Let’s Get You Started with #GrowMeToKnowMe
Thinking about saving the planet and don’t know where to start?
Start with a small potted plant.
From 18 October to 17 November 2014, we are giving away 1000 plants in conjunction with our Grounbreaking Ceremony. To kickstart it, 200 plants were given away during the ceremony itself and followed by 20 plants each day at our souvenir outlet. More plants will be up for grabs at our booths during the Rock to Rock Run 2014 at Hard Rock Hotel Penang, at the Penang International Science Fair 2014 and during other events that we will be participating.
These are seedlings of nectar plants and food plants to several species of butterflies and we invite you to grow them in your own home. This is part of our responsibility as an eco-warrior and while we do our part, you will all be rewarded by the sight of “beautiful treasures of nature” fluttering around your backyard.
With this plant you may take part in the #GrowMeToKnowMe contest and stand a chance to win a Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 instant camera.
Here are the easy steps on how you can join the contest:
1. Snap a photo of your growing plant and post it on Instagram
2. Include a creative caption and identify the plant
3. Hashtag #GrowMeToKnowMe
4. Lastly, do not forget to tag us @penangbutterflyfarm
The lucky winners will be notified at the end of the campaign.
To make it a little bit easier, these are the packages where the seeds came from:
Other seeds are, sunflowers, African Marigold, Giant Zinnia, Sweet Basil and Balsam.
Now that you got your clues, it is just a matter of time until your plant grows at the right size for you to identify it.
Remember, changing the world doesn’t need to start with a grand gesture. Let’s change the world together, one plant at a time.
And don’t forget to get updates on our other social media sites about this campaign!
Posted in Climate Change, Events & Workshops, Mother Nature, Plants & Flowers, Promotions |
#GrowMeToKnowMe
First, we have a plant pot.
Then, we planted some love.
Out came the plants.
You might be asking by now, “What are these plants for?”
3 more days to go until we explain ourselves. For now, we are just too excited.
You should be too!
Posted in Latest News, Mother Nature, Plants & Flowers |
#GrowMeToKnowMe
#GrowMeToKnowMe
Something green is coming your way…
8 more days to go…
Stay tuned-in on our Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin to know more.
Posted in Latest News, Mother Nature, Plants & Flowers, Promotions |
10 Acts of Green Towards Earth Day
The 10 Acts of Green by Penang Butterfly Farm is our contribution to a bigger environmental cause by the Earth Day Network, “A Billion Acts of Green ®”. It is also a leap forward to the realization of our vision, “Seeing harmony between human and the environment…”
One act of kindness each day up until Earth Day 2014 which falls on the 22nd of April. Some acts were adopted for long term, just because we truly care…
This Earth-friendly poster was made with recycled plastic bag, old newspaper, yarn and dry leaves.
Employees spent a few minutes to sign-up as Penang Green Citizens. As a Green Citizen, they pledge to, save water, conserve energy, support the No-Smoking initiative, reduce plastic bag usage, stop open burning, stop littering, reduce carbon footprint, cut down the use of polystyrene food containers, help to create a caring society and orbserve the 3Rs- reduce, reuse and recycle.
Everyone were encourage to bring their own food containers when “taking-away” food and reduce the use of plastic bottles by bringing their own water tumblers.
Inside our offices, we observe at least 1 hour a day to turn-off all air-conditioning units and turn-off lights when not in use. Save the planet and save electricity at the same time!
We went out with our brooms and dustpans to clean-up the surrounding.
Lessen the traffic jam and at the same time, save fuel. Carpool is definitely cool.
We are going organic. By doing so, it enhances the “ecosystem” by providing habitat to more variety of natural creatures and soil-dwelling organisms.
With the help of the tropical sunshine and some generously scattered rain throughout the following months, we hope to reap a good harvest soon.
We conducted an online campaign to encourage the public to create a little patch of greenery in their backyard to attract “green heroes” like butterflies, bees and birds. 
Let’s reduce our waste and recycle.
Everyday, our recycle bins and shack are open for our employees to bring in their recycled materials.
All the recycled items are then donated to SIMA Handicapped Centre.
And finally, in celebration of Earth Day, our visitors were given the chance to create art from trash!
So, what are your acts of green?
