THE BEAUTY OF NATURE

In times with Covid-19, more and more friends of mine are enjoying to share beautiful places of Mindanao. Their posts on Facebook have been paired with the desire to going there if the coronavirus is gone. Then we might be free. We might be allowed to go wherever we want to go. Meanwhile, I shared the same desire and dreams with them too.

If you talk about the beauty of nature, automatically creation sings God's praise. Psalm 104 shows appreciation for every aspect of nature, even creatures like wild goats, lions, and others. The Israelites, as herders and farmers, had no romantic idealization of the outdoors. Nobody who herds sheep thinks of them as soft and fluffy pets. But to the poet who wrote Psalm 104, creatures that are no "use" to anyone still have intrinsic worth - especially to God.

The intertwining of nature is not, for the psalmist, like a complex machine, dangerously sensitive. Things fit together because a personal God watches over them. Every breath of life depends on His will.

Modern people nowadays are often preoccupied with the fear of overcrowding and poisoning nature. This might happen again if we are leaving free after the coronavirus lockdown has been lifted. The psalms show not such fear, for overcrowding and pollution were not major problems in that preindustrial civilization. Yet interestingly enough, the psalm ends with a wish that God would clean up the earth. The beauty of the earth, made by God, calls out for purity - purity of the heart.

If we will be "free" soon and able to discover our surroundings, we should ask ourselves, how does nature affect us. And, even more important: how do we affect nature?

Davao Watersheds Home to Half the Philippines' Bird Species

I was really happy to learn about it because of an article in MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR several days ago.

Imagine, 70 percent of the Philippine inventory of endemic bird species have been confirmed to be living in the Mount Talomo-Pangigan area. Results rom a recent study conducted by the Philippine Eagle Foundation, Inc. (PEF) revealed that the watershed is home to at least 124 bird species as studied in a series of field surveys conducted from 1997-2012.

The Philippines has currently 169 endemic bird species on record., 45 of which are only found in Mindanao. According to the report, 66 of the 124 species which were covered by the research study are Philippine endemic, while 24 of them are Mindanao endemic. This led the study authors to conclude that the watersheds hold an "impressive" percentage of local avian fauna.

Interface Development Interventions, Inc. Executive Director Ann Fuentes said that this significant find underscored the importance of Davao's watersheds in protecting and sustaining a rich biodiversity of organism that can only be found in the Mindanao region.

Other than the Philippine Eagle, the report also identified that the Tarictic of Mindanao hornbill, Penelopides panini, is the second most threatened bird in the watersheds due to illegal pet trade and because it also being hunted for food. Dwindling forest cover has contributed much to the decline of the local populations.

The Talomo-Panigan watershed areas along with the adjacent Lipadas, are the sites of aquifers which provide the current and future supply for Dabawenyos.

In 2010, the department of Tourism has announced that bird watching tours are becoming an emerging option in Philippine tourism. As a biodiversity hotspot, the Philippines has over 600 bird species with a high concentration of bird species per kilometer.  

Naturwunder in meinem Garten/A Natural Phenomenon

Ich traute meinen Augen nicht;
I thought, I am in a deep dream:

Wing span/Fluegelspannweite: 23 cm... .

Are We Prepared for the Next Floods?

Traffic one again crawled in several parts of Davao City, my new home since 1999, some days and nights ago, as heavy rain pured, inducted by a low-pressure area. The down pour brought relief to all of us who have sweltered through what our weather experts said was the country's hottest summer in a decade. Wow. Yes, it has been indeed!

But the rains also triggered the first flash floods reminding us  less than a year ago, claiming lives, destroyed properties and caused a lot of health problems especially in most parts of Luzon.

Have we forgotten Ondoy and Pepeng? Yes, and some Philippine columnists are very well in saying, that election fever soon overshadowed the trauma flooding spawned by above mentioned storms. 

I wish and hope and pray, that government executives (especially new-elected!) have presumably learned their lessons and are better prepared to deal with the new typhoon season. There is no reason to remain unprepared for a repeat of natural disasters. Davao City and its surroundings might remain lucky staying out of the typhoon belt. Heavy rain and landslides can also happened  here.

My queen is blooming again...

It was a gift given to me by my old friend Lisa (now residing in Nambia/Southwest Africa). It's the Queen of Orchids, the "waling-waling".

She's blooming again - and only for the second time... . I love it!

Off to Davao Oriental

If you're looking for "nature pure" should you travel to Davao Oriental. I did this several times - and surely not for the last time!

Suchen Sie "Natur pur"? Dann sollten Sie, wenn in Mindanao, unbedingt Davao Oriental besuchen. Ich habe es schon einige Male getan - und sicherlich nicht zum letzten Mal!

Several months ago I stopped for the first time at the "Sleeping Dinosaur Peninsula" - visible upon passing the 8km Zigzag road downtown Mati. The 57-hectare island resembles a sleeping dinosaur.

In Barangay La Union, San Isidro Mt. Hamiguitan is home to thousands of centuries-old pygmy trees. Nearby is an upland lake called Tinagong Dagat (Hidden Sea) that serves as a haven for various species of rare and exotic birds and other animals.

When in Mati, a visit of Waniban Island is a must. It's just a 15-minute boat ride from Cinco Masao Resort in Mati. This 40-hectare island is surrounded by white sandy beaches and is home of local tribes who make a living through hunting and fishing.

I love nature... - and you?

When I still stayed in Germany, I always dreamt of an own (wild) garden. Wild means natural. The more flowers and trees, the better. The more nature - the better.

My dream became true!