It is indeed heartening to see a gradual increase in family participation in MNS trips. As children are most receptive to nature education, their participation in MNS trips will expose them early to the beauty of nature so that the public in general will have a greater awareness of nature. It will thus guide them towards wholesome outdoor activities and live healthy lifestyles later. This trip saw the presence of 8 children, thanks to their right-thinking parents. The Sia family came all the way from Sitiawan and waited for the convoy with a wooden MNS sign - good thinking!
For the uninitiated, the morning stroll through the rustic Pos Slim orang asli settlement at the start of our trek must have provided an insight into the simple lifestyle of the settlers. Despite their basic living amenities, the orang asli children seem to be the most happy and carefree lot.
Beautiful red-coloured, wild ginger flowers sprouted vibrantly from the forest floor. Shady clumps of towering bamboo, thorny rattan plants and spiny bertam palms were among the myriad species of evergreen flora which lined the hilly trail to welcome the trekkers as they laboured to compete for the sun's energy. Melodious bird calls and insect sounds heard along the trail revealed the rich fauna of the surrounding forest. Maybe the birders should come and check this place out! In spite of the steep incline on the first stretch of the forest trail all participants trekked at their own pace to reach the destination successfully where they were well rewarded with a tranquil and scenic natural setting. Here a cool, crystal-clear mountain stream flowed into a few pools which was a welcome relief to everyone who have experienced the current heat wave. The Chairman noted the presence of a gesneriad, probably a Cyrtandra, growing on the rocks beside the stream. It has large serrated leaves (about 14-16 inches long and 10 inches wide in the bigger plants), yellow tubular flowers and numerous small light green seed capsules in the axils. The juvenile plants look like Chirita caliginosa. Another interesting plant was a tall begonia (about two and half feet tall) with narrow leaves, dark red stems and white flowers (please refer to homepage for colour photos).
The trip leader gave the signal to go home at 12 noon. On the way back the Chairman who was the last to leave missed all the screams and the antics of the group going down arguably the longest slide. "Walk sideways like a crab" one father advised his son!
Chairman's Notes: "On the way back my wife and I stumbled on to more gesneriads which are slightly different from the ones I have seen previously and one without flowers so it is difficult to confirm whether they were the same. The most interesting discovery was a ground orchid which had diamond-shaped palm-like leaves growing among the dry bamboo leaves. Three inflorescences were seen but two have passed their prime and were wilting. I took a number of shots so I hope to put it on the web and have it identified. Leong Tuck Lock and I have tentatively identified the begonia as B. tricornis (3 horns) as the fruit has no wings and only 3 protusions which probably gave it the scientific name. According to Henderson it is the only begonia in Malaysia that does not have wings on the fruits (seed pods)."