Museums, gardens, zoos, and wildlife breeding centers in the

Item Type article

Authors Bagarinao, Teodora Uy

Download date 05/10/2021 10:36:15

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/35174 Nature matters the AQD Museum and Biodiversity Garden, and the Environment Action Group

Museums, gardens, zoos, and wildlife breeding centers in the Philippines

By Teodora Bagarinao, PhD species of birds, 2433 mollusks, 93 corals, Philippines (UP) in Diliman and the Museo AQD Scientist and Museum Curator 86 crustaceans, 469 fishes, 2945 insects, de Oro at Xavier University. Museums and many others. The National Herbarium about indigenous peoples and cultures are Non-formal environment education contains about 130,000 mounted plant in fact biodiversity displays. through nature recreation is an effective specimens. Museums of the natural history type means toward the 'greening' of the hearts, The National Museum has both the are not numerous and these are mostly run the minds, and the spirit of the citizens so cultural and natural treasures to be proud by universities for instruction and research. that they act in favor of biodiversity con- of, but does not have enough political sup- The Museum of Arts and Sciences at the servation. This article describes the status port and funds to carry out scientific re- University of Santo Tomas started in 1682 of various biodiversity exhibits and con- search, nor space and technical expertise with the collection and classification of servation centers in the country and urges to properly display its collections. Filipi- Philippine flora and fauna, and now it is both the government and the private sector nos who have visited the national muse- crammed with stuffed mammals, birds, and to invest in more of these, especially in pro- ums in other Asian countries and in reptiles. The UP-Los Baños Museum of grams to reach and involve the people. America and Europe can only feel frus- Natural History is a repository and exhibit Good biodiversity exhibits and conserva- trated, even ashamed, about the dismal state of the flora and fauna of Mt. Makiling, in- tion centers require funds, space, skilled of the National Museum of the Philippines. cluding 285 families of insects, 709 gen- and dedicated technicians, scientists, and Recently, a beautifully illustrated book era of fungi, 1200 species of forest plants artists, and the commitment and support of Treasures of the Philippine National Mu- including rare ferns, and Dioscoro Rabor's the government, the local communities, seum has been published to build greater collection of land vertebrates. The Marine educational institutions, and the private public support. Plans have also been an- Science Institute of UP-Diliman maintains sector. nounced for a National Gallery of Arts and the Velasquez Phycological Herbarium. Culture that will be finished in time for the The natural science museums of the UP- 100th anniversary of Philippine independ- Visayas, University of San Carlos, Silliman Museums ence in 1998. University, and Visayas State College of The National Museum of the Philippines Most museums in the Philippines to- Agriculture have sizeable collections of was established in 1901 as the primary re- day are exhibits of the arts, culture, anthro- marine animals, vertebrates, and insects, pository and custodian of cultural treasures pology, and history of the Philippines or but the displays need to be improved to be and biological collections from all over the its many regions, such as the Metropolitan appreciated by the public. The Aga Khan archipelago. It is mandated to be a research Museum of , Philippine Museum of Museum of the Mindanao State University institution and a showcase for the entertain- Ethnology, , Museo Iloilo, has collections of the flora and fauna of ment and education of the public (Fr. Museo Dabao, , and vari- Lanao Lake and the surrounding watershed, Gabriel Casal, Director, National Museum, ous art galleries in large cities. Banawe but does little to promote public under- personal communication). Aside from the Museum houses some of the collections and standing of the ecosystem. permanent exhibits, film shows, slide pres- the personal artifacts including the ornate entations, and lectures are provided for chil- The International Rice Research Insti- wooden house of the anthropologist H. dren, students, and the general public. Most tute in Los Baños, opened in 1994 Otley Beyer, who married into and lived of the art, anthropological, cultural, and the IRRI Riceworld, a visitors' learning among the Ifugaos and first brought the historical collections have their own exhibit center about rice production and research Banawe rice terraces to international atten- rooms, but the natural science collections and the importance of rice to global food tion. Several universities operate cultural are just in the corridors, looking old and production. IRRI Riceworld has exhibits museums open to the public, for example, shabby. The pre-war biological collections that explain the importance of friendly in- the Museum of Anthropology and the of the National Museum were all destroyed, sects in controlling rice pests, the value of Vargas Museum at the University of the but the post-war materials now include 527 next page

SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture Volume XIX No. 4 October 1997 9 nature matters / bagarinao

