Sunday, August 25, 2013

A Park in Sabah

A Visit to the Park
By AV Latinggam
The Lagud Seberang Agricultural Park is within 500 acres of the 1,500 acres of the Research Station, administered by the Agriculture Department Sabah. This Park consists of the Agriculture Research Station; seed Production Centre for Cash Crop, Farmers Training Centre and Taman Pertanian Sabah itself. One of the main attractions of the park is its huge collection of native Orchids of Borneo rescued from the forests, especially those that could have perished in logged areas. There are about 300 wild orchids with the most fascinating being the Elephant Ears and lady’s Slipper orchids. There is also the Hybrid Orchid Garden, sited within four acres of land and boasts 400 species of Orchid. The colourful hybrids are a sight to behold but are they merely for show as they don’t sell cuttings unless it is during the Flower Fest. Within the Park, there are also many other plants including food plants used by the people in the past. The next must-visit site is the Evolution Garden, where it shows the changes in the heritable traits of a population (flora and fauna) over successive generations. The continuous frequencies of genes over time may result in the evolution of the certain species or development of new species from existing ones. The display of the formation of the earth; from dusts to moss to grasses and trees to dinosaurs are shown within this garden and interested individual may see the interesting transition from one type of vegetation to another.
Within this garden are the huge water lilies which are featured in brochures and photos of this park. They are as big as trays and have been known to grow bigger than that. There are other gardens available nearby for photo opportunities as well as a showcase of how typical gardens in homes look like. Those in a quandary about landscapes and gardens can go and look at these examples. The gardens are actually planned spaces, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The gardens incorporate both natural and man-made materials. Other interesting sights include the various fruit trees that are available within the vicinity. During the fruit seasons, guests and visitors usually walk through that area as they can eat as much fruit as they want. For those who want to stay overnight the park offer limited lodging and food upon request. Tenom is located about four hours’ drive by road from Kota Kinabalu city. Buses and hired taxis are available at the bus terminal near KK’s Merdeka Field.


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