C O M P O S T I N G..... continued.....

I'm still keeping an eye on that pot of Japanese Bamboo......

Simply because it fascinates me!

Here's a photo taken in early June when I first noticed the new sprout that had emerged from the soil.

It caught my attention as this new sprout was so much thicker compared to the other existing stems.

 How tall did it grow?

Five months later, this giant new sprout is now almost touching the roof, has finally decided its reached a dizzying enough height and has started sprouting leaves.

 Anyway, that gave me the idea to pick a few leaves from various stems for comparison.

The smallest leaf on the left was plucked from a much older stem that's several years old.  

After I'd started composting, the stems grew thicker and so did the leaves.
The largest leaf on the right is from a stem that's at least a year old now.

There are more new sprouts emerging in the pot.....

It's difficult to understand why people are still not composting their vegetable scraps?

It's nourishing the plants in your garden and helps reduce the amount of trash that goes to the landfill.

Take a look at my neighbour's neglected Japanese Bamboo plants.....

 See the difference?

I hope you will start composting today!

C O M P O S T I N G

I have been composting almost all of my vegetable scraps for quite a few years now.  

And have been even more diligent with it since adding more potted plants to my expanding patio garden.

Apart from the really lush Bird's Nest Ferns and Crinum Lilies, one of the other plants that have shown amazing growth spurts is this Japanese Bamboo or Dracaena surculosa punctulata. 

Looking at the leafy plant in the above picture, if you follow the line of the support pole to the top, you can vaguely see the bamboo-like cane that's shot right up to the roof.  

I've been wondering..... how much taller is this going to grow to?

And recently, I've also noticed a few new spears sprouting out from the soil.  

Am curious if those will be as tall?

I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Meantime, the task of composting all the vegetable scraps continue in earnest.  

After all, it's a great way to reduce the amount of trash you chuck out into the bins and it doesn't take much effort at all.

The only thing you need to do is put aside all the vegetable scraps when you are preparing meals.  And I mean garlic skins, onion skins, carrot peels, broccoli stems, vegetable stems..... the list is endless!
Even better, save these vegetable scraps for making vegetable broth before you chuck them into the compost!

These plants are certainly loving all the food they're getting!

Happy gardening.

Feeding Of Wildlife

Feeding, feeding, feeding.

Feeding of the eagles, macaques and monitor lizards in the 'wild'.  Endless feeding!  All these activities are carried out by some irresponsible tour operators and tour guides to increase the opportunities for better photo capture of these creatures and to ensure they will be there for viewing, to cater to demands of some sometimes ignorant and oblivious tourists in Langkawi. 

And it is wrong!  Very, very wrong indeed.

Not only does it create a dependency on humans by the animals but it changes the behaviour of these animals as well, in particular, the feeding behaviour.

Would this be the fault of the tourists or are the tour operators at fault?  A bit of both, probably but more so for the tour operators!  Shame on them!  They should be creating the awareness among their guests on their tours about not feeding rather than allowing it.

No, I do not have photos to show what is happening and by who.....  And, yes, I am still feeding the fishes at the fish farm, which I often refer to as the 'fish zoo', to ensure there will not be any mistreatment by the fish farm boys of the fishes that live within those net enclosures, especially of the stingrays and the eels.

Anyway, the reason I am bringing this up now is because I have had an interesting conversation with a Middle Eastern tourist about the feeding of the Long-tailed Macaques.  This happened while I was with my guests at the Bat Cave in the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park just several days ago. 

As usual, there was a troop of Long-tailed Macaques sitting on the mangrove trees and along the walk path that winds through the cave.  This troop of monkeys are used to being fed by people.  They hang out here on a regular basis, often just sitting around waiting to be fed and waiting to prey on unsuspecting tourists who had stepped off the boats holding bags of potato chips and soft drinks.  On this afternoon, several were prowling about and by the looks of things, not to mention the amount of rubbish strewn about, these monkeys have had a field day taking and getting food from tourists and have been having a feast!

This happens all the time, particularly during the busy seasons when there are certain local Malaysian tourists, certain Asian tourists and Arab tourists visiting these tourist hot spots.  These are groups of people who seem to think they know better about what they are doing and are always keen to feed the animals so that they can take a few photos, get in a few laughs watching the antics of the animals as they eat and when the monkeys chase each other or fight among themselves to get at the food.  This same group of tourists also do not think twice when they mindlessly chuck rubbish everywhere wherever they go.  And it doesn't help that the boat drivers who ferry these tourists are completely mute when it comes to informing these tourists about park regulations. 

