CANCELLED due to COVID-19
Discover new species of wildlife in Borneo with the Taxon Expeditions
与科学家一起在婆罗洲发现新物种
27 September – 6 October 2020, Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei
You don’t have to be a biologist! Anyone with a heart for nature, biodiversity, and conservation is welcome to join us in Borneo on an adventure for science! 无论您是不是生物学家，只要有颗热爱大自然及生物多样性的心，我们都欢迎您加入我们婆罗洲的科学探索行！
Travel to Borneo and immerse yourself in wild nature while at the same time learning from our experts and discovering new species. The cherry on the top? You get to name them yourself and publish your findings in top-notch scientific journals! Get ready for an adventure of a lifetime!
Taxon Expeditions offer a unique experience in the forests of Brunei for the untrained biodiversity enthusiast, with experts teaching you the tricks of the trade of discovering, naming, and describing new species. You will enter the jungle with bug nets and jars, and emerge with previously unknown creepy-crawlies that you get to name yourselves in top-notch scientific journals.
这是个在北婆罗洲文莱的原始热带雨林中独一无二的体验！Taxon Expeditions 让未受过培训的博物爱好者与分类专家们一起发现，并学习各种分类，命名，和报告新物种的技巧。您将会与专家们一起带着虫网和采集罐进入森林和溪流，带着从未发现过的物种出来自己命名，并可以在顶尖的科学期刊中和专家们一起发表报告。
What can you expect 特色:
- Doing real research with real scientists （与真正的科学家进行真正的研究）
- Lectures and hands-on field research （讲座和现场实地调研）
- Discover and name your own new species （发现并为自己发现的新物种命名）
- DNA analysis in the field using nanopore technology （使用新纳米技术在现场进行DNA分析）
- Work in a scientific laboratory （在一个科学实验室里工作）
- Jungle trekking, caving, canopy climbing, night walks, bird-watching and more （丛林徒步，洞穴探险，树冠攀登，夜间探索，观鸟等等）
- The most amazing animals and plants in one of the most bio-diverse hot-spots （在生物多样性超热点之一体验最特别的动植物）
- An unforgettable experience! （一次毕生难忘的体验！）
The expedition costs:
此科学探索行程费用为：
- BN$5,880 per person, for a private room with en-suite bathroom （文莱币5,880， 拥有私人浴室的单间房）
- BN$5,180 per person, for a place in a 6-bed dormitory with shared bathroom 文莱币5,180， 六人宿舍之床位）
Inclusive of（包括）:
- 8-night accommodation in the heart of jungle at Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre in Ulu Temburong National Park （在Ulu Temburong国家公园的Kuala Belalong野外研究中心的丛林中心住宿8晚）
- domestic travel (from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre) （在文莱境内的交通）
- delicious local meals, including welcoming dinner in Bandar Seri Begawan （美味的当地美食，包括斯里巴加湾市的欢迎晚宴）
- hands-on field research & lab work, including equipment and research （实地调研和实验室工作，包括设备和研究）
- lectures and study materials, including a book （讲座和学习资料，包括一本书）
- materials （科研器具材料）including DNA sequencing （包括DNA测序）
- contribution to the work of Regrow Borneo
Please keep in mind that international travel is not included. You may fly to Bandar Seri Begawan, returned. Alternatively, you may fly to Kota Kinabalu and engage our ecologist on a road trip to Brunei, exploring different ecosystems along the way; and on the way back, a road trip to Lawas (relaxing in a hot-spring surrounded by lush tropical rainforest or helping a community in conserving their forest and waterfalls) then to Kota Kinabalu while exploring for more endemic flora and fauna in the Crocker Range or Kinabalu Park; or try out various outdoor adventure.
此考察不包括国际旅费。您可以直接飞往文莱斯里巴加湾市，也可以选择飞往马来西亚沙巴州哥打京那巴鲁市（机票通常更便宜），和我们的生态学家一起沿途探索不同的生态系统，如红树林沼泽的长鼻猴与萤火虫，或现今极为稀有的泥炭林沼泽。回程也可安排到砂拉越州老越体验被热带雨林环绕的温泉，或和原著民进行保育工作（这里的鸟类昆虫等也是极其丰富），然后在返回哥打京那巴鲁途中在克罗克山脉或京那巴鲁公园探索更多特有的动植物，或是体验各种户外冒险活动。
Join us now to discover new species of wildlife in Borneo!
