Pinnacle of passions

Away in Kuching on this March Escapade’23, I have a good overall view of what  I have done in Bintulu on the Kambatik Park.   Sometimes we need moments of detachment to figure out all what has been done at the nature park and evaluate it for better understanding and focus, and then what’s next?

As a project that has taken more than ten years of development, I can say that it is the culmination of many strengths.  Firstly, the project has to be sustainable before any further commitment can be poured into its further investment in terms of time, efforts, funds and future planning.  To this end I can safely say that this has been achieved as I have managed to stay on with the project and passionate about it despite having to juggle time, money and efforts on daily basis to care for the place till presently.

One thing that I have done in Kuching on this trip is to create a new blog called “Kambatik Ecopreneurship”.  With some major success being achieved, I can now look back at many aspects of its development.  These include philosophy, vision, planning, economic viability, marketing and aesthetics.  This latest blog will document in pictures and writing the story behind the nature park that can act as a ready source for future reference.

My strengths in photography, writing, planning, dedication towards work, passion for plants, art and life-long learning have contributed tremendously to realise this dream project.  The Kambatik Park is my pinnacle of passions. 

Journal: 17 March,2023.

Kambatik Park from northerly view

This is a view of the park taken from a northerly location that is from top of a hill.  This view of the park has not been able to be taken earlier because there was no access to the hill previously.  Until of course the northern area of the park was illegally intruded and bulldozed for somebody's oil palm plantation.  The bulldozing was halted and I gave stern warning to the intruder not to venture further into the park area.
The actions of the intruder will be subject to further scrutiny from now onwards.

Smoking the Fernery

 At the Fernery, Botanical Island One.

Spent a good two hours at the Fernery this morning.

Did more clearing works and a bit of additional planting.

Did also smoking to the place to get rid of mosquitoes and at the same time to produce burnt earth.

Beautiful nature and work

Every time I pass through this tall oil palm tree while pushing the wheelbarrow loaded with fresh fruit bunches, I'll stop to admire the blooming Coelogyne  asperata sprays. The chains of flowers are now at full bloom stage.  This year I am indeed blessed to be able to take lots of pictures of the orchids in various stages of flowering.  These pictures will be on permanent record in my blog dedicated to orchids. 

With beautiful nature around, hard toil becomes a labour of love.

Fernery

 

Walk in the park and Red Stink Bug

The Kambatik Park, Bintulu.
1 Feb'20.

I take today's Saturday the easy way. Walked around the park admiring the jungle greenery and anything that moves. But it was something that kept quiet but brightly coloured that attracted me. The Red Stink Bug was an excellent photoshoot candidate. Others in the line-up were the plumeria flower and the watery Rose Apple ( Jambu Air).

Red Stink Bug, 1 Feb'2020.

Malay Apple, 

( Note: This is a reposting from my FB account, dated February 1, 2020.)

The jungle and open space

The jungle is always there to be enjoyed. And there are ground areas that need to be regularly cut. That done I end the day with a strong cup of coffee from Sabah kaw kaw!! PLUS grilled tuna fish using dry jungle wood. Simple life but tons of pleasure. 

( The above story is a re-post from my FB account, dated February 8, 2020.)

KAMBATIK re-visited online 2020

Pholidocarpus sumatranus, Botanic Island Two.

One of the thrills of blogging is to find your plant pictures taken up by authoritative bodies and placed them in their online encyclopedia. One such picture is the Pholidocarpus sumatranus palm that grows naturally in my park in Bintulu. I have only three stands of this rare palm growing healthy.
You can checkout more description on the palm by following this link...>>>https://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Pholidocarpus_sumatranus                               

Pholidocarpus sumatranus, Botanic Island One.

Views of the park in 2020

It's autumn at the Kambatik Park. The place is a gallery of colours to feast the eyes and brighten up the soul.

Views of the park taken on 19 Feb'2020.

Camera :  Canon EOS 1100D

Coming closer to the Crested Serpent Eagle.

Sunday is a good day to enter the jungle to discover more things or just looking for surprises. Today's excursion was rewarded by a closer view of the Crested Serpent Eagle. The preserved nature at the park is a favourite hunting ground for the eagle. The smallest raptor, the Bornean Falconet is a frequent visitor. The Crested Serpent Eagle however is a raptor or a bird of prey that is among the large - sized raptors that are seen and heard often as they encircle the park from far above the canopy of trees and uttering their distinctive shrill whistling call...wheeat...wheeatt... The eagle is attracted to the abundance of squirrels, lizards and small birds here

(Note: This story is a re-post from my facebook, 4 November'18)

The monsoon rains and cloudy skies have arrived in time

 The monsoon winds and torrential rains it bring are consistently on schedule this year and so is the end of year durian season. Sarawak, on this big island called Borneo is pounded yearly since ancient times by the monsoon winds bringing a brief period of flooding in some areas and rejuvenation of life in the overall physical environment. Here this short wet period is called "Landas' and since ancient times it come and go from November till February annually. For that reason we are able to live under a green envelope called the evergreen tropical rainforest. On the ground level I saw the Tiong bird (Hill Myna) and the Prevost's squirrel sharing a tall tree. They were happily playing and hunting for little preys on the branches and leaves.It seems every creature on earth needs the rains. For that matter I can't imagine myself living in the Sahara. Borneo- I love you.

A Brown Dragonfly

For the record, I stumbled upon a brown dragonfly which I have not seen before in the park.
Location : Zone B, at the wetland or swampy area. 

The lowland rainforest ecology.

 The lowland rainforest ecology.

The preservation of lowland tropical rainforest at the park while at the same time being integrated into agro-forestry practice in the Kambatik tradition has for the last 15 years brought renewed hope in an ecological oil palm farming model.  This model is sustainable even without any government help or subsidy and goes a long way to prove that competitive posture by small holders is a better bet for the preservation of ecological diversity in Sarawak.  

The richness of the flora quality here even at lowland level i.e. about 30 meters above sea level (baseline= mouth of Kemena River) amazes me.  The resulting freshness in the air is beyond description when compared to the air quality in Bintulu town.  The hiatus of music from the birds at any time of day and the company of small animals (tree shrews, frogs, crickets, squirrels etc) are a boon to normal living.

Though the trees have been the main reason for preservation of the evergreen jungle,  other plants like epiphytes, climbers, stranglers or lianas add much needed interest.  Orchids (especially the ground ones), tree ferns, bird's nest ferns, fungi and herbs ( e.g. wild gingers species) excite me when exploring the jungle.

 The biggest animal that still roam the forest (at night ) is the Sambar Deer.  Monkeys are very rare now but squirrels, snakes and monitor lizards are constantly being encountered.  Carpenter bees and colourful butterflies spring many surprises in the park.

I believe the presence of water as in the swampy locations of the valleys and the frequent rains have life-sustaining qualities ans as such are not to be disturbed. The swamps and tall grasses mix well with the shrubby dillenia treelets and become increasing attractive to small birds that establish their nests in their thickets.

 I observe too that the Ong Lumok trees seem to thrive better now that they are transplanted in many locations where the ground is wet and dry at the same time.  It is like saying that the Ong Lumok tree prefers to have one foot in water and the other on dry land.

Living in the Kambatik Park over the last 12 years have given me a rare opportunity to intervene in nature's development, while at the same time enjoying its presence for the air it produces and the company of its noisy and sometimes stealthy denizens that depend on the forest to thrive.  The lowland rainforest ecology is a jewel to keep for posterity.