For the first 19 days I have been on project in the Maliau Basin Conservation Area. My group is made up of 7 venturers and 3 VM's or Venture Managers. We have been one of the luckiest groups as Maliau Basin is an exclusive project no one else will be able to participate in. We also are among the first 2000 people to actually enter this secluded rainforest!
Our work mainly focused on constructing and repairing the bridges on their jungle walks using Belian Wood, one of the hardest in the world, and heaviest as we discovered!
Working alongside the really friendly rangers while learning Malay I carried hundreds of planks and beams, sawed wood, hammered in nails, measured lengths and dug foundations! We also scrubbed clean 27 informative signs about the plants along the "Knowledge Trail".
We finished a total of 7 bridges some bigger than others. As we had finished with time to spare the rangers took us on a trek further into the basin, to " Ginseng Camp" where we helped them get it back into a more homely place and bathed in a jungle waterfall!
I have seen all kinds of wildlife such as monkeys, black squirrels, mouse deer, barking deer, samba deer, black scorpions, snakes, and hundreds of butterflies, moths, flies, cicadas and mozzies. The plant life is also incredible, with tall trees, lianas, strangling figs, vines and moss everywhere!
I have developed my team work and leadership skills and bonded with the rest of the team, making friends and useful contacts for the future!
Our work mainly focused on constructing and repairing the bridges on their jungle walks using Belian Wood, one of the hardest in the world, and heaviest as we discovered!
Working alongside the really friendly rangers while learning Malay I carried hundreds of planks and beams, sawed wood, hammered in nails, measured lengths and dug foundations! We also scrubbed clean 27 informative signs about the plants along the "Knowledge Trail".
We finished a total of 7 bridges some bigger than others. As we had finished with time to spare the rangers took us on a trek further into the basin, to " Ginseng Camp" where we helped them get it back into a more homely place and bathed in a jungle waterfall!
I have seen all kinds of wildlife such as monkeys, black squirrels, mouse deer, barking deer, samba deer, black scorpions, snakes, and hundreds of butterflies, moths, flies, cicadas and mozzies. The plant life is also incredible, with tall trees, lianas, strangling figs, vines and moss everywhere!
I have developed my team work and leadership skills and bonded with the rest of the team, making friends and useful contacts for the future!