The Volunteers:

- Sue Benton - A dental Nurse in the UK.
- Jacky Robertson – A support worker for alcohol and drug abuser in the UK.
- Monica Filkova - working for a finance institution in the UK.
- Lauren LeClair – Former manager at an ice rink now taking a break from work
- Cyinthia Margeson – A now retired primary school teacher currently residing in Malaysia

This months activities:

Following the same programme ideas from the previous group this months programmes were carried out in several sessions with each of it complementing and inter related with each other.




Volunteers in action

Population Density Data Collection:

This month’s data collection continued to show good sightings of wildlife along the river. The observation of wildlife on the boat on specific period of times showed a wide variety of species occurring along the Kinabatangan river and its tributaries. Altogether 59 species of wildlife was recorded during the data collecting with a breakdown of 44 sp of birds, 12 sp of mammals and 3 sp of reptiles of which does not include species seen along the lodge area and the insect life.
The mammal’s species seen this month includes the elusive Borneo Pygmy Elephants that was sighted on one occasion downstream, a small group of about 6 individuals! This smaller group comes from a larger herd estimated to number about 30 of them. No other sightings of elephants recorded after this as the elephants have continued their migration further downstream towards the village of Abai. 6 primates’ species was also observed this month with 7 wild Orang Utans sighted along the river. The highlight will have to be the sighting of a fully-grown male orang utan with a huge cheek pad that was observed building and sleeping in a nest. Most records of orang utans was sighted downriver as a lot of trees in particular figs are starting to fruit. A single Borneo Gibbon was also sighted in one morning along the Sungai Menanggol. The loud boisterous call of this gibbon calling for its mate and marking its territory will always be remembered by the volunteers as one of the most enchanting call in the rainforest.
Other primates seen include Proboscis Monkeys, Long tail Macaque, Pig-tail macaque, and Silver leaf Langur. During the night cruise, a Leopard Cat was also spotted and observed but it did not stay too long to be observed carefully and to be photographed. The bird life observed was also good with sightings of several species of bird of preys like the Crested Goshawk, Crested Serpent Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Lesser Fish Eagle and White bellied Fish eagle. 6 hornbill species, Rhinoceros, Helmeted, Wrinkled, Pied, Black and Bushy Crested was also observed with the sighting of both the Rhinoceros and the rare Helmeted hornbill the highlight. We were lucky to be able to observed and record the call of the helmeted hornbill with its amazing cackle laughter in the end. The 4 sumandaks even learned the call of this hornbill and are now very good imitators of this bird. Reptile’s sightings were also good with high frequency of sightings of water monitor lizards, mangrove snakes and estuarine crocodile including a 4-metre long black colour croc on the last day!


Tree Planting:



The tree planting session this month concentrated on three sites (including a new site further upstream) that has been work upon by previous volunteer groups. Among the sessions done were the collection of leaf litter and water hyacinth for mulch and fertiliser, site maintenance and weeding and the planting of seedlings. The volunteers were very hardworking and did their best in completing the task required under the hot and high humidity of the rainforest. Most of the goals required for the tree planting were achieved thanks to the effort taken by the Sumandaks. The two previous sites of tree planting showed good progress in tree growth as upon site inspection discovered only 5 mortality of saplings. This 5 was then replaced with new saplings and the volunteers also planted another 7 more saplings as well. The leaf litters were placed around the previous sapling growth and weeding was done to remove of unnecessary climbing and creeping weeds. More weeding had to be done on the new site as quite a lot of wild grasses and weeds had started to take over some of the young natural growth sapling in the area. More than 30 saplings were being freed from their misery and water hyacinth and leaf litters are spread around the base of the trees to suppress weed growth around the sapling site. A new planting plot was then being prepared and the Sumandaks planted 30 saplings in the new site marking the start of a new corridor for the wildlife.

Rumble in the Jungle

It was a muddy’ and leechy’ experience for the volunteers during the trek in the rainforest. A heavy downpour the night before made the trail condition boggy and wet. But overall the early morning walk just as the sun is rising makes the forest look alive with the beautiful sunrays shining in through the dense canopy. A well-camouflaged bornean leaf nosed lizard (ornate shrub lizard) was sighted during the walk not mentioning the well-spotted leeches as well. Cyinthia became the only leech casualty as a leech managed to penetrate her defense.

Jungle Cooking



The bamboo style jungle cooking went well with the contributions of our 5 sumandaks! The session started with the volunteers being brought into the forest to collect a few vegetables and herbs for the cooking and this include wild pandan leaves (use for fragrance), daun lirik (use as bamboo covering), buah limposu (baccaurea sp) use as a local vegetable and for its sweet and sour flavour, shavings of garlic tree for local spice and wild jungle ferns. The sumandaks were also shown the right way to collect the wild ferns and after that they then started the preparation for cooking ie marinating the chicken with ginger, garlic, lemon grass and salt, cutting of wild vegetables and bamboo and they prepared the cooking site. The outcome after an hour of cooking: Sweet Potato and buah limposu Chicken with wild fern topping with very delicious gravy!

Education Programme



Continuing from where the last education module stopped, the 5th module this month went into the details of the concept of recycling. And the learning objective of this module is to not only create awareness and educate the children on recycling but to make recycling a habit among the younger generation. This module also aims to help the children understand the importance of recycling in keeping their river, environment and earth healthy. The volunteers did a good job on presenting out the topics to the children and made the children think and speak up on recycling issues around their village. The cycle of recycling was also introduce and the children learned on how paper, glasses and cans are normally produced and how they can save the environment and amount of pollution and destruction by doing their bit that is to recycle. The children also learnt about earth’s natural cycle such as the cycle of oxygen and carbon dioxide between humans and trees and the cycle of leaves dying and turning into compost that fertilizes the soil. The concept of making paper through re used natural items like water hyacinth and elephant dung was also introduced to the children. The children also learned a new tune that is.. If you want a Happy River.. :P



School Project



The site of project has already been filled up with a mixture of sand and soil and the area has already been level down. The volunteers continued where we last stop by designing and erecting a trellis just behind the schools toilet. The objectives were to allow creepers and climbing plants like pumpkin to start growing and provide beautiful outlook on the garden. The concrete generator house and slab is painted white to prepare it for the drawing of a mural. Seedlings of chillies, long beans and pumpkins and banana saplings were also planted on the site as well.

Labels: gibbon, hornbill, Orang-utan, orangutan, proboscis monkey, pygmy elephant, Sabah, sliver leaf langur, Sukau