The AQD Museum and Biodiversity Garden attract and entertain visitors, mostly students. Museum collection includes deep sea fishes from the Philippine Trench; mangrove fishes from Quezon; coral reef fishes from Pangasinan; and molluscs from Ifugao, Sorsogon and other places.

conserving rice seeds to maintain genetic and aquarium to be called Fishworld. tanical garden. UP-Los Baños maintains diversity, and why scientists are looking at There are also privately owned natu- the Makiling Botanic Garden and the role of methane emissions from ral history museums open to the public. In Hortorium that preserve the waterways and ricefields in global warming. Riceworld Cebu, the Julian Jumalon family operates natural forest growths, and the Microbio- was designed with children in mind and was the Butterfly Museum, with butterflies and logical Culture Collection. Many other made possible with a US$80,000 grant paintings made of butterfly wings on dis- universities and agricultural colleges in the from the German Technical Cooperation play, amid a sanctuary-garden of butterflies Philippines have small botanical gardens, Agency. and food plants. The Carfel Seashell Mu- plant nurseries, and arboretums, mostly for The SEAFDEC Aquaculture Depart- seum in Manila published the book Shells instruction and research but also for public ment inaugurated in 1993 the AQD Mu- of the Philippines. viewing and enjoyment. The University of seum, a collection and exhibit of fishes, An important aid to biodiversity re- Santo Tomas has started a project to turn crustaceans, mollusks, corals, other marine search and conservation efforts is a good the campus into a botanical garden that will invertebrates, and seaweeds. The AQD computerized database. For example, the serve as repository of endemic and endan- Museum holds reference specimens of International Center for Living Aquatic gered flora, a sanctuary for birds and in- shrimps, fish larvae and juveniles, and Resources Management (ICLARM) in sects, a resource for teaching, research, and mangrove fishes from completed studies. Manila has put together FishBase and recreation for the university, and as 'green A botanical garden has been annexed to ReefBase on CD-ROM now available to lungs' for part of . show off plant biodiversity. The AQD researchers. The International Rice Research Insti- Museum and Biodiversity Garden aims to tute is committed to the conservation of rice be an educational exhibit for the public, Botanical gardens, genetic resources and maintains a gene particularly school children, and a labora- bank with 70,000 seed accessions (as of tory for undergraduate and graduate stu- arboretums, and plant 1991) for both IRRI research staff and dents in natural history. But there is not nurseries outside users worldwide. enough room for the displays and hardly Botanical gardens are museums without The Department of Environment and any students interested in natural history walls whose mission is the cultivation and Natural Resources (DENR) maintains a and systematics. Currently, SEAFDEC study of the diversity of plants. The Phil- AQD is making plans for a larger museum ippines now does not have a national bo- page 32

