Tag: Bat Week 2020

Bat Week 2020: The Secret Life of Durian Trees

As part of our Project Pteropus outreach efforts, we teamed up with insanely talented Malaysian artist Novia Shin, and Penang-based production house Hatchtag Media, to create a short animated video on bat pollination of durian: ‘The Secret Life of Durian Trees’, based on the results of Dr. Sheema‘s PhD research on Tioman Island.

This video was first released during last year’s Bat Week, but was a nominee for the Best Animation Award at the recent 13th International Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF 2020). If you haven’t seen this already, watch it to see what happens in a durian orchard at night! And, it’s also available in Malay and Mandarin!

Facebook: @novia.shin @HatchTag @KLEFFMY
Instagram: @novia_shin @kleffmy
Twitter: @KLEFFMY

Friends in Malaysia: this is your last chance to snag some bat swag by following us on social media, sharing any of our #BatWeek2020 posts with the correct 3 hashtags, and tagging at least 3 friends! We’ll start picking winners after today! Hope you all had a Happy Bat Week and will continue to help us celebrate bats long after this! 🦇🦇🦇

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Bat Week 2020: Pollinating Bats of Peninsular Malaysia

Did you know that Peninsular Malaysia is home to at least 6 different bat species that are known to pollinate flowers???

A lot of people think of bats as using echolocation instead of eyesight to catch insect prey for food. However, in Malaysia we have fruit bats (Family Pteropodidae), who don’t echolocate but are equipped with large eyes and a keen sense of smell to home in on yummy fruits and nectar.

Many of our tropical plants such as durian (Durio zibethinus), petai (Parkia speciosa), wild bananas (Musa spp.), perepat (Sonneratia alba) and berembang (Sonneratia caseolaris) actually depend on fruit/nectar bats for successful pollination and fruit production!

Artistic impressions by Vietnamese artist Dao Van Hoang

Facebook: @dao.v.hoang.3
Instagram: @vanhoang_dao
Twitter: @daovanhoang

This poster will also be included in our GIVEAWAY. If you’re in Malaysia and you’ve remembered to follow us on social media, sharing this post with the correct 3 hashtags + tagging 3 friends gains you another entry!

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Bat Week 2020: Support a Bat-Friendly Durian Farm

Support a bat-friendly durian farm near you – or even further away! Part of our work in Project Pteropus involves partnering with durian farmers to conduct research and education on the importance of bat pollination for durian trees. We’re working closely with farmers to highlight the economic value of bat pollination services for the durian industry.

Check out our partner durian farms – Green Acres, Durian Kaki, Terra Tropika Agriculture, Zhong Cheng Durian Farm, Mizi Agro Farm and Karak Organic Durian Farm – who have been so receptive and supportive of our work. Special mention to Bilut Hills Farmstay for being so welcoming to us too! Look out for them during the next durian season and be sure to pay these bat-friendly farms a visit for your top-grade durian fix! And don’t forget to follow Lindsay Gasik’s Year Of The Durian for all your durian intel!

Facebook: @Greenacresorchard  @duriankakipenang @terratropikaagriculture @ZhongChengDurianFarm @miziagrofarm @KarakOrganicDurianFarm @Biluthillsfarmstay @YearOfTheDurian

Instagram: @greenacresorchard @durian_kaki_penang @terratropikaagriculture @miziagrofarm @biluthills.farmstay @durianwriter

Artwork by Rohan Chakravarty of Green Humour.

Facebook: @GreenHumour
Instagram: @green_humour
Twitter: @green_humour & @thetoonguy

And remember, if you’re in Malaysia and have followed us on social media: sharing this post with the correct 3 hashtags + tagging 3 friends is another entry into our GIVEAWAY!

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