Rainforest Discovery

We left Sukau eco lodge after breakfast and got the boat back to Sandakan which took more than 3 hours. After lunch at the old Sabah hotel, we went to the Rainforest Discovery education centre. 

It’s a bit like Singapore’s Botanic Gardens, except there are leaves on the path !!!!

getting on the boat from Sukau to Sandakan

Leaving Sukau lodge

Mum's favorite: Heliconia

There was a rainforest canopy walk and examples of ALL SORTS of tropical flowers, plants, seeds - everything. 

There was also an information building which OF COURSE Mum and I looked at .. for a loooong time!

I learned about  economic plants (to sell and get money for), such as vanilla, cocoa, coffee, tea and the dreaded oil palm. 

Coca Cola is the biggest user of vanilla, and vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron. 

Malaysia is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of oil palm!. It produces 47% of the world’s supply of oil palm. 

I learned about medicinal plants (such as ginger for nausea, garlic as antibiotic, chilli - for lots of things). Australian researchers discovered that people who eat spicy food regularly sleep better. Spicier foods increase your blood flow and make your heart pump and raise your body temperature. in hot climates you sweat and this makes you feel cooler because the sweat evaporates.

Water lilies are another type of aquatic plant, their roots are submerged into the muddy soil  at the bottom of the river or lake (this is “permanently saturated soil) and some float on the top of the water.  

They’ve adapted by having:

• large flat leaves to help them keep afloat.
• air sacs for floatation (just like little kids wear floaties on their arms).
• smaller roots so water can diffuse into the leaves more easily.
• less rigid or stiff stems because the water supports them and takes the weight. It also makes them more flexible. 

I’ve just done a unit on microorganisms at school. I discovered scientists found a new fungus in Sarawak Malaysia in September 2011. They named it after SpongeBob Squarepants - spongiforma squarepantsii. 

And here are photos from the canopy walk. I definitely know about the layers of a rainforest now which Mum says is Year 7 Geography!