Locals to attend botanical workshop on Merimbun
By Azaraimy HH

Part of the beautiful landscape at the Merimbun Heritage Park. Photo: Kassim Ismail, Brunei Museums Department 

The Merimbun Heritage Park in Tutong, annexed in 1984 as one of the ASEAN National Heritage Parks and now as one of the "World Heritage Areas", will be the subject of the "Workshop On Botany" attended by more than 20 participants comprising officers from the museum, forestry and agriculture departments, as well as university students. The workshop is expected to take place from May 27 to June 7, 2003. This is one of the most important and latest scientific studies carried out on the park's magnificent landscape since its annexation in 1984.

However, the natural beauty of Tasek Merimbun has been the focus of conservation and study since 1979 by the Dartington College of Arts and Design, England.

This was followed by Universiti Brunei Darussalam, National University of Singapore, Kagoshima University of Japan, University of Kent, James Cook University and University of New South Wales.

Other institutes of Higher Learning have also conducted various studies on the park. The park, which holds the largest body of black water in the Sultanate and possesses a myriad of natural wonders, has now being given the "World Heritage Areas" status.

Other ASEAN National Heritage parks such as Khao Yai National Park of Thailand, Mulu National Park of Sarawak and Gunong Kinabalu Park of Sabah have also been declared as such.

The status has been awarded based on uniqueness, diversity and outstanding values that deserve the highest recognition, so that their importance as conservation areas would be appreciated regionally as well as internationally.

Sadly, this view has not been shared and enjoyed publicly. This is the rationale behind the Workshop on Botany.

In this context, the purpose of the workshop is to produce and publish a guidebook on the common plants of Tasek Merimbum so as to provide comprehensive information to visitors, students and researchers.

The workshop will cover several techniques of identifying tropical rainforest plant species. Botanical illustrations of the plants are expected to be drawn. Participants will also gather some useful collection techniques on the plant specimens.

Under the guidance of an experienced botanist, participants will identify and show the anatomical and morphological features of the tropical rainforest plants, which is essential in identifying different plant groups.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin