April 6, 2014 Ant Course 2014 Preparation Guide Key information Course site: Maliau Basin Studies Centre in in Sabah, Malaysia Course dates: 21 to 31 July 2014 Meeting: July 20 Winner Hotel, Kota Kinabalu; July 21, 7am departure Depart: Book departing flights anytime after 7pm on July 31 Visa: Most countries can obtain a tourist visa upon arrival Preparation: Review course supplies; purchase plane tickets early Costs: Pay tuition and station fees by July 1, 2013 ($975 student, $1275 non-student) at: https://www.calacademy.org/tickets/ant_course/ Important dates: July 20 participants arrive in Kota Kinabalu July 21 Depart Kota Kinabalu: 6-8 hour bus ride to Maliau Basin July 31 Depart Maliau Basin to Kota Kinabalu About the field site Electricity is provided 6am to 11pm by local generator. Power outages are frequent and unpredictable, so it is advisable to carry headlamps or flashlights at night. Voltage is 220 V, you will need a pin converter to allow you to plug your items into the Malaysian electrical sockets. These can be purchased at the Singapore or other airport en route. If offered a choice buy the BRITISH Malaysian version. These are actually the same as those used to connect to the power system in the United Kingdom. Bring voltage converter if 110 V is required. Communication: Mobile reception is available. Location: Geographic coordinates of Maliau Basin Conservation Area ( 4.853050°, 116.843915°). Maliau Basin is a 588.4 km2 conservation area under the management of Yayasan Sabah (Sabah Foundation), in the central interior of Sabah. Originally, it was designated as a conservation area within the Yayasan Sabah timber concession. However, recognizing the uniqueness of the area, the Sabah State Government established legal protection for the area Popularly known as the ‘Lost World’, the almost circular Basin encompasses 390 km2 of pristine forest, a virtually self- contained ecosystem, never permanently inhabited and has large areas yet to be explored and documented. The whole Basin is a single huge water catchment area, drained by the Maliau River, which flows into the Kinabatangan River, Sabah’s largest and most important river. Health information We strongly recommend you seek advice from a Travel Health Clinic well in advance and ensure you obtain all necessary vaccinations. • Students should check with their own Doctors to ensure they have received the appropriate medical vaccinations dictated by a visit to Sabah. Malaria is present in the region. Ant Course 2013 Guide - 1 • Students should bring general medical supplies with them (see Packing List), There are leeches and ticks in the forest and buying ‘leach socks’ at either Maliau Basin or Borneo books in Kota Kinabalu is a good idea (approx: US$20 a pair). Visa Requirements: • We will be entering Sabah Malaysia as tourists • Students need to ensure they have a current Passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the scheduled return date, and any necessary entry VISA's. Specific VISA requirements will depend on your nationality. Individuals from some countries are required to enter Malaysia through specific cities (such as Kuala Lumpur, which might not always be obvious). • Individuals from some countries are required to enter Malaysia via Kuala Lumpur. It is critical that every participant confirm their own VISA requirements based on their nationality. Awareness of cultural issues We will be guests in an Islamic country, which may have very different social, religious and legal rules to those you are familiar with. Participants should to take steps to be aware of these factors. For example: • The death penalty is regularly enforced for crimes such as drug trafficking in many Asian countries. • Homosexuality is considered to be illegal in Malaysia. Arriving to Kota Kinabalu KK) by air Please add your flight details to the Google spreadsheet. Link will be sent out before July. • We recommend participants also at the Winner Hotel in Kota Kinabalu: Details at www.winnerhotel.com • Approx: US$10 (MYR35) cab fare from the airport (use the central booking desk at the airport: you give the destinations, they give a price, take your $, you hand the receipt to a cab driver outside) • Borneo Books http://www.borneobooks.com/blog/ (the main store is on the top floor, a smaller version exists on the lower floor). It is probably the best source of natural history books in Sabah. Books can be ordered on line, or the owners will often put books aside for you to pick up when you arrive in Kota Kinabalu. Please contact them by email as there is a possibility the store may be closing in the near future. Accommodation and facilities at Maliau Basin • Separate male and female dormitories joined by a common area. Shower and toilets (pit and western style) at the end of each building. Student accommodation approximately 10 