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nature matters ... from page 10 Commercial plant nurseries propagat- crocodile, Palawan pheasant, Palawan bear ing many varieties of orchids, bromeliads, cat, porcupine, as well as marine turtles, anthuriums, heliconias, roses, ferns, palms giant clams, and dugong. The government 111-ha mangrove reserve in Pagbilao Bay, and other ornamentals are veritable now spends about P4 million on Calauit, southern Luzon, where research and experi- biodiversity exhibits. Nurseries for fruit whose management has been contracted to mental plantings are carried out by schools and hardwood trees are also becoming more a non-government organization. and by local and international private foun- numerous. Plant nurseries and the The conservation of the Philippine ea- dations. The Pagbilao secondary-growth cutflower business are growing strong in gle Pithecophaga jeffreyi was given impe- forest contains a high diversity of man- several places in the Philippines, including tus by Charles Lindbergh himself in 1970. groves and associated plants, including the Los Baños, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Davao. The Philippine Eagle Research and Nature 'nilad' Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea, which Garden fairs are held frequently and are Center, managed by the Philippine Eagle used to grow luxuriantly in Manila and gave very well patronized. Foundation Inc., lies at the foothills of Mt. the place its name ('May nilad' or where Apo in Davao City. PEFI has produced there is 'nilad'). Mangroves are now a rare information materials on wildlife conser- sight around and other urban Zoos, aquariums, and vation and biodiversity, and the Center has coastal areas. Many mangrove reforesta- a good collection of raptors, small mam- tion projects have been carried out all over wildlife breeding centers mals, trees, and ornamental plants. But the country, but only a few were success- Zoos and aquariums are effective vehicles only the Philippine eagles have large cages, ful, for example, those in Danacon Island for the environment education and enter- and the other birds look so forlorn in their in Bohol and in Busuang, Aklan. Mangrove tainment of children and adults alike. The small cages. The Center's reception room plantations have become more common as Philippines does not have a national zoo is small and has little instructional func- community-based projects. and aquarium. The old is a tion. The International Institute for Rural perennial crowd-drawer and a low-priced The Wildlife Rescue Center at the Reconstruction (IIRR) in Silang, alternative to shopping malls. But the ani- Ninoy Aquino Park in Quezon City houses espouses regenerative agriculture and mal enclosures, the visitor faculties, and the animals confiscated from illegal traders and maintains a campus that is a biodiversity interpretive trads and signs need improve- owners. It now has 26 species of birds, 6 exhibit in its own right. Various fruit trees, ment. Happily, there are now plans to make reptiles, and 14 mammals and operates with hardwoods, ornamentals, and farm crops the Manila Zoo world-class. Indeed, zoos, a staff of 18 on a budget of P3.8 million including grasses for fodder make the land- aquariums, and animal showplaces are (P26=US$1). Problems include lack of scape. IIRR has bio-intensive gardens major tourist attractions and income earn- funds for food and medical care of animals, where many kinds of vegetables are raised ers in Hongkong, Singapore, and other lack of quarantine facilities, overcrowding without chemical inputs. IIRR also pro- Asian countries. due to lack of cages, and bureaucratic red duces a variety of information materials for Several conservation programs have tape in deciding matters concerning the teachers, trainers, students, policymakers, been launched by the government to pro- welfare of the animals. The Center for and sectoral leaders involved in environ- tect endemic wildlife and some endangered Philippine Raptors on Mt. Makiling reha- ment education. species. The Tamaraw Conservation Pro- bilitates captured birds of prey and serves Home gardens also promote gram was launched in 1969 to protect the as a back-up facility for the Philippine ea- biodiversity awareness, in addition to pro- habitats of the endemic 'tamaraw' Bubalus gle conservation program. It conducts cap- viding income, ornamentation, fruits and (Anoa) mindorensis, including the ances- tive breeding research, laboratory and field vegetables, spices and medicine, fish and tral lands of the Mangyans, from the cattle studies, and education and information meat, firewood, and fodder. The govern- ranchers. Mt. Iglit and Mt. Baco, both campaigns, with a staff of 10 people and ment launched several home garden pro- tamaraw haunts in Mindoro, were declared funds of less than P1 million from the gov- grams but these always lacked funds, well- a game reserve and bird sanctuary in 1969 ernment and private organizations. Clearly, trained garden teachers, textbooks and other and a national park in 1970. In October these wildlife centers could not go very far instructional materials, garden tools, and 1990, the first 'tamaraw' born in captivity with such limited budgets. improved seeds and planting materials. At was recorded in the Canturoy Gene Pool. The Crocodile Farming Institute was present, the Department of Education, Cul- The 3,760-ha Calauit Game Preserve established in Irawan, Puerto Princesa in ture, and Sports encourages school gardens and Wildlife Sanctuary in northern Palawan 1987 to focus on the propagation, protec- to teach children about the variety and im- was established in 1976 and now maintains tion, and conservation of Crocodylus portance of vegetable, fruit, and medicinal several species of herbivorous African mindorensis and C. porosus, with support plants. mammals and populations of the endemic from the Japan International Cooperation Calamian deer, mouse deer, Philippine