Contact us for booking or more information on a customized itineraries pre/post-expedition (if two or more participants sign up through us, our founder/ecologist MS will accompany you throughout the whole journey from Sabah-Brunei, with returned transport inclusive) 请向我们预定，或安排考察前/后定制行程以探索不一样的婆罗洲 （如获两人或以上通过我们报名，将附送往返亚庇－文莱交通和我们的创始人明生一路陪同讲解翻译）
Discounts available for university students, ASEAN citizens, and members of the media (who will write/report about the experience) 大学生，东盟公民，和媒体工作者可享有折扣（可撰写/报告/宣传此考查经历者优先）
Rough schedule as follows. Participants can choose one day in advance which workshops they want to attend the next day. 时间表大概如下－参加者可以提前一天选择他们希望在第二天参加的研讨会/活动。
Sept. 27th (Day 1) : Arrival & Welcome
- To begin our journey, we will have a celebratory welcome dinner in Bandar Seri Begawan (capital of Brunei) where we can answer any last-minute questions and begin to share with you the specifics of the adventures that lie ahead. You will have the opportunity to try some local delicacies and local fruits.
Sept. 28th (Day 2) : Ulu Temburong National Park
- 8.00 h. Travel from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre (KBFSC) by taxi-boat (40 min) via the mangroves (with a possibility to spot salt-water crocodiles and proboscis monkeys), bus (20 min), finished with a spectacular upriver journey by longboat (30 min), during which river-edge birds such as various species of kingfishers and black-and-red broadbills can be spotted. (Note: costs of transfers both to and from Bandar Seri Begawan are included within your trip fee.) We will have two brief stops along the way.
- Late morning: Arrival in KBFSC. You will be accommodated in basic but comfortable rooms, with ceiling fan, directly overlooking the forest from where you can see or hear numerous different animals: Bornean gibbons, flying squirrels, and some of the most amazing bird species found on Borneo: rhinoceros hornbills, paradise flycatchers, black-and-yellow broadbills, Asian fairy bluebirds, etc.
- Early afternoon: getting settled in your rooms, setting up the lab.
- 14.00 h. Workshops: (i) “Splashing about!” (freshwater fauna), and (ii) “Dunk, dry & sieve” (leaf litter sieving, flotation, and Winkler bagging)”.
- 17.00 h. Two lectures: about Taxon Expeditions (Dr. Iva Njunjić) and Ulu Temburong National Park (Dr. Ferry Slik).
- 20.30 h. Night walk — at night, a completely different array of species is active compared to the day. A night walk gives you insight into these species and if you are lucky you might spot some mammals like mousedeer, civets, or even a leopard cat.
Sept. 29th (Day 3) : Dragonflies & Tropical Plants
- 9.00 h. Morning workshop (ii): “Damsels & Dragons”.
- 14.00 h. Afternoon workshops: (i) dragonfly identification in the lab; (ii) examining freshwater and leaf litter fauna in the lab, and (iii) “Everything is green” (general tropical botany workshop in the field).
- 17.00 h. Afternoon lecture on discovering and describing new species for science by Dr. Hendrik Freitag.
- 20.00 h. We will set up a blacklight for attracting insects; viewing immediately after dinner.
Sept. 30th (Day 4) : Jungle Trek & Plant Processing
Option I : Excursion along the Bukit Belalong trail. You will have the opportunity to penetrate deep into the jungle and do some hands-on biological sampling in this underexplored and remote area:
- We will walk ca. 6.5 km (about 4 hours) through the rainforest, and sample ferns and other plants along the way; a quite challenging uphill trek. Be prepared for a lot of sweat, and sore muscles! We will eat our packed lunch along the way. In the early afternoon, we will turn around and walk downhill back to the camp.
Option II : If jungle trekking is not your thing, you can stay in KBFSC and participate in the following workshops:
- 9.00 h. Morning workshops: (i)”Pitching a Tent” (setting up so-called malaise traps and also a few carrion traps; (ii) examining freshwater and leaf litter fauna in the lab.
- 14.00 – 17.00 h. Afternoon workshop: (i) “Canopy biology” (on the canopy walkway).
Option I + II:
- 17.00 – 18.00 h. Processing ferns with the plant press.
