For more information about trips, itineraries, costs and dates please

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1 SUSTAINING ECONOMIC DIVERSITY & BIODIVERSITY IN SABAH A Study & Service Adventure in Borneo for Round Square Conference Delegates October 9-13, 2015 For more information about trips, itineraries, costs and dates please earthmattersinfo@gmail.com Trip Overview Borneo is a land steeped in legend. The third largest island on Earth with its towering mountains, steamy rainforests, raging rivers, wild orangutans, proboscis monkeys, hornbills and legendary headhunters has long captivated the world s imagination. But this study and service adventure goes beyond the mystique to reveal the real Borneo today where massive deforestation and oil palm plantations have reduced the island s biodiversity to a few protected sanctuaries. The Malaysian State of Sabah in the northeast part of the island not only offers visitors the best chances of seeing Borneo s unique wildlife, it provides an opportunity to see first hand the impacts of an unsustainable resource extraction economy, now struggling towards diversification. Students on this adventure in learning will snorkel over reefs with the greatest coral diversity on our planet. They will visit the world s largest orangutan sanctuary, explore Sabah s largest cave chamber and cruise a jungle river that boasts Malaysia s greatest wildlife concentrations in search of Borneo gibbons, pygmy elephants, rhinoceros hornbills, crocodile and the unique long-nosed proboscis monkeys. In addition to lifetime adventures and nature study, students will take part in a reforestation program, not a mere tree planting exercise but a campaign to create critical wildlife corridors by linking up isolated forest patches along the Kinabatagan River. Time Magazine stated some years back that the battle for Borneo was lost before we knew we were it. But all is not lost and students on this trip will learn how they can become part of the solution through the Heart of Borneo conservation campaign. Borneo has been called a land of superlatives and it is sure to inspire any student with a love for wildlife, a spirit of adventure and a desire to expand their knowledge of sustainability issues in the Borneo state of Sabah the land below the wind.

2 ITINERARY Friday / Oct. 9 Study Focus: Borneo orangutan conservation Students depart Singapore at 8:30 on flight MH5840 and fly to Sandakan in the Eastern Malaysian State of Sabah, arriving at 13:15. After being greeted by our staff, we will transfer by mini vans to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center where we will have a trip orientation session before taking in the 3:00 pm afternoon feeding of the orphaned animals. The words orang utan are Malay for people of the forest as humans have long recognized the close link with our orange cousins an ape that shares 96.4% of our DNA. At Sepilok, the world s largest orangutan rehabilitation center, we will see far too many orangutans that have been captured as pets or orphaned when their mothers were killed during logging operations. Widespread and permanent deforestation of Borneo s forests combined with the lowest reproductive rate of any mammal on earth (one offspring every 7-8 years), have now put this magnificent creature on the endangered species list. Later today, students will engage in discussions on this issue, considering who is more in need of rehabilitation - the orangutans or the poachers, loggers and authorities that fail to enforce laws protecting them? They will look at the type of forest and size of forest reserve required to prevent genetic inbreeding for a sustainable orangutan population. Just 500 meters from the orangutan center is the lovely Sepliok Forest Edge Lodge where we will check in to our accommodation for the night and enjoy a delicious dinner. A trip orientation and group bonding session will be followed by an evening of stargazing from the soothing comfort of the lodge s outdoor Jacuzzi pool. Overnight: Sepilok Forest Edge Lodge Saturday / Oct. 10 Study Focus: coral reef sustainability / endangered sea turtles Right after breakfast this morning we drive to Sandakan pier and catch a boat to Libaran Island at 9:00 am. This island in the Sulu Sea, only 30-minutes by boat from Sandakan, is a location where female sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in the sand and where a community conservation project helps to protect them. Sabah is strategically located at the apex of The Coral Triangle the global center of marine biodiversity with over 75% of all coral species known to science and over 3,000 species of reef fish. According to the WWF, The Coral Triangle is unmatched in the world in terms of marine biodiversity and students on this trip will get a taste of that richness at several different snorkeling sites. We will camp on the beach on Pualu Libaran this night in simply furnished but clean tents at Walai Penyu Resort and search the beaches after dark for sea turtles

