Michael Goe Guang Jian The Star 6 Jul 10;
Echoes of Life: Sungai Pulai And Beyond
Author: Vincent K.K. Chow
Publisher: MPH Group Publishing, 212 pages
IF you want to know more about one of the most beautiful natural places in Malaysia, then Echoes of Life is the book for you.
The author Vincent K.K. Chow reveals the natural wonders of Sungai Pulai Forest Reserve, Pulau Merambong and Merambong seagrass meadow, all found in south-west Johor. With the book, a collaboration between the Port of Tanjung Pelepas and Malaysian Nature Society Johor, the author aims to educate people about the importance of conserving the natural environment of these places.
Echoes Of Life reveals some of the amazing and unusual flora and fauna found in these habitats – from the many species of crabs and mudskippers that scurry through the mudflats to the endangered seahorse that makes its home in the seagrass bed, and diverse mangrove flora ranging from great mangrove trees to smaller plants like ferns.
On the island of Merambong, you will learn about how rocks on the island’s coasts were formed and about sealife living at the fringes of the island, such as seaweeds, marine worms, starfish and sea cucumbers. Offshore, there’s the wondrous seagrass meadow, an expansive underwater forest that brims with life, including seahorses, pipefish and seaweeds.
The book also gives us insight into the lifestyle of the Seletar people, or sea gypsies, who depend on the mangrove forest for food and other resources; sadly, modernisation is threatening their livelihood. Charcoal is produced from the mangrove timber but its production is declining because of dwindling forests.
The sea gypsies have several methods of finding food in the mangroves. These include ibau picking and empangan (dam) fishing. The picking of ibau shellfish involves looking for the breathing holes of the bivalve which lives deep in the soft mud. The collector then digs through the holes in order to get to the ibau, before washing it and checking if it is broken (for fear of contamination).
The people resort to empangan fishing when other fishing methods yield low catches. A net is set up in an inlet during high tide. Fish and crustaceans that swim through the inlet are trapped by the net at low tide. Small sections of the inlet are blocked, one length at a time, before the water is stirred, forcing the marine life to surface for air. They are then hand-picked from the water.
The book contains few words but makes up for it with many beautiful pictures; they are breathtakingly real, such as the photos of the endangered mangrove pitta and flat-headed cat.
This book presents plenty of interesting facts about mangroves and seagrass meadows, and reminds us that the first step in conservation is learning about the environment that we wish to conserve. From this book, I learn to better appreciate mangroves. We must all conserve our natural environments because they provide safe havens for many endangered species and for migratory species like terns and ospreys. They also provide resources for the local people, like food, charcoal and building supplies, which will all decrease if the environment is degraded.
The information in this book is well presented. All in all, a great book to read, especially if you are a nature lover.