Sarawak Biodiversity Center (SBC) celebrates Biodiversity Day every year with a public open house that invites public to come and enjoy the fun moments via various activities that allow public to learn more about biodiversity of Sarawak. This year the SBC celebrates its biodiversity day in conjunction with the international day for biological diversity. The theme this year is “From Agreement to Action : Build Back Biodiversity”.
The Sarawak Biodiversity Center signage.
Organizer : Sarawak Biodiversity Center
Address : Sarawak Biodiversity Center, KM20, Jalan Borneo Heights, Semengoh, 93250 Kuching.
Latitude : 1.3925
Longitude : 110.323056
Open map with : [Waze] [Google Map] [Bing Map] [HERE Map]
Date : 27/05/2023
Time : 8.00am – 5.00pm
Parking space for public : Car park space in Sarawak Forestry Department and in front of Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital. A shuttle car will bring visitor to and from the Sarawak Biodiversity Center.
The whole event is located at a wide open space in the center of the Sarawak biodiversity center. There is various fun and educational booth located around the open space.
The main stage area showcase of various traditional products.
The showcase of a hydraulic oil press machine to produce essential oil from various oil containing plants and seed such as sesame, walnut and almond.
Large information display for the story of sekiu oil.
The large information board on the Sekiu Oil Project.
Given the uniqueness and potential commercial value of Sekiu oil, the Sarawak Biodiversity Center currently had established a benefit sharing agreement with Kampung Jemoreng Hulu and Hilir, Matu and Kampung Penibong Daro on Biodiversity Day at SBC, which is in line with the theme of international Day for Biological Diversity 2023.
The AdenoSara product on display that is based on similiar project like the Sekiu oil project.
The LitSara product on display which is based on essential oil.
R&D Fun and Educational Activities Booths
There is many different booth that is group under Research and Development Fun and Educational Activities.
The focus of the booths is to educate public and younger generations about various fun facts about plants around us. Visitors can involve in quiz and game activity and win some fabulous gift and merchandise.
Visitors gathering around the booths for fun and education.
Let Nature Grow : Plant Cell: Test your Knowledge!, Plant the Seeds For Tomorrow, Plant Transportation System
Visitors can make seed booms that can be plant at home.
Children loves to hands on with the seed bomb making process.
A very interesting section where visitors can hand make seed bombs. Seed bombs are actually a recycled paper that are finely crushed, then mix with various coloring and place seeds within. The seed bomb can be watered and all the seeds will grow from within, breaking out from the paper shell.
Seed bombs that had been bloomed with young seedlings.
A successful blooming seed bomb in hand.
Building Blocks of Biodiversity : Molecule Maker, Meet the Elements!
Visitors are told how plants can effectively absorb dye colored water and change the leaf colors according to the color of dye.
Tiny Friends Around Us : A Closer Look at Mushroom, Microbial Mindbender, Microbiology Escape Room
Mushroom plant on display.
DNA: Data Storage for Living Things : Let’s Isolate DNA, Genetic Detective, Build a Protein
A Scented Journey – Where Each Scent Tells a Story : Essential Oil Density , Calm-Down Vials, Exploring the Scents
Visiting gathering to make a sensory bottle.
Visitors can mix different oil and water with different coloring and scent to create sensory bottles.
Visitors can make Calm-Down Vials or commonly known as sensory bottles where oil and water is mixed together and create an interesting water-oil levels in a bottle. When it is mixed with different coloring and glitters, it appears as a amazing vial of art.
Display of various scent extracted from various plants.
Scents from plants can be extracted for various perfumes and even to be used as insect repellent. Visitors can smell test the scent on display and understand different smell from nature.
Testing the scent of the plants.
Algae: Our Sustainable Hope : Algae in the Ecosystem , Enchanting World of Algae , Algae Lights Up
The poster on the overview of the biofuel production from microalgae.
Microalgae is a very hot topic of discussion in recent era as microalgae fast growing ability and the ability to take in lots ammount of carbon dioxide from the air. With ability to grow large amount of microalgae allow the circular economy of carbon where microalgae takes carbon dioxide to grow with natural sun light and then being extracted as biomass to form oil fuel that can be used by vehicles and air transport. The carbon dioxide cycle will be well contained in a circular economy.
The future of algae big industry poster.
Algae industry is a very big industry as there is various different type of algae around earth that each species have different properties including production of biomass, oil, proteins, and medications. Owed to its fast growing rate, it can be use to mass production and growing.
Visitor can look at the microalgae via the microscope.
Traditional Knowledge Fun and Educational Activities Booths
Exploring Biodiversity and Conservation : Wild Wonders: A Showcase of Interesting Plants and Fascinating Animal Creatures, Nature’s Enigma: Can you Guess the Flora and Fauna?
Various plants and fascinating creatures being showcase at the event including reptiles, snakes, frogs, butterfly and other insects.
Various Snakes, Reptiles and Frogs on display in formalin glass bottle.
Various common and rare insects specimen of Sarawak on display.
There even a specimen of Rajah Brooke’s birdwing butterfly (Trogonoptera Brookiana) on display. It gets its name in honour of the White Rajah of Sarawak, Sir James Brooke.
Various specimen of Centipede, Scorpion, Grass hopper on display.
Various stick-bugs or walking stick insect on display.
Different plants on display.
Different plants on display.
Visitors may stay educated with various posters around the booths which includes information of rare and new species been discover in the Borneon Rainforest. It is a eye opening moment to understand the biodiversity of Sarawak Rainforest.
The posters showcase the biodiversity of the Borneon Rainforest.
Posters on new discover species in Heart of Borneo Sarawak.
The Beauty of Nature : Chromatic Symphony: A Celebration of Colours in Nature
Colours in nature is a interesting section where visitors can understand how to extract colours from plants and seeds. The color can then be used for various activity and project from using as dye or food coloring.
The booth display on various natural colorant that can be extract from plants and seeds.
Dragon Blood is a natural red colorant from rattan species which belongs to the family Daemonorops where it contains dracorhodin. It is a dye that used for coloring of mats and baskets by the locals.
Anthocyanin is a natural blue colorant from butterfly pea. Delphinidin is the main anthocyanin responsible for deep blue to purple color of the flower.
The natural colorant sample on display.
Turmeric is a natural yellow colorant from curcuma longa. Curcumin is a constituent of Turmeric, the dried powdered rhizome of Curcuma Longa. It is commonly use as colouring agent in food.
Chlorophyll is a natural green color food colorant which is best sourced from pandanus amaryllifolius with pandan flavour.
Making artwork coloring on bags.
Various colors being used for plant imprint coloring.
Visitor can involve in plant imprint coloring with various plant stems and leaves. It is a fun activities for kids and family.
Other activities includes Exhibition by various agencies and communities including LitSara® and NatureSara® Gift shop, Range of Natural products from Borneo Rainforest and Guided Tour at SBC Laila Taib Ethnobotanical Garden.
The LitSara booth showcasing various essential oil products.
The botany garden is just beside the pick up and drop off area beside the research lab. The tour guide will guide visitor around explaining various plants on display. Some plants are use for food, some are medicine and some are for making of essential oils.
The walk through the botany garden.
Fruits at the botany garden.
Flowers and fruits in the botany garden.
Guided trekking through SBC Nature Trails
Time : 2.30pm – 3.30pm
Guided trekking through SBC Nature Trails is an interesting experience. The 400 meters Nature Trails beside the Sarawak Biodiversity Center is filled with various trees and herbs. Walking through the nature trails feels like walking into a natural rain forest with amazing tall trees surrounding us.
The guide introduce us to different plants along the trekking trail. Some of the plants can be used as food, while others as medicine. There are plants that local say brings good luck while some plants are to be avoided due to its poisons.
The informative guide tell visitors about amazing facts about plants in the rainforest.
Visitors joining the trekking along SBC Nature Trails and understand the biodiversity in the rainforest.
Overall the SBC Biodiversity Day is an interesting and educative event to join if you have the chance. If you had missed the day to visit the center, you still come the next year and join the SBC Biodiversity Day next year as it is a yearly event.
See you next year !