3 coming ashore to lay eggs. Even if we don t see eggs being laid, there s as very good chance of seeing baby sea turtles hatching at the resort s nursery and we can help release them to the sea. A group forum discussion on threats to sea turtle survival and conservation measures to protect them will take place with some of the staff at Walai Penyu that have set up a community conservation program here. Overnight: Camping - Libaran Island, Sulu Sea Sunday / Oct. 11 Study Focus: biodiversity loss through deforestation & conversion to plantations / flora & fauna of the Kinabatagan / endemic species of Borneo After breakfast, we board our boat for the return trip to Sandakan and then climb aboard mini vans for the 2-hour drive to the Kinabatagan - Sabah s largest river that is now being hailed as the Amazon of Borneo for the treasure trove of animals found there. Influenced by the tides of the Sulu Sea and massive rainfall in the Borneo interior, the lower part of the river plain floods regularly just like the Amazon. Thus over countless centuries, five distinct habitats have evolved waterlogged and dry forests, saline and freshwater swamps and limestone forests. Each of these habitats contributes towards some of the most diverse concentrations of wildlife in Southeast Asia. Sadly, the forest edge along the Kinabatagan River is little more than a leave strip of trees left when the entire region was logged for timber and replaced with massive oil palm estates. We will stop at one of these plantations on our way to the Kinabatagan so students can see for themselves the biological deserts that have replaced the world s oldest and richest forest. We will check in to the beautiful Myne Resort perched on a forested hillside and overlooking a great bend in the river. Anyone considering a refreshing dip may think twice when seeing the large crocodiles sunning along the riverbanks or peering, like periscopes from the murky depths. Following a delicious lunch in the open-air pavilion restaurant, there will be time for a discussion on endemism and the region s wildlife before our afternoon river excursion. Like all islands, animals that evolved in isolation on Borneo have tended towards dwarfism or gigantism. Borneo, for example, boasts the world s largest pitcher plants and moss, but the smallest squirrel, orchid and elephant. At 3:30 pm we will board motorized launches for a 2.5-hour jungle river cruise in search of Bornean endemics and other species. Evening is the best time of day to spot large troops of proboscis monkeys, long-tail macaques and all 8 species of hornbills found in Borneo as they gather atop tall riverbank trees to roost for the night. There is never a dull moment along the Kinabatagan. Our wildlife safari should include sightings of stork-billed kingfishers, blue-eared kingfishers, night herons, egrets, oriental darters, Storm s storks, fish eagles, hornbills (rhinoceros, helmeted, black, white-crowned, pied, wrinkled, wreathed, bushy-crested), Asian reticulated pythons, mangrove snakes, crocodiles, monitor lizards, long-tail macaques,