Where are those LADA appointed Park Rangers?  This is one of the areas where their presence could at least make a bit of difference to the environment but they are nowhere to be seen!

Anyway, I was standing there with my guests, under one of the huts outside the cave, while I explained to them about these Long-tailed Macaques - the general behaviour, the do's and don'ts, et cetera - as we watched a troop of monkeys and a few of the babies sitting and playing on the branches nearby, just over a metre away from us. 

It had started raining again and all the other tourists who were on the walk path just a few minutes earlier had all scrambled back into the cave for cover and back to their boats. 

Good riddance, in a way!  And we now have the whole place to ourselves!

Out of the blue, this Middle Eastern couple started walking briskly towards us, stopped next to me, and the guy started asking me questions.  Here's how the conversation went, word for word, exactly as I remembered it:


Tourist:  Is this the harmful monkey?

Me:  Huh?  What do you mean?

Tourist:  The harmful monkey, you know.  They tried to bite us.

Me:  What were you doing that the monkey tried to bite you?

Tourist:  I was feeding it.

Me:  Why did you feed the monkey?  It's because you were feeding the monkey that it tried to bite you because the monkey wanted the food you were holding in your hand.

Tourist:  So what can I do?

Me:  Don't feed the monkeys!  See?  (Pointing at my guests)  We are standing here looking at the monkeys, we are not feeding the monkeys, we are not holding any food and they don't bite us!

Tourist:  So if I don't feed them, they will not bite us?

Me:  Of course, if you are not holding food in your hand and don't try to feed them, they won't bite you.  So don't feed the monkeys!

Tourist:  Oh......  Thank you.


And the couple scrambled back towards the cave..... in the rain. 

Should I laugh?  Or cry?

One of my guests who had been listening intently to the conversation then asked me, "Did they actually walk out here in the rain just to ask you that?"

So I did have a laugh after all!  And my guests too.  We all did!

Anyway, I hope that tourist had learned his lesson.  Perhaps he will even share his story with his family and friends and hopefully a few more people might stop feeding these animals?

It's a big fat chance that would happen at all.  I know.  But I can hope, can't I? 

There is always that element of hope...........  even if just a flicker...............

Sediment Pollution

It had rained quite heavily last night. 

I had thought it would be a good day to visit the parks and ponds.  But the sight that greeted me on my first stop was terrible.  Never mind that the grasses have had a mud wash in the deluge of muddy water and is looking half-dead but the pond is a murky, earthy yellow from sediment pollution.  The siltation and turbid water is the result of development on the hills further upstream leading to soil erosion when there is heavy rain. And there has been quite some rain in recent weeks and last night.

It is very disheartening indeed.

I could count barely a score of dragonflies buzzing around.  It practically broke my heart.  I had spotted a few rare species here before.  What will happen to the eggs they have laid and to the larvae?

The sight of even the most common of species was such a gift this morning.

Urothemis signata

Crocothemis servilia

Orthetrum sabina

I do think this construction project here is the culprit for the pollution downstream.....

With the removal of  the protective vegetative covering on these soils, loose sediments have been washed into the stream with surface water runoff when there is heavy rain.

This will definitely have a serious and adverse impact on the ecology and water quality in these streams and ponds.  The sediment will choke fish, plants and other life in these ponds.  Not only that, the sediment particles will also absorb warmth from the sun and increase water temperature. 

At the rate things are going, it would be very difficult and probably take a long time for recovery if it does happen.  Eventually, what we may have left is a degraded habitat void of healthy biodiversity.

I did not stay very long and went to another spot where I could sit next to a clear flowing stream.  The sounds of the gurgling water eventually calmed me down and the few dragonflies that flitted about brought some joy to my heart.

Love Them Bugs!

Bugs are mostly ecologically beneficial - to us, to the environment, to the earth.
Some bugs are pollinators and some are scavengers.
While some insectivorous bugs are biological pest control agents. 
Bugs are also composting agents in recycling biological matters.
And in the process, returning nutrients back to the earth.

Bugs being bugs, most of us are afraid of some or all them for one reason or another.
And sometimes for no reason at all.
Our natural reaction is to swat it, to kill it.
Sometimes without even knowing exactly what bug it is.
But simply because it is a bug.

Scary, ugly, creepy creatures.
They crawl, they walk, they fly.
They bite, they sting... they are pests!
Are they really all that bad?
Is it them or is it us?

Bugs have been more valuable to earth than humans can ever be!
While we are hurting earth, bugs have been nurturing it.
Without bugs, where would we be?
Love them or hate them?
Beastly or bizarre, they are still amazing, beautiful bugs!



