servicing area: Klang Valley only)
Please bring your membership card to all activities as proof of membership.
12