Forest Dweller: A Trip To Penang National Park

Me, Kamal and Nafizah had conducted a trip to Penang National Park with our fellow DBK1A and DBK1B students on 23 - 25 September 2011. It was a very memorable Penang trip that I ever experienced in my entire career. We traveled there by chartered bus because PSA was unable to provide us transport due to unavailability of our varsity's drivers. The journey began at 4.00 p.m. on Friday.

Nafizah, Kamal and Me in front of our coach.

We arrived at Chalet Sportfishing, Persatuan Nelayan Kawasan Teluk Bahang at 10.15 p.m. It was a very calm and peaceful night when we get there. By not wasting the time, I get the keys and distributed it to my students. Me and Kamal found ourselves so sleepy and get into deep nice dream right after.

The next day (24 Sept 2011), in the early morning, Me and my fellow DBK3A have rushing for breakfast. There is no "nasi lemak" stalls in our vicinity. Then we proceed to the junction that Rapid Penang bus used to wait for their early passengers. Fortunately, there are a lot of packed "nasi lemak" available, thanks god. Perhaps today is a very enjoyable day for the three stall owners because of they no need to stay until mid day to clear their "nasi lemak". Why? Me and my pupils have cleared out all available "nasi lemak" for DBK1A and DBK1B.

At 7.30 a.m. I started to distributed those "nasi lemak" to whom just woke up and groomed already. I do enjoyed seeing my students had a very comfortable having breakfast.

From left: Shafika, Wahida, Nora Azli, Syakirin, Safinatunnur, Shafika, Another Shafika and Fatin having a breakfast.

DBK1B beauties having their breakfast.

After having a heavy breakfast, student are gathered at Penang National Park Entrance Office. There Me and Mr. Kamal had briefed our student the "what can we do" and "what we cannot do" while entering the park.

Mr. Kamal briefed our student before entering the park.

Woodtech student in front of Penang National Park Front Office.

After a short brief by Me and Mr. Kamal, our students formed a line exactly in front of the entrance gate.

Aslam from DBK1A lead the line up.

Before the journey begins, I took this chance to snap some photos around the park entrance for commemoration.

Me in front of Penang National Park entrance.

Me and Kamal in front of park entrance.

Then the journey began...

Our first encounter was a Kekatong (Cynometra malaccensis) tree that grow on the steeply ridge which suddenly depressed to the sea level. This species is easily identified by its strongly asymmetric simple leaves. As we can clearly see here, the midrib of the leaves never be at the middle. Here I took a photo of that tree leaves:

Leaves of Cynometra malaccensis.

As we advanced a little bit forward, we can clearly see Kelat Jambu Laut (Syzigium grande) trees that gregariously grow on the more plain and sandy beaches. Many trees of Sygizium grande here have bad-shaped, fluted, crooked or sometimes twisted bole and it is probably caused by strong wind blow from the sea.

A bole of Syzigium grande.

Then, we reached at the junction that lead our way to Pantai Kerachut. As instructed by the signboard post, we must take leaf path to reach the Pantai Kerachut beach.

Me besides the signboard in Penang National Park.

Every single visitors or for those who has a plan to visit Penang National Park, this signboard post is the last point of plain and flat terrain before we begin ascending the more steeply one. Ladies and Gentlemen, lock your 4X4 wheel-drive now! After a breathtaking ascending the hill we met this most magnificent and important species that characterized the hill dipterocarp forest, Shorea curtisii (Seraya) at last. This species tend to be gregariously in ridge.

A regularly fissured Shorea curtisii bole.

As we moved forward, we discovered something that so unique lie in front of us. Something that the students had learned in the class become a reality on this joyful day. What are we discovered is for every single tree of Shorea curtissi, you can clearly see the bertam (Eugeissona triste) grow side-by-side as a couple in love. In forestry, this phenomenon is called "association-segregate". In Penang National Park, there are many association-segregates that form this magnificent hill dipterocarp forest such as Balau Kumus (Shorea laevis) - Damar Hitam pipit (Shorea multiflora) forests, Balau Laut (Shorea glauca) forests, Balau (Shorea spp.) - Keruing (Dipterocarpus spp.) forests and Merpauh (Swintonia spp.) forests. This type of forest also known as forest communities.