Posted in Climate Change, Events & Workshops, Mother Nature |
Hydrogen oxide
Water = H2O, a very simple formula but it is one of the most essential element to all living organisms. A drop of water can save a life!
source: http://www.readingscripture.org/
This August, a water conservation event will be held in Stockholm, Sweden which is the World Water Week. This event has been hosted and organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1991. It has since been an annual event for the global water issues. This year’s theme is Water and Food Security. The objective of this World Water Week is to work on a few of global issues related to water such as the effect of climate change to the earth’s water volume, the water scarcity issue especially in Middle East and as well as sanitation and hygiene crisis. Most of the collaborating organizations will gather in this event to assess activities and launch new initiatives and reports. For more information on this event, please log on to www.worldwaterweek.org.
According to this organization’s research, water actually has multiple purposes such as maintaining ecosystem balancing and act as a sink to dissolve chemical and biological substances. Global warming puts pressure upon water crisis, as water consumption is highly influenced by temperature. When the surrounding temperature gets higher, the more water will be used up to cool ourselves. On the other hand, the food crisis is an alarming world issue, as there is about 1 billion people still experiencing hunger and malnourishment, while overeating and obesity are on the rise. SIWI estimated that 1.5 billion people are overeating and 400 million are obese. This will cause ‘unnecessary’ pressure on both fertile land and water.
So, how does water function in our life? Why is water so important?
Water is important for food crops production – our major source of food. 1500 liters of water is needed to produce just 1 kilogram of grain. The existence of our protein source – fishes also depend on water to survive. Forests which provide us numerous resources also need water to supply the life of flora and fauna. Besides that, the electricity that we use comes from water, because water is an excellent, cheap, renewable and pollution-free source of energy to generate electricity.
Other than that, water helps our bodies to remove toxins in many different ways through perspiration and urination. This is why doctors always advice us to drink enough water daily. Adequate amount of water will lessen the burden on our kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products. Every one of us needs water and even the other organisms like animals and plants. An organism doesn’t need to be told how important water is to their existence. A frog knows that it has to lay eggs in the water and so does dragonflies.
source: http://www.amditechnology.com/2011/05/tips-to-save-water.html
Although water covers more than 70% of the Earth; only 1% of the water is available as a source of drinking. Yet, our society continues to contaminate this precious resource. Typically, when the water supply is ample, we tend to use it carelessly and waste a lot of water. But our daily routines are interrupted when there is water shortage. It is almost impossible to do anything like bathing, drinking, cooking and cleaning. The day without water causes a lot of pains. However, a day without water will only makes us realize the importance of water.
source: http://oilygulf.wordpress.com/quotes/
The practice of saving water should begin now, even when we have all the supplies we need. Here are some tips:
- Don’t run the washing machine unless you have the full load. You can save approximately 3785 liters of water a month if you start practicing this step.
- Fix the faucet and leakage, so you can stop water dripping from the pipe and this small drip can waste up 35 liters in a day.
- Harvest rain water to wash the drain of your house or to water your garden.
- Turn off the tap water while brushing your teeth or while applying the soap to your hand. This simple little act can save 95 liters a month.
- Take short shower, challenge yourself to have a shower within 5 minutes. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 567 liters per month. Always choose to shower instead of a bath.
- Don’t wash the vegetables under the running tap. Instead, soak it in a container and try to reuse the water for cleaning the lawn or watering the plant.
- If you accidentally drop ice cubes from the freezer, don’t throw it to the sink. Drop them in a house plant.
- Monitor your water bill every month for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are the tools to help you discover any leaks.
Our nature, our future!
source: http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday
Posted in Climate Change, Mother Nature |
Goodbye, George.
Painted Jezebel, July 10, 2012
“On 1 December 1971, (Hungarian) snail biologist, József Vágvölgyi & his wife Maria were on Pinta when they came face to face with a giant tortoise. ‘The tortoise was walking slowly when he first encountered him but withdrew into his shell with a loud hiss as we moved closer to take his picture’, Vagvolgyi recalled. ‘He soon relaxed and resumed his walk.’ ” – from Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of the World’s Most Famous Tortoise by Henry Nicholls
Source: nowpublic.com
24 June 2012 was a sad day for the environmentalist, scientists, turtle fans around the globe when the infamous Lonesome George was found dead. Lonesome George was estimated to be 100 years old, though he could be younger or maybe older. Not a soul can precisely sure. Despite many conservation efforts to find him the right mate, this last surviving Pinta Giant Tortoise did not leave any offspring to sustain his subspecies. Our world witnessed yet another extinction right before our eyes.
