Finally we together again for our presentation on the activities we had done at Tanjung Rambat Pulau Muara Besar.
We were given certificates etc by the Organiser.
5th June is World Environment Day.
Theme: Nature at Your Service.
Brunei Darussalam through the Ministry of Youth & Sport, Department of Youth Development held an Educational Trip to Tanjong Rambat at Muara Besar Island near Serasa, Muara for its Environmental friendly Program.
The Aim is to find the mangrove flora & fauna species and help to clean up island.
Eight Secondary schools participate in this activities are:
- SM Sayyidina Husain.
- SM SMJA
- SM Masin
- SM Awg Semaun
- SM Berakas
- SOAS College
- SM Sultan Sharif Ali
- SM Chung Hwa BSB.
Total of 50 Students, teachers, volunteers and Organisers joint the activities.
Here, SOAS College students came and registered for the program.
Meeting, greeting and briefing everyone for their safety and activities.
On the boat across the Serasa Channel to Muara Besar Island.
Sunny day
That's the Island... there... see.?
Arrived at the base camp, a huge spider greet us... are you arachnophobia..?
Another boat bringing the participants arrived.
This is not a mangrove species. Its a Pandanus species, commonlly found here and many seashore ecosystem.
Fruits of the Pandanus.
The one with a palm tree leaves is a Nypa palm tree.
This is a true mangrove tree, a Rhizophora sp characterised by its stilt roots system.
This a common Rhizophora found in here, called R. apiculata (Whitten et al 1984)
R. apiculata.
R. apiculata.
Sonneratia alba tree (tallest one)
The fruit developed and seed ripen and grows while still attached to its parent tree. The seed grows its hypocotyl (stem) and roots long enough to be released by the parent for its to establish itself easily on substrate (soil).
Everyone taking picture of the 'celebrity' tree.
A young catfish, Ikan sembilang, like many other small young fishes like to find refuge and food here at the mangrove water where there are plenty of shelters and foods for them to grow and develop.
Mudskippers are common in the mangrove too (on the log, too small to be seen here, nearest to the water edge). There are five species and this is one of the smallest species. They are usually predatory especially adults.
High tide, the roots and parts of trunks completely submerged. Normal terrestrial plants usually died when submerged. But not for Mangrove trees, they are adapted to low oxygen substrate and high salinity by having 'snorkels' roots parts that grow upwards above the soil to absorb oxygen, and highly efficient salt removal system in the leaves respectively.
School of small fishes swimming around (hard to see here, I can see them clearly with my polarised sunglasses, but not my camera phone).
Here is my students: Goh Cheng Hein, Ak.Abd. Qayyum, Jimmy B M Lei, Muhamad Adam Nugraha and Md. Faris Irfan. They are the pioneer group of students that join SOASC Environment Friendly Club.
Me.
Us.
Nypa Fruiticans sp fruits, edible sweet white jelly like flesh inside.
N. fruitican tree.
This is not a mangrove tree but commonly found in the seashore ecosystem.
Another Sonneratia alba tree.
Not a mongrove species. Ipomea sp. (I think)
The Base camp, not really a camp, more of a sitting place. Good enough for us.
We had a break and packed lunch here.
How it is seen from the open water. No true zonation of mangrove forest, more of both seashore and mangrove ecosystem.
At the island there is also an ancient cemetery. Many of graves are undated, with highly degraded, decomposed wood tomb. Believed to be more than 100 years old.
Students planned for a water war game.
Girls did less noisy game.
Final meeting and briefing before leaving the island.
The volunteers.
Cleaning campaign. Lots of plastics...! Many of them deposited deep in the soil. Seen from its manufactured date, been there for many many years...!
Polythene aka 'Plastic' is a long carbon (100s or 1000 long) chain of hydrocarbon, do not decomposed by itself or by the bacteria/fungi since it has no nutrient nor digest-able by organisms. With continuous UV rays from the sun for many years can only breaks the long molecules of plastic. The fastest plastic to disintegrate is about 15 years..! Imagine if you collect plastics in your background, it will be there for rest of your life.
PLASTIC IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT..!
DISPOSE OF PLASTICS APPROPRIATELY.
Lots of garbage bags full, but still not enough to collect the rubbish.
Till next time. Remember, do save our environment.
