TAIPING RAPTOR FESTIVAL 2011 successfully launched
The first Taiping Raptor Watch was organized for members in 2001 and subsequently this event became an annual Branch activity. In 2010, MNS Perak obtained the Merdeka Fund grant to carry out a full season count of migrant raptors in Taiping. As one of its deliverable is “to promote public awareness and interest in raptor migration at Taiping”, the Branch organized the inaugural Taiping Raptor Festival 2011 on 29 (Saturday) and 30 (Sunday) October 2011.
The venue was at Taiping Sentral, a mall located at the foot of Scott’s Hill where raptors pass over on their autumn passage to regions in the south. Three marquees were set up at the parking bays outside the mall for registration of visitors, display of posters, sales tables and children’s activities. The location for watching migrating raptors was in the grounds of nearby Taiping Villa (adjacent to Scott’s Hill), a gated property. Interested visitors were given vehicle passes to drive into Taiping Villa for raptor-watching.
Banners and buntings were put up a week before the event along roads leading to the venue and also in Taiping Sentral Mall area. A newspaper distributor was paid to insert 600 flyers in the STAR and Sin Chew Jit Poh newspapers. Announcements of the event were sent to the print media, various bird groups and put up in the Branch blog and mailing list.
The programmes for 29 Oct (Saturday) and 30 Oct (Sunday) was as follows:
9.30am – 5.00pm: Taiping Sentral Mall car park – registration of visitors, door gifts, posters on raptors and migration, activities for children, sales of MNS items, lucky draw, promotion of birdwatching equipment
9.30am – 1.00pm: Raptor watching at Taiping Villa ground
8.00pm – 9.00pm (Saturday only): Slide presentation on “Raptors of Malaysia” at Taiping Zoo seminar room
8.00am – 9.30am (Sunday only): Public birdwatching in Taiping Lake Gardens
The response from the public and MNS members was very encouraging. Most of the people of Taiping were unaware of the annual spectacle of migration over the town and many were thrilled to see flocks of Black Bazas passing over Scott’s Hill. Below is a summary of the statistics for the event:
No. of registered visitors:
132 (20 members) (Sat); 89 (12 members) (Sun)
New members who signed up to join MNS:
10
No. of raptors counted at Scott’s Hill:
1881 (Sat) and 461 (Sun)
No. of participants who attended the talk on raptors:
34 (21 members)
No of participants who joined the birdwatching walk:
30 (mostly locals)
No. of vehicle passes for Taiping Villa raptor watch site:
18 (Sat) and 29 (Sun)
Yang Dipertua of Majlis Perbandaran Taiping visited Taiping Villa raptor watch site on Sat 29 Oct STAR and NST reported the event:
STAR: http://thestar.com.my:80/news/story.asp?file=%2F2011%2F11%2F14%2Fmetroperak%2F9891785&sec=metroperak
NST: http://www.nst.com.my:80/streets/northern/aerial-treat-from-migratory-raptors-1.3707
The Taiping Raptor Festival 2011 owes its successful debut to the following sponsors and supporters:
- Schmidt Marketing, KL for financial support and donation of a pair of Minox binoculars for the lucky draw
- Ngan Yin Groundnut Factory, Ipoh for financial support
- United Educational Supplier and Ideal Enterprise, Taiping for donating hampers for the lucky draw
- Taiping Sentral Mall for providing the venue, marquees and permission for access into Taiping Villa
- Majlis Perbandaran Taiping for exempting fees for putting up buntings, loaning display boards and for free use of campsite for students and seminar room for the talk
- Dr Neoh Chin Boon and Mr Ooi Beng Yean for donating desk calendars and books for the lucky draw
- Volunteers from MNS Perak and MNS Selangor Bird Group
The marquee at Taiping Sentral, Taiping Raptor Festival
Talk on "Birds of Malaysia" well attended by the locals
Various posters about raptors are available for the public to view
The real deal - watching raptors on Scott's Hill
The festival has many diversed activities, including "Games"
Childrens that were brought to the event by their parents equally enjoyed the games provided
Some participants having fun with Black Baza suit
MNS Perak President Lee Ping Kong giving out prizes to the lucky draw winner
Some participants are joining the birdwatching event at Taiping Lake Gardens
Reported by:
Lim Kim Chye
Chairman
Organising Committee for Taiping Raptor Festival 2011
