This time the targeted number was achieved even before our newsletter reached the members. Apologies to all members whose applications were turned down (another is planned in September to cater for those who were disappointed. The children had a great time learning how to cook the natural way from Loke Choong Ming who taught the children some backwoods men techniques of cooking rice in bamboo and making bread twists. Games and clean-up activities brought the children’s appetite up to consume all the drinks and food prepared for tea. Bathing in the stream led to a clean group ready to enjoy themselves with sizzling food of a barbeque dinner. It was really fun to watch the children huffing and puffing the charcoal fire and trying to prepare, for many of them, their first meal, by themselves. The deliciously marinated chicken, baked potatoes and sausages were well-received except of course for the occasional over-done (burnt) pieces. After that Cheang Kum Seng gave a splendid slide show with the help of Yuat Wah.

      The next day saw the children waking up early for breakfast before they were led by Mah and others for a hike to the nearby waterfall. Ooi, Laurence and others came to do a bit of digiscoping and birding. The nesting instincts of a few birds at this time of the year, notably the black and Yellow Broadbill, gave them an easy time watching and “shooting“ them. After lunch and a course of stream ecology and other activities brought the camp to a close by 4 p.m. Many of the students remarked that they would like to come again.