Borneo Bound - Danau Girang Field Centre

After Sandakan, we piled into vans before getting on boats again, headed for the remote field station, Danau Girang Field Centre.

One of the current research projects is studying Monitor Lizards. The pictures on the right show the traps and bait. The pictures on the bottom left show the landscape, much of which has been cleared. The pictures on the top right are a sampling of shots I took of an on-the-spot Palm Civet autopsy. Although the researches we were with are studying Monitor Lizards, there is another researcher who is studying Palm Civets. So, these researchers took time and used their supplies to gather data for a colleague. Teamwork!

Part of coursework included a self-guided study. My group chose to study butterfly diversity. Here is a sample of the species we saw. I will follow up with another post once I can confirm species names. One of the best parts of the study was watching Ben chase butterflies with the net.

We were offered the opportunity to climb a rather tall ladder at dawn to experience time in the treetops early in the morning. I jumped at the chance, of course. Oriental Pied-Hornbills crossed the river and flew out of sight. Squirrels ran busily around the branches. But, still it was calm.

This, of course, it just a sample of the things I saw and experienced here. I would be happy to regale you with stories in person. But, more than that, I recommend getting out there for your own adventures!