In Nature's Name

Chestnut Bellied Malkoha / Cenuk Kecil, Lowland forest, Kemensah, 11/04/10 3:00pm.


I USED to hate those moments when the words we look for don't come easy, but not anymore. There is an image I could use to substitute for the lack of words, such as... a bird, an animal or something. For then I could say for example that it has red patch around the eye almost like a mask. It's whole body shine with dark gloss and sporting a green mouth (bill). And the tail is long, looking flamboyant. Now that is boring down the detail. It's all show and tell. What about its behaviour? What's it doing? Is it jumping about in the tree looking for insects? If it is, then why is it doing that? To eat it, you might say, birds have dinners too. Any more questions? Yes, where did you see it? On a tree. Was it a big tree? Yes, it was - the bird was high up. Really high, eh? Yea, quite high up... and I didn't expect to find it just behind someone's home! O there ere homes too? Were there alot of trees behind those homes? Absolutely, but damn it, why do you even ask these questions when you already know them?

If one considers oneself to be a nature lover, then those questions would be similar to the ones one would have asked. Questions help me to open my eyes and take some time to appreciate nature a little bit more. And from here on, people's appreciation of nature will gradually touch the lives of other people and create awareness about the nature of living things on our planet, including ourselves.

We can do for nature veritable good with just a simple act of appreciation. An act as small as a kind thought for a single creature can mean its continued survival and life. Otherwise, we may unknowingly disrupt the fragile web of life and upset someone. In the case of say a single bird, it can mean alot, for a bird alone may hunt thousands of insects within just a few weeks to feed its family. Imagine a few of them stop doing it a few days and the insects that accumulate will be enough to convince us of the obvious. That is why it is so important for us to maintain some degree of balance that nature needs. And since we are in it forever, then it also makes alot of sense for us to do our part.

We don't expect to go with guns ablaze, or prevent many ills, but rather with unflinching inhibition and pure compulsion. Oops. I'll explain that later.