Amazed by The Big Trees

As we walk through the dense Borneo tropical rainforest, I was amazed by seeing lots of remaining big trees. In my heart I was praying that, this trees will not be cut down for the next hundred years. Let it stays there until nature itself work out on it. Development must be in a sustainable way and I am pretty sure that Sarawak forests only have a few thousand hectares left for the rest is already develop for agriculture and logged.


Photo taken with Samsung Note 3 Camera

As a conservationist or field biologist myself, I easily get emotional when I see irresponsible development activities that give a very bad impacts to the forest and the living things resides inside it. I still have many things to learn from the forest and yet, too little left. If I myself didn't have a chance to discover and explore this amazing forests we have, what more left for our next generations.

Well, we who are living the moments, must think and act wisely because what we did now will give impacts to our children in future.

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Amazed by Nature,

Rose Ragai

 



Never Stop Walking in The FOREST

I am back to my own hometown now. Gladly to say that I will share my experienced and knowledge at my new working place. Wondering why I keep moving from one job to one job?! Its like I will never stop searching for an opportunity that I can best serve the mother nature. I am not really serving my salary payer but I am just doing what I think is the right thing to do. My heart breaks every time I see things is done wrongly especially when it is related with our rich tropical forest. But somehow, I have to admit that I am not an experts in any specific field but I have a hearts that know really sure, I am the defender of the forests (fauna & flora).

Here I share two of my photos during my recent trip up until the border of West Kalimantan during our Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) nests survey in June 2015.

View towards the Betung Kerihun National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

On the international border with West Kalimantan, Indonesia.



     Till then!

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Rose Ragai

#3 ~ Conquered the Mountain

Well, it has been a while. You wanna be mad? Be mad at me. I am very lazy to write. Lazy to think and lazy of everything about blogging these past few months. Why? Because i am just being LAZY. Lol. Okay. I think this is just the old entry that i suppose to finish it up a few months back. Anyway, let me get it straight to the end of the story and skip the middle part. There is three most exciting experienced when i was up on this mountain and joining this project.

1. Being able to learn from the experts while make a good friend with them. Well, they are nice people to be friend to. Different culture and background doesn't really matters when we have the same passion. NICE!
2. Enjoying the amazing and superb scenery of the mountain, from different angle and view its always majestic. Animals and plants also makes me feel this is the real wonders of God creation! 
3. Meet new friends and making many many friends during the hikes and stay up on the mountain. Its is valuable experienced because Sabahan people is soooo nice and friendly until i made many friends there. I miss them! But the not so good one, i forgot to take photo with them so i can show it to you here.

Okay. That is the conclusion of this trip on conquering the mountain. On the 17th of March, we made it to the top of the mountain before we return to the Kinabalu Park HQ. It is just one of my wish to climb up once again after my first time in September 2000. So, i made it! Enjoy my photos going up to the mountain and some works that we have done up there. Enjoy!!!!

Getting ready to climb up. I am proud that i can bring up
my own backpack. Whoa... it's heavy!

During our stay at Km 4 or Layang-Layang Hut, we met researcher from Japan, Ms. Ayako and her supervisor. She is "Kawaiii"... (^___^)

One of the wild berry that we used to eat after taking our meal.. Its sour but yet delicious.

Myself and our catch at KM2. Sunny but yet still feel the cold!

The mountain guide aka porter to carry our heavy equipment, 120kg up to KM6 or Laban Rata. 

The mesmerizing sunrise up on the Low's Peak. 17th March morning, we made it!

Missy and I up on the top of the Mount Kinabalu!!!!.... 

With Richell, the ranger of Mount Kinabalu. We collecting rubbish on our way down.
To all Climbers, this is an important announcement! PLEASE DON'T THROW RUBBISH WHILE YOU CLIMB UP MOUNT KINABALU. LET'S KEEP THE BEAUTY OF THIS MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN TOGETHER! IT'S OUR DUTY NOT JUST THE KINABALU PARK STAFF! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! (^__^) 

Hoooray!!!!! We made it! With the South Peak as our background!

Contractors, Apis & Guntur. Friends that i made during our stay at KM6 at Maragang Hut. 

Before i end this entry. Enjoy the bonsai like tree on the way to Mountain Torq trail. 

 Till then!!! I have more adventures to share! just be patient and keep visiting me here. Cheers!!!!!!!..... 

#1 – Conquering Mount Kinabalu the Series

It has been a while I am not writing anything in this blog. I traveled a lot these past few months and doing so many interesting adventures with nature. I love what I am doing even though it’s did not give me a good return in term of salary but the exposure and learning experience is priceless.

Photo taken in front of the Kinabalu Park Office

Mount Kinabalu…. Did you ever heard about it yet? If not, then allow me to bring you walking through my journey up on the mountain started from 21st February until 19th March 2013.

Let’s talk about the mountain first because I really want you guys out there to be familiar with this mountain before I continue with my whole journey.

Mount Kinabalu located on the Borneo Island, the third largest island in the world. The Borneo Island comprise of three different countries, Indonesia (Kalimantan), Brunei and Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak). On which land of these three countries is this mountain located? Well, it’s located in Sabah, Malaysia which is also known as the Land Below the Wind. There is 13 peaks of this mountain (which I already forget the names most of it and I apologize for that) with the Low’s Peak is the highest peak with 4, 095 m above sea level. So with this height, it makes the Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in South East Asia (I am proud of it, I am telling you, very very much proud!) Locals that lives in this land believes this mountain have its own story (like a myth stories, a legend). The local community resides around this mountain is the Dusun people. So, who took care of this mountain? The entity that becomes the guardian of this mountain is the Sabah Parks. Almost all the staff that working with Sabah Parks is the Dusun people, one of the indigenous people of Sabah.

The Mount Kinabalu is one of the famous attractions for the mountain climbers, naturalist, researchers and photographers. Just to let you know, Sabah is very famous with the nature attraction for tourist. If you want to see nature, you must put Sabah in your list and of course Mount Kinabalu (ehem… am I doing my job as Malaysian by promoting this Mountain? I think so!). Wanna know more about Mount Kinbalu? Just Google it and you will find thousands of people taking about it and to let you know too, there is about 70,000 climbers climb this mountain annually. Therefore, I am sure a lot of people write a story about it with astounding photographs.

I think this is the beginning story of my journey. Keep an eye for my new posts about this marvelous journey on this mountain. I have lots of stories to share. Till then!!!...

The Big Tree

Do you ever encounter a very big tree when you walk inside the forest? I mean a natural forest. I found many but not so big though but still they amazed me. When i went for a field work at Danum Valley, Lahad Datu, Sabah way back in 2003, that was my first time saw a big tree in that virgin rainforest. It was great to see those big tress still standing firmly on the ground.

In my village we did not have any forests left so no big native trees standing. Its all open up for agriculture, by the local communities and also by the oil palm companies. Quite frustrating but what can i do about that. Our village located in lowland areas and its really suitable for agriculture and agriculture is our way of living. But then, if we put a sustainable practice of agriculture by put aside forested areas in our village for non-timber forest products collecting, we may still have some forests left. However, it is not our practice. Our elders seems to be very productive with utilizing all the land that they have and develop it into a sago farm or paddy field. Hmmm... that is our way of life.

Okay, i left you guys with two of big trees that i found during my field work with Raleigh International November - December last year in Pitas, Sabah. This two trees are the hard word trees. They are AMAZING right??

I love this trees... Let's HUGS A TREE!!!!