Trip to Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre by Environmental Students

Well hello hello there!

On 8th April 2013, all the Biotech Environmental students went for an educational trip to Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre or popularly referred to as the Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary.

It was set up for wild and abandoned elephant for rehabilitation before being released back to the wild area that is the natural habitat to this wild beast. It was surely a worthwhile visit indeed! :)

It is located within the bio diversified-rich and protected Krau Game reserve and was set up in 1989 under the Department of Wildlife & National Parks, Malaysia and manned by the Elephant Capture & Translocation Unit.

However, before visiting the elephant sanctuary area, the environmental students had a quick visit to Biodiversity Institution at Kuala Gandah, Pahang that was located nearby.

 

Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre was before a base for the Elephant Relocation Team which started in 1974. Over the past 25 years the team has successfully relocated around 400 elephants to national parks, bringing the wild elephant population in Malaysia from an alarming low of 500 to about 1200 on 2013.

At the elephant sanctuary, it offered visitors a hands-on introduction to those largest mammals on earth. Worker elephants are trained to help "guide and mother" others during the relocation process to National Park wildlife sanctuaries. Visitors are invited to help bath them in the shallow river or ride them. The juniors actually have sense of humor, so watch out for a dunking as you try to clamber up their backs!!

 

One of the students said that, "This trip is a rare and fantastic opportunity to get up close to endemic Malaysia elephants and once a life time experience" :')

Sincerely,

Scuba Diving at Tioman Island

Assalamualaikum SCIENCESS people, good evening ;)

Have you ever thought of moving around underwater using swimfins attached to the feet, and sightseeing those beautiful underwater animals, sealife and sea creatures?

This time, those who wanted to have a scuba diving licence, RM900 (including all those equipments and accommodation in one package) is needed.

On the 23rd till 26th of March, majority of the Marine students (14 students), 3 students from Environment students, one student from Food Biotechnology students and another one 3rd year Biomed student, went for 4 days and 3 nights trip at Tioman Island, Pahang for their scuba diving licence.

In the period of 4 days there, they were supposed to snorkel about 200m from the shore on the first day and on the second day, they had to sink nearby the shore about 1m plus deep which needed them to be geared up with their own BCD (Bouyancy Control Device), fins and a regulator. Besides, skills like mask clearing, fin rivet and regulator recovery were taught by the Dive Masters. The second dive was 3m deep. All the students had to practice a new skill - equalizing. Equalize is when we pop our ears by pressing our nose and closing our mouth to overcome the water pressure at every 1m. The third dive was scarier which was about 7.8m deep. They had to hold on a thick rope and deflate the air whenever  they need to, to dive in until they reached the house reef located at the bottom of the sea, and at the same time, equalise. This time they had the chance the chance to see a few corals which might be poisonous.

On day 3, they needed to go to the house reef again, but this time they had to swim to it and swim  back to the shore, 100% underwater. In the evening, they had to learn how to do a back dive -- learning how to control buoyancy and kicking skills.

From this experience, one of the official open water scuba diver, Anis Syazana said in her blog,

"What I learnt from this experience is that being underwater is actually quite dangerous. Therefore, besides having our mind, body and soul ready for the challenge, we have to make sure that our basics are strong and the precaution steps are well understood and can be well practiced. There were a lot of things to be digested regarding this. The corals preservation, the water pressure control, the do and dont's." -- you guys may go and view her blog and read the further stories how well it went!

And more photos here!
(Credits to Sis. Anis Syazana & Sis. Siti Nur Munirah)

Yours sincerely,

Sg. Pandan sampling day by Biotech Environmental students

Hey there Sciencess students :)

 On the 20th March 2013, 3rd year Enviromental Biotech students had went to Sungai Pandan Waterfalls, (also sometimes called the Panching waterfalls) for their biodiversity sampling.

For you guys that doesn't know, Sungai Pandan is situated about 25 km from Kuantan, Pahang. It is a popular picnic and recreational location for Kuantan dwellers and those staying in the surrounding areas. Besides having the beautiful cascading waterfalls, the cool clear waters forming the streams along sandy soil amidst verdant jungle surroundings surely gave a breath taking experience for those that experience it.

Here some additional information about The Sungai Pandan ("Pandan River") Waterfalls:

 

The Sungai Pandan ("Pandan River") Waterfalls is part of the Sungai Pandan Forest Reserve ("Hutan Lipur Sungai Pandan") that encompasses an area of about 25 hectares. This forest reserve, an untouched treasure, is home to several species of tropical trees including a few species of the pitcher plants.

One of the environmental students said that "they having a great time exploring  the numerous tall timber trees and flora that make the green jungle there". With the assist from their beloved lecterur, they managed to identify the tall dipterocarp tree species of keruing, meranti and damar endemic in the area. Some small animals and some species of birds can also be spotted in the trees. 

If going further uphill to the top you can see the small stream that is the source of the uninterrupted supply of waters for the waterfalls. Along the way there are a few rest-huts to stop and view the surroundings.You can obsertved the beautiful cascading waterfalls. They shine a brilliant white against the morning sunlight.They are an amazing sight!!!

 

"Nature is always beautiful whichever way we look at them."

 Sincerely,

Biodiversity sampling by 3rd year Environmental Biotech

Hello there SCIENCESS member!!

             Recently, 3rd year environment students already did their first sampling at the Mangrove Forest at Tanjung Lumpur! (^_^) The Biodiversity sampling was conducted to achieve the aims that being stated at below.. From the sampling day out, many new knowledge and experiences being gain by the enviroment students.

Lecturer: Prof Dr. Ahmed Jalal Khan Chowdhury
Date: 25 February
Subject: Biodiversity
Practical 1: Field Sampling in Mangrove Forests at Tanjung Lumpur.
Aims:
1. To investigate different species of mangroves occuring in the study area, and to identify the adaptations they have made in order to cope with their surroundings.
2. To investigate the animal species that can be found as well as their adaptations to the mangrove environments.

Do they enjoy their sampling day out?

Since the pictures can speak a thousand words, why don't we let the picture speak on behalf of the environment students (^_^) Sure lots of new boots being put into extra exercise on that day. Hehe.

Sincerely,