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Agency. Under the Marine Turtle Conser- aqd journal publications ... from page 8 were leached out rapidly in both treatments re- vation Program, turtle sanctuaries have gardless of soil acidification. The common prob- been declared in the Turtle Islands, in El lems associated with acid soil formation from Nido and Calauit in Palawan, and in Caluya incisor-shaped or a mixture of somewhat oxidation of pyrite are fish mortalities and very Island. The Dugong Conservation Program incisor-shaped and canine-like; (b) the setal poor response of the soil to phosphorous ferti- is being conducted in Palawan with the types replacing other types previously borne on lization. For idle land or areas abundant in py- ritic materials, soil acidification can be avoided cooperation of the Toba Aquarium of Ja- the same site; and (c) the degree of occurrence of the denticulated setae on the 45 mm TL ju- by inundation with water to a depth of 2-3 cm. pan. The Philippine Tarsier Conservation venile and adult stages. The implications of rather than draining and exposure, which lead Program is being implemented in Bohol, these mouthpart transformations on the feeding to the formation of acid sulfate soil. Periodic Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao through the ability of the early juveniles, late juveniles, and leaching was found effective in reducing soil Debt-for-Nature Swap. The DENR's Pro- adults are discussed, with mention of the po- acidity although some essential nutrients were tected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) tential ability of the redclaw for suspension feed- also removed. Therefore, fertilization during oversees all wildlife conservation and ing. Types of food appropriate for each stage amendments is found to be of necessity. breeding programs in the country. PAWB were inferred. also organizes bird banders to conduct mid- winter bird counts for the Asian Waterfowl Census. Tan-Fermin JD, Pagador RR, Chavez RC. Universities are also involved in wild- Golez NV, Kyuma K. 1997. Influence of pyrite 1997. LHRHa and pimozide-induced spawn- life breeding and conservation. Silliman oxidation and soil acidification on some essen- ing of Asian catfish Clarias macrocephalus University in Dumaguete City established tial nutrient elements. Aquacultural Engineer- (Gunther) at different times during an annual in 1993 the Alfredo Y. Reyes Botanical and ing 16 (1-2): 107-124 -- reproductive cycle. Aquaculture 148 (4): 323-331 -- Zoological Garden, where wildlife are Influence of soil acidification on some es- Captive Clarias macrocephalus were in- shown in a dipterocarp forest setting and sential nutrient elements was observed experi- mentally during periodic leaching at 10-day in- duced to spawn during the off-season (Febru- some endangered species (bats, crocodile, tervals of pyritic soil materials. Pyritic soil in ary), before (May), during (August) and end deer) are bred in captivity. The West glass columns saturated with distilled water was (November) of the natural breeding period to Visayas State University also established treated under waterlogged or submerged and test their seasonal responsiveness to hormone the Mariit Wildlife Conservation Park in drained conditions. Waterlogged was inundated treatment, and assess the resulting egg and lar- Iloilo in 1993 in collaboration with the and had overlying water of 2-cm depth above val quality. Intramuscular injections were given Mulhouse Zoo of France and England. soil surface. Extremely acidic soil conditions, to five fish in each treatment consisting of 0.05 Plans include ecotourism and captive caused mainly by oxidation of pyrite (FeS2), led mu g LHRHa + 1 mu g PIM g(-l) body weight breeding of Philippine spotted deer, warty to other serious problems. Results showed that (BW). 0.05 mu g LHRHa. 1 mu g PIM, or LHRHa vehicle (0.9% NaCl) and PIM vehicle pig, muskrat, hornbill, and other wildlife strong acidification of soils influenced the solu- bility and availability of some nutrients. The loss (1 dimethylsulfoxide: 9 propylene glycol, v/v). indigenous to Panay Island. The Marine of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), At any phase of the annual cycle, only fish in- Science Institute of the UP-Diliman has an and copper (Cu) was enhanced by acidification. jected with a combination of LHRHa and PIM ongoing breeding and conservation project Intense acid conditions also dissolved manga- spawned, although initial egg size was similar for the endangered giant clams. Several nese (Mn), high amounts of which would lead among fish within a season. However, initial egg species of Tridacna and Hippopus are to toxicity problems in plants and animals. As size was largest in fish induced to spawn in May spawned and grown at the UP Bolinao oxidation progressed, soil acidification in- (1.59 mm), followed by fish induced in August Marine Station and then transferred to se- creased and depressed availability of phospho- and November (1.54 mm), and smallest in fish induced in February (1.49 mm). All fish ovu- lected reef areas that enjoy some form of rous (P), thereby leading to the deficiency of lated when induced to spawn in May and Au- protection and management by the local this nutrient. Sodium (Na) and Chlorine (CI) gust, but ovulation rates decreased to 80% and fisherfolk. But even in these 'protected' 60% when fish were injected in November and areas, the giant clams are not always safe February, respectively. Catfish induced to spawn from exploitation. in May, August and November had higher egg production, fertilization and larval survival rates than the fish induced in February. Hatching rates Note were higher in fish induced in May and August than in February, while hatching rate of fish in- Full citations are given in the original paper entitled duced in November was similar to those Nature parks, museums, gardens, and zoos for biodiversity conservation and environment education spawned at other times of the year. These re- in the Philippines that has been accepted for publica- sults provide useful information regarding the tion in Ambio. broodstock management and hatchery produc- tion of C. macrocephalus.

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