FOR MEMBERS ONLY MNS Mission...Perak Nature – June’10 / July’10 edition Membership expired or expiring soon? Renew now by contacting MNS officer, Wee Chin at 03-22879422. FOR

Perak Nature – June’10 / July’10 edition

Membership expired or expiring soon? Renew now by contacting MNS officer, Wee Chin at 03-22879422.

FOR MEMBERS ONLY MNS Mission : To promote the study, appreciation, conservation and

protection of Malaysia’s natural heritage, focusing on biological diversity and sustainable development.

MNS Perak website : www.mnsperak.wordpress.com ● Email address: [email protected] ● Mailing address : No. 8 Jalan Virgo, Star Park,

31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

BRANCH EXCO 09 / 10 Chairman

Mr. Leow Kon Fah 019-5634598

[email protected]

Vice Chairman Mr Lee Ping Kong

016-5655682 [email protected]

Hon. Secretary

Ms. Georgia Tham Yim Fong 012-5220268

[email protected]

Hon. Treasurer Mr. Har Wai Ming


Committee Members

Mr. Ooi Beng Yean 017-5082206

[email protected]

Mr Tou Jing Yi 016-5441526

[email protected] Ms Lee Yuat Wah


Mr Casey Ng Keat Chuan 019-5717008

[email protected] (Public Relations & Communications)

Ms Ruhil Azhana Bt Jaafar 013-5284288

[email protected] Ms Ng Kit Wan


(Editorial Board)

Hon. Auditor

Mr. Edward Yong Chuen Soon

For updates and more pics, log on to our blog : www.mnsperak.wordpress.com

What’s new? What’s up?

Branch AGM

Chairman’s message

VC’s voice

Patah sayap terbang jua...

TKCBCMF

Sign up, Save Temengor

SIG updates

Members’ two cents

Save Temengor Campaign

SIGN UP NOW!!!

Perak Nature – June’10 / July’10 edition 1


Chairman’s Message - Leow Kon Fah

Dear Members,

Well, branch AGM is around the corner. This is our 40th Annual General Meeting and do mark the day on your calendar, that is 31 July 2010 at 4.00pm.

A few events have taken place and were well attended. Some of you may have missed these events, as they were announced through the mnsperak website. I have mentioned many times earlier, events that are organized at the last minute are only announced on the website. We have not done much on the anniversary celebration on the Perak side but maybe after the AGM, the new committee may think of something.

Membership is going up slightly, as old members are renewing their membership due to Casey Ng’s effort. He has been giving it a personal touch, by approaching them individually. We should all try his method of getting membership. For a start each individual member will try to get a new member. Then our membership will be doubled.

This I hope may not be the last newsletter from the present committee. It is less than two months away from the AGM, so make your presence felt and vote in a new committee at the coming AGM.

VC’s voice - Lee Ping Kong

The closest link of human to the past is knowledge. Knowledge is the driving force that propel human race forward. Knowledge is not a dead thing, but an evolving entity that manifest through the learning process. So, do not stop learning or trying on new things or new approach. Leave something that is beneficial for the coming generation.

Patah sayap, terbang jua…

by Casey Ng

LIKE CHANGING SEASONS, it’s almost time for a refreshing renewal. At time of this writing, current batch of Exco members has served for more than 10 months. To most, it has been a mix bag of ups and downs. To organize activities and keep the society’s wheel running is no easy task but in the end I believe most would agree MNS Perak did pretty well. Some of the most memorable events that successfully took off were Taiping Raptor Watch 2009, Kelab Pencinta Alam’s student outing in March 2010 and of course MNS 70th Anniversary Roadshow that saw the most attendees. Also, to complement the popular bi-monthly Perak Nature newsletter, MNS Perak now has internet presence with www.mnsperak.wordpress.com. All in, the year went by with flying colours.

It has been a tradition for the past decades to hold MNS Perak’s AGM on the last day of July. Thus, allow me to take this opportunity to request all members to consider offering themselves as candidates for the upcoming Exco election in July 31st, 2010. The branch needs able and committed people to lead its 2010/2011 programs.

● ● ●

PRELIMINARY NOTICE OF

MNS PERAK BRANCH 40th AGM

DATE : 31 JULY 2010

TIME : 4.00pm

VENUE : NATURE’S LODGE

● ● ●

http://www.mnsperak.wordpress.com/



To help members understand the responsibility of Exco members, here are some insights. The Exco is made up of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor and 5 committee members. These positions form the team that manages all branch functions. To refine the functions, other members are roped into Exco to lead “special interest group” (fondly known as SIG). These are called co-opted members. Currently, there are co-opted members to lead Bird SIG, Science & Conservation SIG, Kelab Pencinta Alam student SIG and Trekking & Caving SIG. Collectively, this group of people move in tandem to organize events, manage the branch and mitigate environmental issues as they crop up.

