Eco-marketing the Kambatik Park through FB

A short reflection.

I have great liberty in using FB to spread the word around the world about the Kambatik Park and connecting the name 'Bintulu' to it. It is not merely marketing the park as an ecological niche but also the name Bintulu. That's killing two birds with one stone. More than that, I enjoy contributing original experiences, photographs and design work. The park has given me vast opportunities to combine my various interests (and passion) in plants, wildlife, nature, beauty, design and planning a wildlife sanctuary. My time spent at the park for more than 12 years now has been most fulfilling and an important milestone in my life.

To see more examples of the FB cover pages please follow this link....>>>>https://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/…/label/FB%20cover%20pages

(This is a reeposting from FB, 23 June'18)

Naturally at the park

More green images of the park

Note : Images taken on 19 August'16

A butterfly mimicking a dry jungle leaf

A Leaf Butterfly

 I am observing for the first time today a leaf butterfly that has the underside patterned like dead jungle leaves. It has even a remarkable short and dark leaf stalk structure at the end of the wings.  The leaf-life underside has deeply ingrained veins.  It was attracted to the rotting Jackfruit from which it was enjoying the liquid nutrition for nourishment.  It was very engrossed in sucking up the liquid that it was not difficult for me to sneak up a close look.  When eating, butterflies throw out their coiled tubular proboscis into the sweet and fleshy pulp of the Jackfruit (see inset).  However it is to be noted that the condition of the Jackfruit is over-ripe and in some parts rotting.  With its wings closed in a vertical position, the butterfly assumes a perfect camouflage of a dry jungle leaf.

Dried and dead jungle leaves with patterns and colours that are mimicked by the leaf butterfly. 

A leaf butterfly with dry leaf-like pattern and colour
Zone C

Hawking for bees

Blue-throated Bee-eater (Berekberek Tadah Hujan - Malay)
Merops vividis
Location : Cempedak Hill, Zone G

 It was  still early in the morning, around 8 am and the cheerful calls of the Blue-throated Bee-eater were distinctively heard in the cool morning atmosphere.  The sole bee-eater had decided to make a pit stop at the Cempedak tree perch.  I climbed the hill to get closer and the climb was well rewarded with images of the bee-eater with a prey  caught between its beak which it hawked in mid air nearby.  Incidences of the bee-eater coming to the park is a daily phenomena.  The park lies in  their north -south flight path (from Bintulu towards Tatau ) which they habitually follow in the morning and in evening return flights. The bee-eater has striking turquoise-blue for its throat and greenish-blue for its breast. It possess green wings.  Its head or crown is a beautiful chestnut colour.

Partial view of the neighbourhood as seen from Cempedak Hill, looking south-west.

Bee-eater  settles on a twig with a bee hawked from mid air
Location : Cempedak Hill
Zone G

Kambatik Park - an appreciation (Part 2)

The future happens here at the Kambatik Park

Eight years in days and nights of rain, sunshine, humidity and drought have gradually brought the park to its envisioned state.  It has become a sanctuary of wildlife.  A place where work is fun and joy to be.  A lowland dipterocarp forest environmental habitat enhanced with ecological diversity where oil palm farming is well-integrated into the culturally inspired native  agro-forestry practices.  It is here that I learn the meaning of ecopreneurship.  I am not the conventional planter  because I forever aim to  harvest 'green gold' together with a wealth of teeming wildlife every week in a month for the next 20 golden years (economic life of the oil palm trees) and more.   And this is made possible even without any single loan from the banking or financial institution in the development of the park since day one.  It is a fine example of where there is a will there is a way. 

I have answered the question that bugs and begs me. 
What is your contribution to the future, especially its environment and climate?  Is your contribution unique and of consequence?  I am getting ready to handover an environment where nature thrives ecologically and able at the same time to sustain itself commercially.  When all  the mainstream media currently report about  oil palm farming is the prevalence of  monoculture cultivation  and in its wake the destruction of whole forests, my experience has taught the contrary.  At the park oil palm farming is carried out in an eco-friendly manner.  It has passed the acid test of ecological diversity.  It is my hope that the authorities will see the model experimented here as iconic of the contribution of smallholders in the state in their safe practice of oil palm cultivation.  This model can make Sarawak into a destination with the broadest band of park lands and nature reserves  in Malaysia, if only leaders have the political will.

Overview of oil palm and agro-forestry integration - many more golden years ahead...

 This blog is testimonial enough on the practice of oil palm cultivation the eco-way, something that I would be pleased to pass on to my children and grandchildren and lovers of nature for posterity.  The future happens here at the Kambatik Park.

Butterfly watch album - Lime Butterfly

Lime Butterfly

Clerodendrum x speciosum

 There are a beauty to watch.  It is also relatively easy to photoshoot them because they do not fly very fast and chasing them a breeze.  Today I was busy chasing one that dropped by at the Cat's Whiskers flowers ( Orthosiphon aristatus) . It does visit the 'Bleeding Heart' (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) plant or another close variety with more pinkish bracts called Clerodendrum x speciosum.  Here's some photoshoots of the beautiful Lime Butterfly.

Cat's Whiskers flowers...

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Walks in the park

 Walking in the park is therapeutic.  It provides moments when we immerse ourselves, our hearts and soul in nature.  I'm in touch with nature 24 hours a day.  A good experience to be one with nature is to have short walks in the park.  You never know when in your steps you might almost unnoticedly hit upon two young night jar chicks unprotected by their parents or hear the birds happily chirping.  I have established here many kinds of walks.  Some walks are along the stream, jungle, botanic islands, and ridges or hill slopes.

There is always something new to see and experience each day...this makes life worth living.  Like turning the pages of a long ago thin magazine I used to read in the 60's called 'Finding Out'.

Take a leaf from nature.  Despite its complexities and sensitivities, it always seeks a balance.

Littering leaves

A falling leaf....

 Take a leaf from nature. A walk or stroll in the park can be inspiring when one sees a falling leaf.  There are sections in the park where the forest floor or footpath are literally littered with leaves.   These leaves are great mental therapy.  Stepping on them and listening to their rustle makes me feel well at peace with nature.  Fallen leaves are rich at ease.  They decompose and in their wake grew a new garden ecology.  We live once only to die and then leave behind a generation to continue what is left undone.....

View of the park towards the entrance.  Oil palm leaves - good enough for temporary cushion.

Leaves to walk on....

Overtime leaves decompose and help make rich humus..

At Botanic Island Two -  leaves litter are a landscaping element that adds interest and atmosphere to the place..

More leaves cover is better, there is beauty in the litter...

Leaves and a feather....

Fringe of Botanic Island Two

Inside Botanic Island One

Footpath at Botanic Island One

The Kambatik Park

 The Kambatik Park is situated in Bintulu.  I have developed it from an eco-farm based on oil palm farming since 2007.  Over the last 5 years I gradually spent more time planning and developing it into a nature park.  I am glad to say that at the time of blogging, the park-like environment is about half-way achieved.  It is my focus now to make it into one successful nature park which is privately owned in Bintulu. 
(Inset : Pic shows the 'Tiong' bird (Hill Myna, Gracula religiosa religiosa at home in the park)

Traveller's tree (Ravenala madagascariensis) seen at the park.