George must have been through so much the last 100 years. If George could speak, I’m sure he has many stories to tell. From how Pinta Island was when he first hatch, to the day he was spotted walking alone by József Vágvölgyi.
What George must have seen the last 100 years?
Source: avaxnews.com
George might have seen his beautiful Pinta Island untouched with plenty of food to eat and probably some tortoise a lot bigger than him. He must have watched whalers and seamen slaughtering his seniors and start wondering why. Back then, maybe he was much smaller and faster, so they missed him. Or maybe seeing the massacre, he went into hiding. But he sure is one lucky tortoise to survive those merciless act.
George must have felt puzzled to see some furry, 2-horned creature making unusual sounds who are eating his food. Maybe he never knew they were called Feral Goats and had his own name for them… like Lucifer? And George must have noticed that day after day, there’s more and more of them. And must have realized that it gets harder to find food.
On the 1 December 1971, while walking around probably in search of a friend and some food, George must have been very frightened to see two humans in his homeland. He must have thought they were so similar to the beings who were slaughtering his kind. He mustn’t have expected that this incident leads to the many efforts to keep him & his kind alive.
George must have felt really confused and was full of questions when he was taken to the Charles Darwin Research Center. He probably to finally meet other similar looking creatures (if he knew how he looked like). George must have seen so many flashlights & hearing ooh’s and aah’s while he was there. He must have met many celebrities but didn’t know who they were.
But above all that, George must have been searching all his life for that perfect female partner. Maybe he did and she died. He must have been wondering where are the rest of his kind. In the midst of the crowd, he must be wondering if he really is the only one in the world. George must have felt lonely.
Source: Wikipedia
Are the Pinta Giant tortoise gone forever?
Ever since Lonesome George was found, people had been putting huge effort to find a female Pinta Giant Tortoise. The government of Ecuador had also announced that $10,000 will be rewarded to the person who can get female for George. Till the day he died, a pure-bred female was never found. However, researchers believe that there may still be Pinta Giant Tortoise out there, or at least the hybrids of them, because they might have interbred in the Isabella Island. But with the current environmental destruction, pollution and climate change, could these remaining tortoises survive for long?
Lonesome George has always been the world’s conservation icon, reminding us be alert & care for our mother nature. His death should not mean the end of this message. In fact, his story will forever be an echoing reminder to mankind. We might only be able to hope for a miracle for this subspecies, but one thing for sure, we still have time to save other endangered species around us.
Source: toonaripost.com
Farewell, George. You will always have a special place in our hearts.
Posted in Mother Nature, Reptiles |
Blessing in Disguise
What is ‘Camouflage’ ?
The word ‘Camouflage’ which originates from French which means ‘disguise’ or ‘concealment from disguise’ has been in use since the early 20th century. The one and only thing that revolves around the real life is the art of survival. Thus, the usage of bio-mimicry among organisms has become an important mechanism to avoid exposure. By camouflaging, animals blend with their natural surroundings to a level where their presence is almost undetectable. Insects too come under these category of organism where blending occurs via the change of phenotypes (body colours and shapes). Some insects have unusual patterns genetically which makes it impossible for us to see its body shape against a background. On the other hand, some insects have body structures which carry the resemblance of objects present in their environment such as leaves, branches, sticks, flowers and tree bark. This mechanism has been known to be one of the most profound method used by animals and insects to protect themselves from possible predators.
The art of camouflaging fall into three categories:
a) Crypsis – Act of blending in with their surrounding
b) Mimesis – Resemblance of the objects around their environment
Now, since you have received some informational dose on the basic information related to camouflaging, it’s now time to introduce to you the ‘Phantom’of the insect kingdom! Yes! We are referring to the insects that camouflage themselves.
Now that you have met the “Phantom” of the insect kingdom, who said insects do not play tricks on us? Well, they do! They always did! And they always will in the name of survival of the fittest. Hope you learnt a lot from the post today.!
Posted in Insects, Mother Nature |
Invasive Alien Species: Biodiversity’s Threat.
Painted Jezebel, April 13, 2012
How many of you have this images in your head when ‘invasive alien species’ is mentioned?