These are some bug shots taken in recent weeks.


Is this a plant hopper?  A bizarre-looking bug on my wall...


This grasshopper is quite well-camouflaged as it rests among some plant leaves.

Squash bugs taking shelter and staying cool under a leaf.

A plant bug clinging to a stem could have been easily camouflaged as a grass blade.

An assassin bug on a vine and on the prowl.

One of the many species of bees on a bud of the crepe myrtle.

A carpenter bee checking out a stand of dead wood.

A brightly coloured, amazing looking green leaf bug.

Love them!

Love Is In The Air...

We often complain the day is too hot.  Until it starts raining endlessly for days and days.  And then we start wishing the sun would come out.

Soon, it is back to square one.  It is a vicious cycle.

When will we stop complaining?  When will we start being grateful for everything that we do have, be thankful for a good night's sleep and greet each new day with a smile?

Anyway, the sun came out early this morning.  And a lot of people took the opportunity to get out there and enjoy the day, including myself.

All those algal blooms in those dammed streams have been washed away and the streams are flowing as clearly as it should be.  The water levels are up in those ponds.  And a lot of creatures are rejoicing. 

Who wouldn't?

Nature reigns!

Anyway, I came across a few butterfly catchers, a "hunter" with a heavy pack on his back and a pack of faithful dogs at his heels, and many, many more.
One of the butterfly catchers, the wife, is seen here taking a lunch break, looks like a husband-and-wife team... and look at that big net.  They don't look like locals and there was a "Kasina" rented car in the parking lot as well.  I certainly hope they don't catch all our butterflies to extinction.  Unfortunately, there is nothing much to stop them and my presence did not deter them... quite unlike the Japanese student cum butterfly catcher several weeks ago who did a 180 degree turn each time wchinner walked up towards him.  Frankly, it was quite hilarious!



And this "hunter", or poacher?  ...with his pack of dogs.  A large monitor lizard practically sprinted and clambered up a tree at great speed to get away from those dogs.  Quite a scene... though only recorded in my mind's eye and not on film.

That lizard's heart would have been pumping and racing mad.  But... beautiful dogs!  These dogs had a quick dip in the stream too.  Ahhh... those picnickers taking a dip and soaping themselves downstream unaware of what's upstream... I had a wicked thought!

These grasshoppers were certainly celebrating too!

And here's a Five-bar Swordtail Butterfly that got away...

Also, I think I might have another dragonfly to add to my checklist for Langkawi. 

Yippee!

Still No Dragonflies...

We are just getting to the end of March now... but the rain is already upon us!

We have had rainy days consistently in the last several weeks and the odd days in between would be scorching hot!  When it rains, it is not just a light drizzle here and there but it really has been coming down hard.  Like this morning...

Looking on the bright side, we do need the rain to replenish our natural resources for fresh water, for as long as it is not pouring down acid rain!

In the past, the weather would still be hot and humid in March and we would only start getting some rain towards the end of April.  That is how I remember the seasons to be when I was growing up.  And then there was this one year, about 6 or 7 years ago, when the hot spell stretched through April and we did not get even a drop of rain till at least mid-May.  And I remember looking at the surrounding limestone hills and you could not see a single green leaf on those trees.  Everything had looked brown, dry and almost dead though it was still a strangely beautiful sight.

The shifting season is not totally new to us.  If you have been observant of the weather patterns in general, you would have noticed these changes over the last several years.  As an example, it rained in January about 3 years ago when this would have been totally unheard of in previous years.

These are the effects of climate change that scientists have been talking about for so many years now.  What we are experiencing now is one of the effects of rising global temperatures, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.  According to one of the fact sheets on climate change and global warming, the increasing temperature is likely to lead to increasing precipitation globally although some areas will experience less rainfall.  And we will be getting more extreme weather.  We have been forewarned.

Another consequence of climate change is rising sea levels due to shrinking glaciers.  Believe me, I have met people who had thought that it would not affect us in the tropics, along the Equator, because the glaciers are not found here and we are so far away.  Duh!

Yet, there are many people out there who are as ignorant and still many more who choose to continue with their selfish ways and indulgences and choose convenience for their own sakes rather than the environment.

There are many simple things you can do to become more environmentally-friendly and to reduce your carbon footprint and help make a bit of a difference.  These are so easy to achieve and I am sure it is not the first time you are reading them:

- practice the 3Rs to first Reduce, Reuse & Recycle as much as you can.
- use less plastics and bring your own bags when you go shopping.
- use less electricity and conserve water too since you're at it.
- eat more vegetables and eat less meat!
- and, now that it's been raining and the nights are cool, how about switching off that air conditioner and sleep with just the fan instead?
- help spread the word among your friends and convince your friends to join you in efforts to be green and eco for the environment!

