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Raman, our guide, often brings his students into the jungle to teach basic survival skills, indigenous ways of living, cooking and basically appreciating Nature. Little streams paved in between thick foliage and small rocks as we made our way deeper. The valleys would dry up a little during the hot season, welcoming animals towards the lower side to look for food as most fruits and plants would flourish during this time of the year, whereas the wet season incurs beautiful running streams soaking the Yellow Saraca trees and low-lying plants, leaving most trees fruitless. 

He greeted every plant he knew by heart along the dwindling path and patiently taught me what they were for. The lower part of the valley is where he plants his own kebun, though oftentimes intruders would come in and snatch the last bit of pucuk manis, pucuk belhau and many others. Malaysia being one of the most mega bio-diverse countries in the world, it is also woefully threatened by plant poaching which is said to be ‘deforestation on a small scale’ and could drive wild plants to their extinction.

True, the forest produce ought to be shared by many, however it frustrates him to see some simply takes to meet the growing market and heightened demand for “valuable” wild plants as home decorations and highly priced medicine. The uniqueness of our rainforests is that it exists as a web of close-knitted relationships between plants, soil, animals, air, bacteria, etc. If one of these elements is abruptly interfered, it functions less effectively as a thriving ecosystem. Having lived here most of his life, he sees the impacts of the declining availability of forest resources. 

“Di lembah ini, memang banyak sumber makanan tapi makin susah nak cari sekarang,”
Translation: There are plenty of food sources in this valley, but it is getting harder to find them nowadays.

as explained by Raman while basking our feet in the cold stream.