4 proboscis monkeys, orangutans, Borneo gibbons, Borneo bearded pigs, otters, and with luck Borneo s pygmy elephants. The reason for the exceptionally high wildlife concentrations found along the Kinabatagan is because many are refuge species searching out the last remnant forests for miles in every direction. As the sun sets over the Kinabatagan River, we will slowly cruise back to our riverside lodge for a delicious buffet dinner and a sharing circle on the lounge deck under the star-studded sky. Overnight: Myne Resort, Kinabatagan River Sunday / Oct. 12 Study Focus: keystone species / reforestation service project / nocturnal animals & constellations Sunrise over the Kinabatagan River is a sight not to be missed. From the private balconies of our beautiful hillside chalets and longhouse we should see hornbills flying overhead and hear the first songs of the Borneo gibbons greeting the day. We will embark by boat before breakfast on a Dawn Safari as this is the best time of day to see some of Borneo s keystone species. Fruit bats, hornbills and gibbons are all frugivores (fruit-eating animals) that are crucial to the wide dispersal of rain forest seeds. Because the loss of these species can result in the loss of the forest itself, biologists refer to them as keystone species. Returning by 9:00 am from our Dawn Safari, we will enjoy a good breakfast served on the riverside restaurant before setting off on a service project. The Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) is a state mandated NGO established in 2006 to deal with the pressing needs of preserving the habitat and migration routes of Borneo s most endangered wildlife. Reforestation of denuded lands along the Kinabatangan corridor is of highest priority as forests are so fragmented here that wildlife populations are restricted to small reserves where inbreeding and survival become critical issues. Our service project will involve working together with the BCT, or other local groups, in planting trees to help reconnect Borneo s Green Corridor for wildlife. Enrichment planting of fruit trees, like durian, mango, jackfruit, rambutan, lychee and wild figs in secondary forest is another way to guarantee the future health of this critical wildlife region. We will either enjoy a picnic lunch at our planting site or return to our lodge for a hot meal before enjoying some free time in the afternoon to clean up, catch up on journals or just relax in a hammock with the soothing sounds of nature. Nearby the lodge are some excellent trails students can explore and a 300-year old strangler fig tree with a hollow center that students can climb inside of. Following a delicious buffet dinner we will have a briefing on nocturnal animals before setting off by boat at 8:30 pm for a Night Safari. Animals typically seen at night along the riverbank include: slow loris, civets, owls, bats, roosting kingfishers, pythons, frogs, wild pigs, barking deer, mouse deer, fishing cats, crocodile, and occasionally clouded leopard.

5 If the night sky is clear students will be shown some of the major constellations including the Southern Cross and Big Dipper as both of these star clusters, used for centuries in navigation, are visible along the Equator that transects Borneo. Our final night together will close with a candlelight ceremony during which each person can share his or her favorite moments of the trip. Overnight: Myne Resort, Kinabatagan River Monday / Oct. 13 Study Focus: cave ecology & sustainability of bird nest industry Departure After breakfast this morning, we check out of our lodge and bid farewell to the Kinabatagan River, hopefully with a greater appreciation of what it takes to sustain a vibrant, intact ecosystem. Just a 30-minute drive from our lodge we stop to visit the famous Gomantong Cave - the largest cave in Sabah and home to millions of bats and swiftlets. A 15-minute walk through a jungle trail leads us to the cave chamber entrance where we can witness bird nest gatherers going about their daredevil task 90- meters above the cave floor, collecting swift let nests for the lucrative Chinese trade. The edible nest swiftlet is an insectivorous bird that patrols the skies by day, then retreats to the security of the cave chamber at night. The waxy secretion it uses to build its nests in the cave is the source of the famous Chinese bird nest soup. The WWF has described Gomantong as the best managed edible bird s nest cave in the world, and historical records have traced it as the source of this precious delicacy to Chinese Emperors centuries ago. It may be animal cruelty to rob parent birds of their nests, but the practice from an economic perspective appears to be sustainable. Dusk is the time that all the swiftlets return to the cave and millions of nightfeeding insectivorous bats emerge. It is a dramatic moment as the hordes of bats pour out of the cave chamber and ribbon their way across the sunset colored sky. While we will not stay here long enough to witness this spectacle, we will have an excellent opportunity to learn about cave ecology and to view orangutans in the wild. The road leading into Gomantong Cave, and the boardwalk leading to the entrance, passes through a prime orangutan forest as evidenced by the profusion of nests seen in the treetops. With any luck, we should see The Wildman of the Forest here even if we did not spot any along the Kinabatagan River. Arriving in Sandakan after a 1.5-hour drive, students will be dropped off at Sandakan International Airport at noon for the return flight to Singapore, MH2711 departing Sandakan at 14:10 and arriving in Singapore at 16:50.

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