Perak Nature – Oct/Nov 2009 edition Page 1 of 8 MNS Mission : To promote the study, appreciation, conservation and protection of Malaysia’s natural heritage, focusing on biological diversity and sustainable development. MNS Perak website : www.mnsperak.wordpress.com ● Email address: [email protected] ● Mailing address : P.O. Box 34, Ipoh Garden Post Office, 31407 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI BRANCH EXCO 09 / 10 & Chairman Mr. Leow Kon Fah HAPPY DEEPAVALI 019-5634598 [email protected] Vice Chairman Mr Lee Ping Kong What’s new? 016-5655682 [email protected] What’s up? Hon. Secretary Ms. Georgia Tham Yim Fong 012-5220268 Who am I? True or False? [email protected] Chairman’s message Hon. Treasurer You are wanted… Mr. Har Wai Ming 019-5724113 New portfolio – PR & Communications [email protected] SIG news and events Committee Members Members say Mr. Ooi Beng Yean Let’s celebrate True or False? 017-5082206 [email protected] Mr Tou Jing Yi 1. Kinta Nature Park (KNP) 016-5441526 Project was first proposed [email protected] by MNS Perak Branch in Ms Lee Yuat Wah 017-5775641 the year 2000. [email protected] Mr Casey Ng Keat Chuan 2. One of the aims of the 019-5717008 KNP project is to set up [email protected] (Public Relations & Communications) more duck farms. Ms Ruhil Azhana Bt Jaafar 013-5284288 Ms Ng Kit Wan Answers inside…… 019-5439647 [email protected] (Editorial Board) Hon. Auditor Who am I? Mr. Edward Yong Chuen Soon Countdown 2010 70th Anniversary of MNS 40th Anniversary of MNS Perak Branch Membership expired or expiring soon? Renew now by contacting officer, Wee Chin at 03-22879422. Perak Nature – Oct/Nov 2009 edition Page 2 of 8 Chairman’s Message Hi fellow members, This issue of newsletter is rather late, this is to accommodate the newly formed Strategy Planning Committee headed by Vice-Chairman Lee Ping Kong who has numerous agenda for members to apprehend. Committee member Casey Ng has come up with a website: http://mnsperak.wordpress.com whereby members can access the website for more information on Perak Branch. The website www.mns.org.my is still in use, but a new webpage is being reorganized and is expected to be unveiled soon. Cheang Kum Seng, a well know photographer has come up with a book “Limestone Hills and Caves of The Kinta Valley”. The photography work is by him and with the help of volunteers over a period of more than 15 years and the book is now ready and is on sale. The book cost RM100 for members and RM110 for non- members. If you want to purchase a copy, do give me or any of the office-bearers a call. Some of the things we are working on are, Kinta Nature Park, expanding nature education and Kelab Pencinta Alam, looking into joint projects with institutes of higher learning and also environment related projects in the state together with other NGOs that share the same ideas. To start with the branch is meeting UTAR in Kampar to initiate an environmental project in and around UTAR campus in Kampar. We are looking forward to a busy year as the year 2010 is the branch’s 40th anniversary and Malaysian Nature Society 70th anniversary. You will expect a whole year of events in Perak as well as all over the country as every branch will be celebrating the society’s 70th anniversary. Events will be announced periodically through the branch newsletter or you can log in the branch webpage. Here I would like to thank members for attending the AGM and for voting new committee members who are committed to the cause of the society and with the cooperation of all members we hope to see our membership increases in the next few months and will continue to do so for years to come. Wishing our Muslim members “SELAMAT HARI RAYA ADILFITRI” and our Hindu members “HAPPY DEEPAVALI”. Leow Kon Fah Chairman Vice Chairman’s Message Hi Members & Friends, You are WANTED The committee of MNS Perak has been re-organised recently. We need members and friends to come forward to help to strengthen the function of various portfolios. The following are the area where helpers are needed: 1. Science & Conservation : 3 people 2a. Public Relation: 3 people 2b. Editorial : 2 people 3. Trekking : 3 people The area of work: 1. Help to organize activities. 