Seraya-bertam forest is one of example of "association-segregate" forest communities.

This type of forest community seems to be absent at the upper limit of hill dipterocarp forest and Arenga westerhoutii is found gregariously replacing the Eugeissona triste on the more steeply terrain. But this kind of species did not form association-segregate with Shorea curtisii. At the upper limit of this Symington's famous formation, Shorea curtisii almost absent but Balau (Shorea spp.) starting to be appeared commonly.

A memorable moment with Halim, Hafizal, Bob, Riduan, Hayi and Alif.

Shorea curtisii is an indicator species that characterized the hill dipterocarp forest, but there is another species also tend to be gregarious on the ridge, Hopea beccariana (Merawan Batu). The Hopea beccariana species is easily to identified from it regularly deeply fissured bole and small, ovate, acuminate apex with short slender black petiole and very faintly venation system on both upper and under surface of the leaves. The fissured almost similar to Shorea curtisii but its color more darker.

A regularly deeply fissured of Hopea beccariana bole.

Other species that also join the gregarious community in hill dipterocarp forest at Penang National Park is Ixonanthes reticulata (Inggir Burong). This species is very easily to identified by its fluted and dark-colored bole. Ixonanthes reticulata is quite common on the ridge line along with Shorea curtisii ans almost absent at the upper limit zone.

A never cylindrical bole of Ixonanthes reticulata.

It was a very fascinating and joyful trekking on that day. My student do enjoyed their trip and a cheerful and smiley faces of them make me so proud and enthusiasm to deliver more input.

Cheerful faces of DBK1A.

DBK1A at a small bridge that cross a small stream at the top of the hill.

Another cheerful and joyful moment from DBK1A.

Me and DBK1A took a break at a gazebo to re-energize our body before continuing the journey.

After a short break at a gazebo in the middle of the forest, we continued our walk forward. The next journey will consumed descending terrain that is much more challenging than ascending the hill. The thing that you must be very careful when descending the hill is your knee. Why? Descending the hill makes your knee at fully functioning because of its support the total weight of our body and the join between them will get injured if you step and stomp your feet very hard!

At last, around 3.00 p.m. we arrived at Kerachut beach and my student took this opportunity playing around with sandy beaches and have some resfreshment. We traveled back to our chalet at 4.00 p.m. End of trip. Here a attached some memorable photos to commemorate our trip.

Whitish crowns of Shorea curtisii.

Cankered bole of Monocarpia marginalis (mempisang).

Break at Kerachut beach.

DBK1B served their break at Kerachut beach jetty.

An ex-psa tour guide, Hafizi.

Me in front of large buttresses.

Me besides the "leave no trace principles" signboard.

Me in front of large and spreading buttresses.

Me and Chalet Sportfishing Village caretaker.

Me and my fellow DBK1A students end the trip.

DBK1B enjoys their supper at Chalet Sportfishing Village.

Another unforgetable memory with DBK3A.

Hafizi and Me.

Me and Mr. Kamal

Me stands besides Shorea curtisii bole.

Me besides the Shorea curtisii enormous tree trunk.

Me alone in front of Pantai Kerachut signboard.

Meromictic lake

DBK1A at the Kerachut beach.

A scaly bark of Gluta spp. (Rengas)

A scrolled bark.

A regularly deeply fissured of Shorea curtisii bole.

Whitish crowns of Shorea curtisii indicate the hill dipterocarp forest formation.

Shorea curtisii.

Regularly deeply fissured of Shorea ovata (meranti sarang punai bukit) trunk.

Stilt-roots of Dillenia reticulata (simpoh gajah).

PSA's students at Penang National Park trail.

Conclusively, this is the most fascinating and cheerful trip that I ever had to Penang National Park since the first on June 2010 batch. I really hope I'm bestowed and blessed with a healthy and fit life to deliver Allah's most precious gems to the next generation. Amin.

Remember, there is no victory without sacrifice!