And there are many, many more.

Climate change will affect everything on earth.  It will impact on nature and people.

Anyway, the other day, I went out to one of the parks hoping to have a field day with dragonflies.  It had started raining when I got there.  I sat in the car and waited, hoping it will pass soon but the rain just kept coming down.  I had my rainjacket but... no dragonflies...  Besides, the rain made it quite impossible to take photos.

Eventually, I headed home. 

And with another rainy day today, still no dragonflies.

Rendezvous with Nature

Finally!

That's right... finally made it out there on the trails. 

There was an orchestra of singing cicadas, yelping, honking hornbills and chirping birds... and the gurgling stream played the percussions in the symphony.  How not to love nature?

Despite the hot spell and a lot of deciduous trees being shed of leaves, it was as beautiful as it can be out there on the forest trail.  And the whole place was certainly alive and buzzing with dragonflies, butterflies, skinks, lizards, bees, tiger beetles, robber flies and plenty of other creatures.

As for the dragonflies, only the common species could be seen.  Even then, it was fun just to watch the antics of these insects as they stake their claim on a territory to find a mate.  While waiting, these dragonflies would engage in aerial displays as they chase away other males who trespass into their territories.



As for this Ictinogomphus decoratus and Neurothemis fulvia sharing a perch, I have observed the N. fulvia fiercely guarding its spot and would chase away other dragonflies of various species who attempt to take over its perch including the I. decoratus.  Not just on this day, but on many previous occasions.  Yet, it is only this larger dragonfly who would succeed in sharing a spot in such close proximity to this smaller dragonfly.

The park itself gives rise to a different story though. 

Due to the current dry season and with the smaller volume of flowing water, a lot of algae can be seen in areas of stagnant water, turning the stream green.  These big, scummy algal blooms are mainly in sections where embankments have been built, which is supposed to enhance the aesthetic feel and beauty of the park, and interrupting the water flow to create ponds for cool dips on hot days.
















What a waste of time, manpower, money and resources. 

How is it better when the stream is dammed and damned?  The natural beauty of a slow trickling stream is a much more beautiful sight than these green stagnant pools. 

What is done is done.  The trouble is that all the major waterfalls and rivers in Langkawi have been dammed for one reason or another.  It certainly makes you wonder if any environmental studies and assessments were carried out at all?  More so when it is for recreational purposes at these parks.  Were any considerations made as to its impact on the river ecology and biology?  Not that I have studied this, though it is, after all, a lot of common sense.  And yet...

This is not the first time I have expressed concerns about the excessive algal bloom.  As it happens, each year when the dry season comes around, I will rant when I see the sorry state of things in these parks. 

And I am not alone.  The same sentiments have been expressed by wchinner: http://wchinner.blogspot.com/2010/04/temurun-waterfall-now-is-dammed.html

And now, I need to get myself lost in the forest trails again to calm my mind and heal my soul...

Misty

It had started raining last night. 

The rain had continued the whole of today too.  It was not a heavy downpour but just a constant drizzle.  And it just rained and rained and rained.

I stood outside on the balcony for a long time this afternoon.  To watch the rain.  To take in lungfuls of fresh air.  To feel the cool air. 

To listen to the rain.

And then I was watching this Common Myna that had taken shelter in the palm tree.

 

 

It sat there very still, with its feathers all fluffed up.  The trapped air between its fluffed up feathers provides insulation against the cold and helps keep the bird warm.  And I wondered if he was enjoying the fresh air as much as I did?

When I looked up towards the hills, I could have thought I was up in the highlands!  It was all misty.

 

 

There is a quiet and serene beauty to it in its own way.

The forests will definitely be looking fresh and green tomorrow morning.  How many people would actually appreciate the rain for what it can do for Mother Earth? 

I do realise that it could bring floods in many places too.  But a lot of the causes of flooding have been man-made and had been brought on ourselves by our actions.  After all, for every action, there is a consequence.

When forests are cleared of trees, we lose the canopy that had cushioned the impact of the rain on the forest floor.  Instead of drops of rain dripping off the leaves and slowly dripping and seeping into the ground, we now get a deluge of rainwater on the bare earth.  With the forest gone, we no longer have the tree roots that used to hold the soil together.  The rush of water down the exposed hill slopes then results in mud slides and flash floods in the foothills and valleys below.

Add to that, all the rubbish that had been thrown into the drains and streams and rivers and had caused the waterways to clog up, blocking the flow of all that rush of water towards the sea.