An Exco member is expected to attend branch meetings every 3 months, usually held on Friday or Saturday nights. He/she is expected to check email daily to discuss the latest issues and provide timely decisions. Exco members are also needed to lead and organize events for members. Simply put, the team ensures MNS Perak is in the pinkest healthy, functionally and financially. Sure, serving the branch as Exco member is not a walk in park. It is a commitment to uphold ideals of members who voted one into position. But it is an immensely satisfying experience for personal enrichment and one gets to work with interesting people and veterans within the MNS vast family of 4,000 members that stretches across Malaysia. It’s an experience of a lifetime.

You do not need scientific, academic or know the nitty gritty parts of conservation. You do not need to have the ability to scale mountains, trek through the deepest jungle or name all birds you come across. Anyone can do a good job in the Exco as long as there is passion to safeguard Perak’s natural heritage. You would like to know that currently there are teachers, business owner, lecturers, marketing manager, engineer and retirees serving in the 2009/2010 Exco. I hope the upcoming 2010/2011 team would enjoy a good mix of grassroot representation too.

So, do make a date with July 31st, 2010, which is a Saturday, to offer yourselves as candidates. If you decide not to, it’s also good to make a point to attend the AGM. Get to know fellow members and register your vote. It is crucial that the membership base make full use of the election to ensure MNS Perak enjoys another year of bounty. Thank you. .........................................................................................................................................................

TAN KEAN CHEONG BIRD CONSERVATION MEMORIAL FUND

The Tan Kean Cheong Bird Conservation Memorial Fund has been generously set up by the family of the late Mr Tan Kean Cheong to commemorate his memory. K.C. Tan, as he was popularly known, was one of the founding members of the Bird Group of MNS Perak Branch. He passed away in 1994 and willed part of his estate to MNS for the conservation of the birds that had given him so much joy.

MNS Perak Branch invites applications for financial assistance to carry out projects related to bird conservation in Malaysia. MNS members and students are particularly encouraged to apply for funds to carry out surveys of little-known sites or threatened habitats, studies of threatened species, public awareness materials or other similarly uncomplicated projects. For further information on application guidelines, please refer to the MNS Perak Branch website at http://mnsperak.wordpress.com/.



show your support in saving Temengor

and its natural beauty.

As Malaysians, we take pride in

creating the biggest, longest, widest,

tallest man-made items to secure yet

another spot in the Malaysian and World

Book of Records. Here is one extra fact

that will and should be a part of the

Malaysian Pride. We have the oldest

rainforests in the world!

The Belum-Temengor Forest

Complex (BTFC) is said to be more

than 130 million years old, older even

than the Amazon Forest or the Congo

Basins. For a forest which has withstood

the test of time, the biodiversity of this

forest is unique and none like any other.

Spread over 300,000 ha, the BTFC has a

noteworthy level of mammalian fauna,

with over 100 species recorded as

revealed by past scientific researches.

Sadly, even as we speak,

Temengor is facing threats from logging

and poaching of its wildlife. MNS in

conjunction with its 70th Anniversary

celebrations this year, is collaborating

with The Body Shop Malaysia to "Save

Temengor". The objective of this

Campaign is to advocate for protection

of the Temengor Forest Reserve, in

order to preserve the integrity of the

BTFC as an intact forest landscape as

well as to increase enforcement on

wildlife hunting and trade.

Why do we need Temengor Forest Reserve to be included as a protected

area when the Royal Belum State Park is already set aside as a protected area?

- Keeping our future options open

As the largest remaining forest landscape in Peninsular Malaysia, BTFC presents many

opportunities to the State as well as the country. As we strive for Vision 2020, we need

to keep some of our unique resources in trust, just like an endowment.

Therefore, reaping the financial benefits from BTFC now can be considered a case of

losing future opportunities.

- To maintain the best population of hornbills in Malaysia

• BTFC is one of the two sites in Malaysia where all 10 species of hornbills can be found.

• Hornbills need un-logged forests to survive. Even the very best logging operations

affect hornbills by taking out the largest and oldest trees, which they need for nesting.