- 18.00 h. Lecture: “Rainforest herpetology” by Dr. Ulmar Grafe and “Ferns and herbs” by Dr. Daniele Cicuzza.
- 20.30 h. Evening activity: Frogging.
Oct. 1st (Day 5) : Aquatic Insects, Macrophotography & Venom Hunters
Option I (for trekkers):
- 9.00 – 16.00 h. After breakfast, we hike through the jungle until we reach a small stream to collect aquatic insects and snails. The hike is somewhat strenuous, so this option is only for the fairly fit. We will bring a packed lunch.
Option II (more relaxed):
- 9.00 h. Morning workshop: (i) work in the lab (sorting, mounting, pinning, and labeling).
- 14.00 h. Afternoon activity: (i) work in the lab, or (ii) “Flutter by up high”: placing butterfly traps in the canopy walkway.
Option I + II:
- 17.00 h. Workshop: “macro photography”.
- 18.00 h. Lecture: “Fun arthropods of Borneo” by M.Sc. Peter Koomen and “Venom hunters” by Dr. Pierre Escoubas; First announcements on new species found.
- 20.30 h. light trapping with mercury vapor lamp.
Oct. 2nd (Day 6) : Birdwatching & Belalong River Hike
- 9.00 h. Morning workshops: (i) “Table Manners” placing baited (meat) pitfall traps; (ii) birdwatching; (iii) hiking upstream to collect aquatic insects and floating back using life jackets.
- 14.00 h. Afternoon workshops: (i) sorting material, (ii) working on describing and photographing new species.
- 17.00 h. Lecture: “DNA analysis in the field” by Dr. Massimo Delledonne.
- 20.30 h. Evening activity: (i) nightwalk (we will try to find stalk-eyed flies and violin beetles); (ii) working in the lab.
Oct. 3rd (Day 7) : Insect Traps & DNA Analysis
- 9.00 h. Morning workshops: (i) DNA analysis in the field.
- 14.00 h. Afternoon workshops: (i) lab work, and (ii) helping out with identifying new species, and (iii) watching tree rigging.
- 16.00 h. Lecture: “Deep underground in search of new species” by Dr. Iva Njunjić.
- 17.00 h. Evening activity: to the canopy walkway – butterfly traps and light trapping; spectacular sunset view. We will bring a packed dinner and take a boat back at 8.30pm.
Oct. 4th (Day 8) : Tree Climbing Tutorial
- 9.00 h. Morning workshop: (i) “Into the Canopy” (tree climbing).
- 14.00 h. Afternoon workshops: (i) lab work, and (ii) continuation of the tree climbing workshop.
- 17.00 h. Lecture: “Darwin Comes to Town” by Dr. Menno Schilthuizen.
- 20.30 h. Working in the lab.
Oct. 5th (Day 9) : Final Vote!
- 9.00 h. Morning workshops: (i) sorting material from malaise traps, butterfly traps, baited pitfall traps; (ii) working on species descriptions.
- 12.30 h. Lecture: “Darwin’s Peep Show” by Menno Schilthuizen.
- 13 – 17.00 h. (i) sorting material from malaise traps, butterfly traps, baited pitfall traps; (ii) working on species descriptions.
- 17 h. Lecture: “Ant-mimicking spiders” by M.Sc. Peter Koomen.
- 17.30 – 19.00 h. Cleaning and packing the lab.
- This evening, we’ll celebrate a successful expedition with a farewell party – during which we’ll vote for new species names! This is our unique chance to immortalize our team’s discoveries in the annals of science. We’ll also look back on our week together with a group slideshow and videos.
Oct. 6th (Day 10) : Jungle Departure
- 9.00 h. Traveling back to Bandar Seri Begawan by longboat, bus, and taxi-boat; arrival in the early afternoon.
Post-Expedition follow up: publishing newly discovered species in scientific journals; update on the DNA results. Sharing photographs & video material.
Excited? Come along on the journey to discover new species of wildlife in Borneo! BOOK NOW
*On all our expeditions, we make sure our work benefits local nature conservation. For example, in Borneo, we fund local conservation students who participate on the expedition free of charge. For every flight taken by our participants, we donate to Regrow Borneo, a tree-planting scheme that restores riverine forest in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary.*
(Original program and photos by Taxon Expeditions, unless otherwise stated; Chinese translation and adaptation by Khoo M.S.)