Now an alien from outer space may be fascinating, but in our environment today, invasive alien species are being a problem to our biodiversity. These ‘aliens’ are not exactly short green and big-headed creatures from planet X, but rather, familiar animals and plants being at the wrong place.
What is invasive alien species?
Modernization has allowed human to bring organisms into places where they are not found. For example a Malaysian beetle being brought into South America. When any non-native are introduced to an ecosystem to where they have no (or not enough) predators, they become dominant in the environment. They are called invasive alien species. Many of them disrupt the population of the local species and affect the habitats they invade.
How do they affect the environment?
Because invasive alien species do not have effective predators and survive well in the new environment, their population becomes out of control. This becomes the big problem to the food chain in that habitat. If they feed on plant, plants will be devastated. If they feed on other local animals, they drive these local species to extinction. If they are plants, they compete for nutrient & sunlight with local plants. Many alien species carry and spread germs that harms the local species.
Example of these aliens?
The Story of Feral Goats in Pinta Island
The Pinta Island, a member of the Galapagos Island host many unique species such as giant tortoises, marine iguana and fur seals. The beautiful place became an environmental nightmare when feral goats and other animals were introduced into the island by pirates. Feral goats impacted the vegetation badly by clearing off plants, leaving no food for the Pinta Giant Tortoises. So badly, that there is ONLY LAST KNOWN Pinta Giant Tortoise left in the world, named Lonesome George. He is now kept in Charles Darwin Research Center in Santa Cruz Island. Intensive efforts are being made to hopefully find Lonesome George a partner before it is too late for this subspecies.
Feral Goat. Source: Tree Of Life Web Project http://tolweb.org/Capra_hircus/51070
The Story of Yellow Crazy Ants in Christmas Island.
The Christmas Island’s ecology is another victim to invasive species. Ever since the yellow crazy ant was accidentally introduced, Christmas Island was never the same again. As the name suggest, these ants become erratic and turns into complete crazies when they are disturbed. These crazy ants feeds on wide variety of food including seeds, grains, decaying matter, vertebrate corpses but worse of all, arthropods. These ants are capable of attacking arthropods like insects and crabs, and dragging them into their colony. The Christmas Island’s red ground crabs are often the victim of these ants. Because the crabs has an annual migration, their movement disturb ant colonies, which resulted in huge red crab massacre. They have killed 30% of the initial crab population, which is about 20 million crabs! Studies has also shown that many other wildlife in Christmas Island had reduced in population numbers ever since the yellow crazy ants invaded.
Yellow crazy ants dragging away a lizard. Source: Wikepedia.
That’s not just it
These are just 2 of the many stories of invasive alien species. There are many more known trouble makers, around the world such as the Asian Carp in America, Burmese pythons, Zebra mussels, Lion fish, Africanized bees and Cane toads. Not forgetting rats that has invaded many-many parts of the world, and carry deadly diseases. One of it was the Black Death, where the plague killed 30-60% of Europe’s people between 1348-1350. European rabbits are known to be a great devastator to Australian, where 24 rabbits released in 1859 had multiplied to 600 million in 1937. They ate up vegetations, removed topsoil and threatened local species.
Invasive alien species has indeed been a serious problem to our biodiversity. Based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 20,435 species of plants and animals are affected by invasive species, including 801 that was declared extinct. These stories should be a lesson to mankind on the importance of preserve how nature has been placed. These are also lessons to us to realize how small things lead to big problem. There’s always a reason and purpose for different things to be at their designated habitat and environment. Nature has always been the smart one 🙂
To know more about what’s going on with Biodiversity, including other threats to the environment and endangered animals, head over to Penang Butterfly Farm’s Biodiver-City hall in the indoor exhibition area 🙂Posted in Mother Nature |
Love is in the air~
Painted Jezebel, February 14, 2012
Valentine’s Day is here once again. It’s the time of the year when you’ll get to see more roses, teddy bears, nicely wrapped chocolates and everywhere seems themed with cupids and heart shapes. Men planning their words and acts for romantic dates while women are all doll up for it. All these effort in courting done to impress partners are surprisingly happening to not only us human beings, but to insects too!
Smell good to look good
Many insects are known to release some kind of ‘perfume’ to them, called pheromone. Male butterflies are known to release pheromone to signal their presence to a female they pursue. We humans may not know how they smell like, but perhaps to the female butterflies, they smell like one of those Hugo Boss perfume.