- To prevent the extinction of Malaysia’s mega-fauna

Malaysia’s charismatic large mammals are not only a key nature tourism attraction, but

a crucial part of our country’s image. Our elephants, rhinos, tigers, tapirs and Seladang

are all declining at alarming rates, and some face extinction in the very near future.

What are you waiting for? Don’t wait till we lose this vital part of our natural

heritage. ACT NOW! Start pledging at :

http://apps.facebook.com/petitions/view?pid=312282551

No Facebook? Sign up here at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/savetemengor2010

Save Temengor Campaign video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSjCnA6QQ2o

Temengor video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcL8962xUcU&playnext_from=TL&videos=obsxfoiej44

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/savetemengor2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSjCnA6QQ2o



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Bird Watching

Coordinator Mr Lim Kim Chye 016-5538431 [email protected]

…………………………………………………………………………….

FRASER’S HILL BIRD RACE 2010

Date: Saturday & Sunday 19 & 20 June 2010

Co-ordinator: Lim Kim Chye (016-553 8431)

MNS has been involved in the runnning of the Fraser's Hill Bird Race for more than 20 years. This year is the first time that MNS has been given full charge of the race to be held on 19 & 20 June 2010. This premier event in the birding calendar promises to be different from previous years. Please log on to http://www.pkbf. org.my/events. htm for more details. To support this event, MNS Perak Branch Bird Group is offering to sponsor the registration fee for one team of 3 members to represent Perak Branch (not required to bring back any prizes!). The only stipulation is that the team must be Perak members. Please contact me if interested.

HD VIDEO PRESENTATION AND MANAGEMENT

Date/Time: 26 Jun 2010 Saturday 7.30pm

Venue : Nature’s Lodge, Ipoh

Coordinator : Chan Kai Soon (012 531 5670)

Chan Kai Soon will show some high definition videos of birds and other objects and share

with the audience his workflow for managing the videos. Despite having little leisure time, he had

been able to take considerable amounts of HD footage and manage these in a way which can be

easily watched and organized for presentation. The discussion will centred on how to do minimal

editing work and yet being able to watch your videos easily.

HD VIDEO PRESENTATIONAND BIW REVISITED

Date/Time: 17th July 2010 Saturday 7.30pm

Venue : Nature’s Lodge, Ipoh

Coordinator : Chan Kai Soon (012 531 5670)

Chan Kai Soon will be demonstrating how to use the BIW website to encourage more people

to contribute data. This is in view of the disappointing rate of data submission from Perak members.

There will be a live illustration of the website and members who have data to submit are

encouraged to bring along their records for submission on the spot. You can also register for free.

The other part of the presentation will be to share with you more high definition videos of birds and

other objects recorded or created recently by Chan Kai Soon.



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KINTA NATURE PARK – LIFE AFTER DEATH

Date: Sunday 18 July, 2010

Meeting time & place: 8.30 a.m. at visitor area in KNP, Batu Gajah

Co-ordinators: Lim Kim Chye (016-553 8431) & Lim Swee Yian (016-422 3895)

Perak was at one time the world’s largest producer of tin ore. However, tin ore being a non-

renewable natural resource, deposits were soon depleted and the 1970s saw the closure of

hundreds of mines, in effect the death of the tin-mining industry. Abandoned and left to recover for

many years, these former mining lands are now alive with all manner of living things. Kinta Nature

Park is one such example and on this trip we will explore the park to seek out the special wildlife

there.

WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY - 8 & 9 May 2010

reported by Lim Swee Yian

This event was celebrated by the Branch in cyberspace via the Perak MNs blog

http://mnsperak.wordpress.com/. This event was registered with the World Migratory Bird Day

Organization at www.worldmigratorybirdday.org which puts our branch event on the world map.

Thanks to members who contributed unselfishly the event was a success. It was well

received , with favourable comments from several individuals. MNS main website was linked to this

blog. RTM interviewed two Bird Group members for the Nasional Klasik station. The interview was

aired on the 8th May at 7a.m. The event can still be viewed in our blog under archives for April 2010.

BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE OF NORTH QUENSLAND 14th May 2010

reported by Chan Kai Soon

This slide show by Eleanor Duignan started was held in YMCA. A total of 23 persons,

including a non-member attended. We were given a run through of the birds, mammals, frogs and

snakes of North Queensland. The slide show commentary was accompanied by a background of

various calls and sounds of the Australian wildlife. Despite not having professional grade equipment,

Ele was able to show us some very interesting and rare pictures of the fauna. She also showed some

pictures of animal habitats found at the place where she had lived for 20 years. At the end of the

talk, there were many questions for Ele, including tips on how to find and observe wildlife, and

questions related to visiting the place. Chan Kai Soon presented Ele with a gift from the bird group as

well and one from the branch exco. The crowd dispersed at about 9.45 pm.

http://mnsperak.wordpress.com/

http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/



Hi, I’m from North Queensland Eleanor Duignan

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VISIT TO SEGARI MELINTANG FOREST RESERVE, LUMUT – Sunday 16 May 2010

reported by Lim Swee Yian

Only a small group of 8 people, including 2 memb

ers from Selangor, came for this trip in the Segari-Melintang Forest Reserve at Pasir Panjang beach. Unfortunately, due to miscommunication, a family of 4 missed rejoining the group after leaving to buy breakfast in Pantei Remis. We had hopes of finding the endemic White Balau tree (Shorea lumutensis), the reason why this reserve is ranked a High Conservation Value Forest. As none of us were foresters, this proved quite a task and even with the help of pictures of the bark and leaves, we could not locate any and had to be content with knowing that the tree is in there somewhere! Anyway, we enjoyed the relaxing walk along the shady track through the tall trees, with occasional stops for photography and birding. Birds were few but one co-operative Crimson-winged Woodpecker provided close views as it pecked away unafraid. We exited at 1130hrs and drove to the nearby turtle sanctuary where we had a hurried lunch, due to the hordes of flies eager to join us! Later, we went around the turtle breeding tanks and took pictures of the photogenic baby turtles and then left for home.

...............................................................



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Caving & Trekking

Coordinator Mr. Mr Mah King Wah 017-5799189 [email protected]

…………………………………………………………………………….

3D2N HIKE TO G BATU PUTEH, TAPAH, PERAK - 18 - 21 June 2010

Encik Hamid Abdul Rahman, MNS Johor, Hiking and Climbing leader is organizing a hike to

Gunung Batu Puteh, Tapah, Perak from 18 - 21 June 2010. All members are welcome to join the hike and climb. Please contact En Hamid at +6012 713 3239 or ogljb@yahoo. com to book your place. Only 15 participants would be allowed to minimize the impact on the environment and to allow the participants to know each other better. Regards, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maketab Mohamed Malaysian Nature Society, Johor Branch

BATU PUTEH, THE MOUNTAIN

Gunung Batu Puteh is more than 1700 m above sea level. It is accessible from Kuala Woh, on the old

road to Cameron Highlands. Kuala Woh is an Orang Asli village behind a hydroelectricity dam by the

same name. It was in the vacinity of this mountain that Spencer Chapman (The Jungle is Neutral),

a British army officer, set up his HQ to continue the fight against the Japanese during the occupation

of Malaya.

THE ITINERARY

The itinerary is set as such to enable us to have a leisurely pace to enjoy nature and all along the

way.

18th June 2010 (Friday)

Carpool or take the night express bus from JB (or from other locations in Malaysia) to Tapah, Perak.

We will meet a pre-designated place to be decided later.

19th June 2010 (Saturday)

Transfer from Tapah to Kuala Woh.

Trek to a campsite known as Gua Azan, gua literally means cave. Actually it is not a cave but a really

huge boulder with nooks and overhangs under which we can set up camps without the need for

tents. There's running water just a little below the campsite.

20th June 2010 (Sunday)

Shoot to the peak with a daypack. Return to Gua Azan for another night there.

21st June 2010 (Monday)

Leave Gua Azan after lunch to head home.

mailto:[email protected]



SUGGESTED PACKING LIST

60-70 litres Back Pack (reserve some space to help carry rations)

Daypack

Sleeping Bag and Mat (or jungle hammock)

Sleepwear

Rainwear

Headlamps/Torch (plus extra batteries)

Change of Clothes

Water Bottles

Eating Utensils

Tit bits

Medicine

Toiletries

Walking Stick/Pole

Camera

Binoculars

Member’s Two Cents

Members are invited to share their views of common interest. Say something…

your experience in helping to save Mother Earth or some environmental friendly tips!

Hope to hear from you. Write in to [email protected] or mail to our postal address.

Authors are to provide their full name and membership number. No pseudonym is allowed. The opinions

expressed in the newsletter are those of the author and not those of MNS or the Editorial.

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

FOR MEMBERS ONLY MNS Mission...Perak Nature – June’10 / July’10 edition Membership expired or expiring soon? Renew now by contacting MNS officer, Wee Chin at 03-22879422. FOR