minutes walk for the laboratory and dining rooms. The morning walk to the labs is a wonderful opportunity to view orangutans, leaf monkeys etc • Shower temperatures: cold • Linen (pillows, sheets etc) are provided. Ant Course 2013 Guide - 2 • Laundry facilities can be unpredictable: individuals can either wash their clothes while bathing or use the laundry service provided by the field station, which is reasonably priced. • A beautiful and refreshing river runs near the field station. Clothing • Clothing in Malaysia may seem much more conservative than you are used to. • In public, men and women typically wear long pants and shirts should always have at least short sleeves (i.e., vests, tank tops and the like should not be worn). Midriff-baring tops should not be worn. Women should bring a sarong and bathers (or t-shirt and shorts) for swimming in the river at the field station (though traditional swimmers could be worn at the hotel swimming pool in Kota Kinabalu). Shorts can be worn around the field station but should not be too brief. Long pants are required for field work and for when travelling in and around towns. Jeans are hot and hard to dry: lighter fabrics are preferred. • You will NOT need warm clothes. Really! Drinking water • As a general rule only bottled water should be consumed in Asia. Do not drink tap water. • Boiled water is provided in kitchen area. Students should expect to get into a routine of filing their water bottles at the kitchen before heading into the field, to the laboratories, or to the sleeping quarters for the night. But the tap water is pretty safe as well. Computer and telephone access • Possible but unpredictable. Liberate yourself and be prepared to go ‘off the grid’. Maxis is the only possible provider for mobile service. Additional expenses and banking information • Participants will be responsible for meals while in KK and while transferring to Maliau Basin • You will need to pay your own transportation costs from the airport in KK to the Winner Hotel on July 20 and when you depart after the course. • Malaysian currency can be obtained at the Singapore Airport and the Airport in Kota Kinabalu (there is a line of ATM machines on your left as you leave the Arrival section of the airport. ATM machines are common in Kota Kinabalu and work in a variety of languages. ATM’s are harder to find once you leave Kota Kinabalu. If you are changing from US dollars, there are better rates in town, specifically in Wisma Merdeka, than at the airport. • Credit cards can be used at some stores (such as Borneo Books) in Borneo, otherwise cash is required at most places. It will be difficult to obtain cash outside of Kota Kinabalu Emergency contact information Juyly 20, 2014 • Winner Hotel No. 9 & 10, Jalan Pasar Baru, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia • Tel: +60-88-243222 or +6016830106 Ant Course 2013 Guide - 3 • http://www.winnerhotel.com/ July 21-31 • Maliau Basin: Ms Rose John, Maliau Basin Conservation Area, 2nd Floor, UMNO Building, P O Box 60793, 91017 TAWAU, Sabah, Malaysia, Tel: +60 89 759214 ,+60 87 742100, ( H/P ): +60 19 822 5671, Email: [email protected], maliaubasin@icsb- sabah.com.my • Manager Jadda Suhaimi: [email protected], +60 (0) 89841101 • Tel (H/P Malaysia): +60 (0)89841102 Specimens collected during the course The course will have a group-collecting permit. The export permit will be under the name of Brian Fisher, and once all the samples are at California Academy of Sciences, he will arrange the samples to be mailed to students. Also you can consider donating your ant samples to the ant course organizers. COST AND PAYMENT Note that the course costs exceed tuition paid by students. In effect, all students receive a scholarship thanks to generous ant course donors. Students may apply for additional fellowships. Estimated Expenses: 1. Tuition: $975 for students and $1275 for nonstudents: This includes transport to and from station, station fees, room and board at station. 2. Transportation to and from Kota Kinabalu and the Airport. Students are expected to make their own travel arrangements. 3. Personal expenses are additional. Snacks, drinks, food at airport, meals prior or after course in Kota Kinabalu. Estimated AUS$50. 4. Hotel expense Kota Kinabalu ($35/night) 5. Course supplies: insect pins, forceps, vials: $100 6. Scope rental $75 Paying course tuition fees Course fees should be paid by July 1.Pay at: https://www.calacademy.org/tickets/ant_course/ Ant Course accepts checks, money orders, wire transfers, or visa. We do not accept PO’s. Please make checks or money orders (in US currency) payable to California Academy of Sciences- Ant Course Fund. Reminder, Purchase orders are NOT accepted. Receipts and invoices for tuition, if needed, can be obtained during the course or by emailing Nicole Clark <[email protected]>.