Rice ready to be harvested is seen in the field.
Announcing My Garden Bird Watch
My Garden Bird Watch is an annual event organised by the Bird Conservation Group of the Malaysian Nature Society and Bird Life International.
In this event we can participate in citizen science and help record changes in bird populations across Malaysia.
Date: Next weekend (June 7-8)
Time: 30 minutes between 7am and 6pm
Where: Your garden or any green space you might see birds.
www.mygardenbirdwatch.com
IN this time of giving thanks for bountiful rice harvests around Sarawak and Sabah and as we greet and wish friends, colleagues and relatives ‘Selamat Gawai’ or ‘Selamat Kaamatan’, we should slow down. We should stop and think about the meanings of the words and celebration; and give thanks.
To whom?
We are celebrating the productivity of the land and the skills of the farmer or agriculturist. In our climate-controlled urban homes, generally far removed from the paddy fields, gardens and orchards, we might take the vast variety of food available in the markets or supermarkets for granted. We might forget that food does not grow pre-packed and pre-wrapped.
Growing life-sustaining padi and other food crops is a science and an art. Knowledge of nutrient and moisture requirements, elevation and soil types is needed. The art of farming is in combining this knowledge and in using your sixth sense to ‘predict’ changes in weather and other conditions. It is knowing, but not knowing how. It is instinctive.
The cycle of padi cultivation dictates the cycle of village and farming life. Without the sun, the Earth would be black and frozen. Plants, which use sunlight, carbon dioxide from the air and water, are the original food-making machines and are the bases for the complicated food webs that connect the countless ecological niches on Earth.
Plants, in order to thrive, like us, require additional nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and a number of other minerals. However, if there is a drought, the seedlings will not thrive and they may even die.
Earlier we asked whom do we thank? We are giving thanks to nature for the raw ingredients that keep the world, as we know it, revolving. We give thanks, for the miracle of growth. Tiny seeds can grow and flourish to produce an abundance of grains, fruits or vegetables. We give thanks for the clean air, water and soil. We give thanks that all are connected. We are giving thanks to the natural world and its bounty.
Should we stop and reflect on the health of the natural world and Earth?
Should we stop and reflect on the heating of the Earth, the tremendous storms and droughts that have swept around the globe, causing devastation in multiple ways and grief beyond what can be put into words?
Should we stop and reflect on the latest news that the ice shelf in the Antarctic has reached the point of no return and is quite likely to melt?
In this time of giving thanks to nature and the miracles of nature, we should think about the inheritance we are handing on to the future.
What type of world do you want for your children and their children?
A photo of pulasan fresh from the tree.
Malaysia Nature Society
Established in 1940, the Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest scientific and non-governmental organisation in Malaysia. Our mission is to promote the study, appreciation conservation and protection of Malaysia’s nature heritage. Our 5,000-strong membership, spread across 12 branches nationwide, come from all walks of life, bound by a comment interest in nature. For further information on membership or our activities in Kuching contact us at mnskuchinggmail.com. For information on our activities in Miri contact Musa Musbah ([email protected]). You can also visit
www.mns.org.my, http://[email protected] or www.facebook.com/mnskb.