Weekend Chillin: Biology Field Trip

Last Friday's Biology lesson was the best in my life as a Biology student. We didn't stare at the biological terms in blue ink on the white board, nor did we end up with another experiment failure, but we went to the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to learn about sampling techniques. Although I first found myself groaning at the fact that sampling is a technical procedure, which is something that I despise the most in Science, but there was a little excitement in me to join the field trip to have a better understanding in my future course - environmental science. Plus, I need more information for my university application. I admit, the trip was ~~pretty fun~~, scratch that; it was perhaps the most interesting class I ever had.

I had been to FRIM twice with my family, just for leisure purposes. Well, FRIM is quite a run-down place and due to this, I had the impression that FRIM is merely an ordinary forest reserve place with not much activities around. I didn't know that the personnels and university students constantly do research in this institute. Well, now I know.

Being someone who has been going for jungle walks countless times, I wore my usual jungle attire - giant-sized shirt, shorts, socks and a good pair of sports shoes. By the way, I bought a new pair of shoes just for the trip simply because my old ones are worn-out and are about do disappoint me. However, I didn't expect to be welcomed by the huge and fat mosquitoes who were sucking my blood with delight. I counted, I had around 40 mosquito bites on both my legs. To top it all off, I fortunately stepped into a red ants nest, only to find the colony climbing up my legs, biting me. Hello, nature.

Speaking about attire, I had a good laugh at my friends who wore sandals to the forest. I mean, that trip had a little of jungle-trekking sort of walk. No offense, though.

We were divided into 3 groups and were given demonstration on bat sampling, plant sampling and insect sampling.

FRIM personnel explaining about bat sampling.

Us, reckless students setting up our bat trap.

Our personnel's trap had 3 bats, cute ones. They looked harmless but I doubt that. Anyway, the little bag there is to keep the bats in it.

Weighing, measuring and determining the gender of the bats.

Equipments needed for plant sampling.

Tagging the tree.

Leaves are important for us to identify the species and their characteristics.

There are 3 ways to collect the leaves. 1st, using a pole. 2nd, climbing the tree to get the leaves. 3rd, use a wooden slingshot to shoot the leaves (pic). If a tree is too tall for us to get the leaves, we have to identify the leaf by looking at the fallen leaves around the tree and choose the common ones.

Insect sampling: An insect hut/trap. Dig a hole in the ground, deep enough to fit a cup in it. Hang a dung over the cup with a large leaf covering it to attract the insects, especially dung beetles. The leaf is to prevent the dung from drying up fast.