My Nature Activity - New Year Resolution For 2011

It's a new year, a new beginning and a new start of something interesting and adventurous. I thought of my return to what i love, what i really like to do. NATURE, of course and anything else that surrounds the nature, of course people, the human being that live near it. So, what is my plan for this year? Here is some that come up in my mind.

1. Doing more activities related to nature such as exploring new places in Sabah. I was back here in Sabah for almost two years but i only went to only a few places, limited to my working areas. So, this year i am planning to go beyond my working areas. This coming Chinese New Year, since i didn't have leave, so, for these two days, i will explore Kota Belud and Sempang Mengayau, Kudat. Hope to see and find something interesting along my journey there.
2. I believe that i still can do bird watching, so i want to be active and reactivate my knowledge about birds. I want to recall back all the knowledge that i have and memorize back all the birds species and identified them in the field. I really need to do this because i don't want to lost all the valueable knowledge that i gain during my previous works.
3. Thinking of doing some environmental friendly things. I MUST use shopping bag starting from this month every time i go for shopping. Reduce plastic bags and support the NO PLASTIC BAG campaigns. Hmmm... i have to be very serious about this. Besides that, i want to divide my trash into degradeable and learn how to do organic fertilizers. Yep... More to environmental approach. I have to learn from my own experiences only then i can teach the youths that actually i am working with right now. 
4. I am adding another one to my NY resolution this year.... I will get my DIVING LICENSE this year. It is a must do too because I've wanted to get one for so long already. I think since i am still in uni.... So, this year i will get it. So that i can explore sea too... Finding Nemo... he he he.. (updated on 24th Jan 2011). 

Is that three enough? Hmm... i think it will be a good one and i have to say it loud to myself, telling the world about it and put my ACTION on it. I will work hard to make this three things happen. Wish me luck guys!!!

By the way, how about you? What is your nature new year resolution? Any plans for this year??

HAPPY NEW YEAR MY NATURE BUDDIES!!!!!    

Rare bay cat spotted in Pulong Tau national park

Posted on January 4, 2011, Tuesday
The Borneo Post Online

KUCHING: One of the rarest cats in the world, the Bornean bay cat (Catopuma badia) has been recorded in Pulong Tau National Park (PTNP)’s extended areas of Batu Lawi and Long Repung in the state’s northern region.

Photo taken from Borneo Post Online

A statement by PTNP’s project manager Dr Paul Chai Pang Kiong said three images of the cat had been captured via camera traps by the Forest Department Sarawak and Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

The camera traps were sponsored by Sarawak Timber Association (STA), while PTNP’s Phase II project is supported by International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).

“The presence of the bay cat further heightens the importance of PTNP as a reservoir of the highlands’ rich biodiversity, of which many species are endemic, rare and/or threatened,” said Dr Chai in the statement. He said the bay cat is an endemic species categorised as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List.

The bay cat is also listed in Appendix II of Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and is totally protected in Sarawak.

“A mature bay cat is normally the size of a large domesticated cat albeit with an extra long tail. It has two colour morphs, with the reds much more common than the greys.

“The last photograph of the wild bay cat in Sarawak was also captured by camera traps in Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary in a joint study initiated by Unimas in 2003. Other than that, most other information consists of historical records, morphological descriptions and anecdotes from various sources,” he said. PTNP is located in Sarawak’s northern highlands in Miri and Limbang Divisions, northeast of Sarawak.

The park was gazetted in 2005 to protect an area of about 60,000 ha of pristine rainforests. It includes Mount Murud, Sarawak’s highest peak at 2,424m and the Tama Abu Range.

“It is the site for the transboundary biodiversity conservation project with the Kayan Mentarang National Park in East Kalimantan. The project is supported by the ITTO with Forest Department Sarawak as the Implementing Agency,” he said.