As for moths, the females release their ‘Chanel No.5’ and the male who caught the scent will pursue her. Sometimes it’s a race between males, since whoever found the lady first, he’ll win her. In some species, the males, with their specialized antennae are able to track them from as far as 2 kilometres. Girls, you might want to ask the moths for some perfume selection tips.
What you see is what you get
The sight is one important feature or channel for insects to find their mate. Male butterflies will flutter around and when he recognize the patterns the female of their kind, they will proceed to their next move.
source: anneofcarversville.com
Visual signals are important to fireflies in finding their mate. The males will be flying around, flashing the ‘light bulb’ on their abdomen. Each species displays different flash patterns or pulses. The females are known to be picky and would only respond to flashes that attract her most. Outer appearance matters to some beetles, particularly the females (sounds familiar?). Male beetles are usually the more striking looking ones compared to females because of this. And usually the females will choose the ones with most striking colours or bigger spots or brilliant pattern.
Songs and serenade
source: sunsetwestproductions.com
There’s a big reason why you hear crickets breaking silence with their chirps. They’re not just for sound effects, but that’s their bait for a mate. The male cricket chirps for attention and any captivated females would come approaching. While mosquitoes’ buzz maybe the most irritating sound to hear in bed but apparently its what they need to win a partner. In this interesting courtship, the male and female mosquitoes hum in different frequency, where male have higher one. Once they found each other, the females will increase her frequency, while the male lowers his. This frequency adjustment is made until at one point, they reach a perfect harmony.
Presents!
And you thought you’re the only one who enjoys getting presents?
source: accessscience.com
To win the ladies, a male hangingfly needs to get her the perfect gift. Not flower bouquets, or chocolates, but he will have to catch a prey (usually insects and spiders) and present it to her. If she likes the meal, she’ll mate with him and if she doesn’t she’ll refuse. Apparently, the bigger the meal is, the more attractive it is. So we humans are not the only creatures who enjoy a nice meal for a date.
So you think you can dance?
If you’re a person who thinks that a good dancer is a good charmer, then you’re not the only one. Many butterflies perform, what we call a ‘courtship dance’ before they copulate. The male butterflies would fleet near his target and start fluttering right above her in special patterns. If the female is interested, she will then join him in the dance. We’re not sure what are her criteria for a romantic dance, faster shuffling or graceful moves or robotic dance. Whatever it is, when she said ‘I do’, together, they will flutter around before finding a sheltered spot to mate.
So, got some ideas of how to impress your partners tonight? Hopefully these bugs have not only inspired some romantic performance for today, but also help us appreciate our wonderful nature as we learn from them. Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
Posted in Insects, Mother Nature |
Malaysia Day Special: Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing
Painted Jezebel, August 19, 2011
Trogonoptera brookiana, or more commonly known as the Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing, was first described in 1855 by a British naturalist, Alfred R. Wallace in Borneo.
Alfred Russel Wallace
He named the species in honour of James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak. Up till today, this beautiful butterfly species is commonly known as the Rajah Brooke’s birdwing or The Rajah Brooke’s butterfly.
Sir James Brooke
The Rajah Brooke’s birdwing belongs to the group of butterflies in the family Papilionidae known as the ‘birdwings’ particularly because of their outstandingly big size, pointed wings and their bird-like flight. Apart from that, their resting state posture is unlike other butterflies. Here, this photo would explain it better than me:
The difference between the resting posture of birdwings and other butterflies.
The Rajah Brooke’s birdwing expresses sexual dimorphism, which means the male and female butterfly look different from one another.
The males need to sip in mineral-rich water, as they require sodium and potassium to activate their adult behaviour. Therefore, they are often seen congregating at riverbanks and mud puddles.
In the early years after its discovery, the encounter with the female Rajah Brooke’s birdwing is very rare, that it was thought that the ration between male and female is 1000:1. However, this is untrue. The females tend to fly at higher canopy, therefore minimizing the chance for its encounter.
The Rajah Brooke’s birdwing is one of the most promoted butterflies, particularly here in Malaysia as it is our National Butterfly. Visit Penang Butterfly Farm to see this beautiful ‘King’ live, right before your eyes! And don’t forget your camera!
Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Mother Nature |