So... do you just blame everything on Mother Nature when it rains and it floods?

 

 

Recycling!

 

This is not a very common sight in Langkawi.

No doubt it is quite common for the locals here to transport anything and everything they can using the motorbike, without thinking twice about safety aspects, recycling is still not very widely practiced by many people here as yet.

Seeing this motorbike piled high and wide with all those bags of aluminium cans did put a smile on my face though this guy was riding slow and holding up traffic along that narrow road.  And then he did flag out his arm to indicate his intention to turn. 

If only more people would recycle.

As for myself, I practice all the R's as much as I can.  I try to conserve and reduce wastage, I reuse and recycle stuff and I even have my own compost bin at home.  Also, I indulge in some R&R with nature to feed the mind, body and soul!

At the end of the day, it is not just about recycling and it is not just recycling that counts.  It is your lifestyle decisions and everything that you do on a day-to-day basis to minimise your impact on the environment.

I sincerely hope you are doing the same and doing your bit for the environment too.

Are you?

 

 

How Eco Is This?

In recent months, dragonflies have not been at the top of the list of things that are keeping me busy.

In recent months, news of the setting up of an Eco Resort on Pulau Payar Marine Park have been buzzing in Langkawi.

And in recent months, works have commenced to clear up the area where the resort is sited, to refurbish the abandoned geodesic dome structures that had been built there in the 1990s and to get the resort ready for operations.

During these months, my friend, Wendy, and I have been coming up against walls in getting the attention of the relevant authorities to review and revoke the permit to operate this so-called Pulau Payar Eco Resort.

Apart from our article, titled "Langkawi's Jewel In The Crown May Disappear", being published in Malaysiakini - Letters to the Editor, letters and emails to the relevant authorities remain unanswered.

Our efforts thus far have come up to naught.

If anyone wants to know how green the owner(s) profess to run this resort, I am sure they can easily find the information online.

What I would like to write about here is how GREEN AND ECO IT IS NOT !

I am presenting to you evidence that open burning had been the preferred method in use to set fire to the forest floor to burn away and clear the shrubs, bushes and/or undergrowth within the resort grounds.  Now that the forest floor on that hill slope is burned bare and cleared, whenever it rains the water run-off into the sea below that slope will carry with it soil particles, causing siltation or sedimentation in the waters around Pulau Payar.  Add to that, should these people have used any weedkillers, chemicals deadly to marine life would also have been washed into the sea by the rain.

 

This picture shows an area of burned forest floor around the perimeter of the resort grounds.

 

In this next picture, smoke is still coming off the ground where it had just been burned and the trunks of the trees are charred black.

 

This picture is of a palm tree in another area within the resort grounds.  Notice the charred marks on its trunk.

 

Isn't open burning banned in Malaysia? 

Yes, we all know that enforcement of the ban is sadly lacking.  But among people who should know better not to do it, isn't it a fact then that open burning would be a blatant disregard of this ban?

Is open burning a green and eco practice?  Didn't the owner(s) of the resort claim to follow eco practices for the operations of the resort?  Shouldn't the owner(s) apply these eco practices to the works-in-progress leading up to its operations too?

Is this claim of an eco resort just a farce?  Merely a marketing gimmick? 

Or are they now going to claim that the fire had been accidental?

So... how eco is this resort, really?

 

A Plea for Nature...

Every time I am in the outdoors, nature would always amaze me and energize me and heal me.

And yet, humans have caused so much destruction to nature.  Forests are cut down and with it carbon sinks disappear, habitats are destroyed, species become lost forever.  Earth is defaced!  All in the name of development and all because of greed. 

Why do humans keep wanting more and more of everything we already have?

We need to protect and save what is left of the forests in the world.  We need to act now.  We need to be aware of our impact on nature and make the effort to reduce our carbon footprint.  Say 'no' to plastic bags and styrofoam packs, reduce our consumption of electricity, of water and paper, of unnecessary consumer items, reduce wastage, especially of food.  Become an advocate for the environment!

Nature is so beautiful and splendid.  But in the human race to want more and have more, we have taken it for granted and are destroying the one thing on earth that we should appreciate and protect the most.

This is a plea to you to make the effort to 'go green' for the environment and for yourself.  Even a little effort goes a long way.

Just think about this...  With nature destroyed and with all the carbon emissions we create, there will come a day when the air is so badly polluted that we can't breathe it in anymore.  Water sources will be gone and streams so contaminated we can't drink from it anymore.

And we would have to live in a bubble.

Where, then, would all the dragonflies go?