A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Lianas or climbers, rattan whips, decomposed leaves, numerous jungle tree species making up the original forest are preserved in three big vegetation islands within the farm. The strategy is to create a botanic garden around and within the forest environment.

Yesterday I started a new blog named " my Kambatik Botanic Garden". I guess this will be a lifetime adventure. It is something delightful and meaningful to me in order make a statement about the state of agroecological farming I'm developing at my eco-farm here in Bintulu.

Over the five years that I spent developing the eco-farm, I've always thought of making it an example of a sustainable oil palm cultivation business. What more to glorify it if not for the fact that along the way I can develop a botanic garden within the original habitat out of which the farm slowly evolved. Thus grew the idea of a botanic garden within a forest.

The blog will document the different species that were there originally and those that I introduced. Today, while making out a section of the mid-hill footpath at the vegetation island no.1, and trying to get pictures of the Caladium bicolour ( Angel's Wings) something dropped down from the canopy of leaves above. A tiny black bird was hopping desperately and trying to take flight but couldn't because it was too young to fly. I got hold of the bird in my right palm and there it was to my surprise, two startling red eyes caught me close and personal.

I think it is rare to catch a red-eyed starling bird. Today I consider myself lucky . Isn't it not what people say, " A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". Just like the idea of the botanic garden, to have one at my own backyard is worth more than just dreaming about it. What more could I ask?

A special attraction of the botanic garden will be a heliconia collection, besides collection of fruit trees, herbal and medicinal plants, landscaping plants ( interior, roadside, residential, edible), fernery, etc.,.