2. Help to coordinate tasks for smooth running of each group. Membership expired or expiring soon? Renew now by contacting officer, Wee Chin at 03-22879422. Perak Nature – Oct/Nov 2009 edition Page 3 of 8 This will help to ensure continuity of knowledge and experience that are accumulated over the years, and can be passed down to the next generation of members. At the same time, further enhance the development and growth of the society. Voluntary work in conservation of nature is a very meaningful and noble way of spending our spare time. It can also benefit more people and bring more happiness. Please contact the coordinator of each group for further arrangement. Thank you. Lee Ping Kong Vice Chairman Strategy Planning Committee Casey’s Corner Dear MNS members, In line with our strategy of keeping members abreast with the latest announcements and updates, we have launched a new blog. Please click on www.mnsperak.wordpress.com. The Executive Committee has decided to concentrate its effort to widen membership base and will embark in a series of awareness campaign this year. As the bane of modernity ruins more and more natural heritage sites, we need more minds and hands to work on championing conservation issues in Perak. On last count, Perak branch only has 167 members. That amount can hardly move mole hills, much less mountains. We need more members. Hence, kindly do your best to bring in friends and acquaintances to join MNS as members. We have been pondering about programs to keep members close knitted. For a start, we hope this blog will serve as a virtual venue where all members can exchange comments and get to know each and other. So, look up the blog on weekly basis and drop a comment or two. We would love to hear from you. Also, if you have a good story to tell, ping us. Let’s upload it in the blog for sharing. Lastly, we hope some of you will come forward to volunteer as Special Interest Group (SIG) members as announced here - http://mnsperak.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/vounteers-needed/. It won’t take much of your time. Remember, all of us are volunteers too and we have careers and families to tend. All we ask is that you lend a helping hand to group leaders and make activities more vibrant and meaningful. SIG leaders themselves are expert in their chosen fields. You will enjoy learning and working with them. Thank you. Casey Ng Public relations & Communications Source : Poems for the Green Age by Pat Moon earth lines Finders – keepers; Losers - weepers Men once found ways to share with Earth, To give and take in equal worth, Then passed her on for us to keep. If we lose her, who’ll be here to weep? Membership expired or expiring soon? Renew now by contacting officer, Wee Chin at 03-22879422. Perak Nature – Oct/Nov 2009 edition Page 4 of 8 ……………………………………………………………………………. Science & Conservation Coordinator Dr. Abdul Karim Russ Bin Hassan [email protected] ……………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………. Bird Watching Coordinator Mr Lim Kim Chye 016-5538431 [email protected] S ……………………………………………………………………………. P Hi birders, members and all, U The Bird Group, as applied to MNS Perak Branch, is a loose term meant to include members who are interested in birds and engage in birdwatching. As such, there is no “official” Bird Group membership list O but only an elected Bird Group (BG) Committee. Needless to say the BG Committee consists of members who are birders and its main function is to organize bird-related activities as well as to respond to bird R issues when required. The Bird Group Committee for 2009-2010 is as follows: G Co-ordinator: Lim Kim Chye Asst. Co-ordinator: Ng Kit Wan Secretary: Lim Swee Yian T Treasurer: Tan Ah Lai S 7 Committee members: Ooi Beng Yean, Dr Chan Kai Soon, Susan Cheong, Chiu Sein Chiong, Loke Chong Ming, David Chin, Lai Ah Moi. E As the new BG Co-ordinator, I’ve been asked to pen a few lines on my “vision” for the Bird Group. R For any Special Interest Group, I guess the foremost vision or wish would be for the group to increase members’ interest or participation in its particular field. Although basically this means recruiting more E members into birding, my personal vision for the Perak Bird Group is for birders to improve themselves and progress beyond just watching and photographing birds to studying birds in the field and reporting T what you observe. Add value to your birding by contributing your observations to MNS Bird-I-Witness database. Return the favour to the birds that gave you so much enjoyment by supporting bird N conservation projects and helping to stamp out illegal bird-trapping. I L A The Taiping Raptor Watch, organised by Bird Group of MNS Perak Branch, has been held I annually since 2003. Depending on weather, members and the public can expect to be amazed at the spectacular flights of buzzards, hawks and bazas migrating over Scott's Hill, Taiping. Last year, we C counted about 2 700 raptors of 6 species. E Taiping Raptor Watch 2009 P S Date : Sunday 0900 hrs to 1300 hrs Meeting time/place : Scott’s Hill, Taiping Coordinators : Lim Kim Chye & Lim Swee Yian (016-553 8431, 016-422 3895) Meet at the foot of Scott’s Hill (see map for directions) at 9.00 a.m.