Sabah Exploration: Plant Adventures and Reflections

In July and September 2024, I got the chance to visit Sabah twice for the Xplorer exploration activities. On this trip, the plant diversity in Sabah felt like a huge treasure chest, really grabbing my attention. Sabah is like a botanical kingdom, packed with an incredible variety of species. I’m especially into Gentianaceae flowers and ferns. The Gentianaceae flowers are super colorful, and the ferns come in all sorts of shapes, giving off that ancient, lively vibe. It’s also cool to see how plants grow at different altitudes, which can teach us a lot about how they adapt to their environment and evolve over time. However, there are notable gaps in the development and utilization of plant resources in Sabah. Many valuable plant species remain underexplored, resulting in their economic potential being overlooked. The promotion of sustainable development practices is urgently needed to address these challenges. All these aspects present meaningful directions for further exploration.

Of course, the thing that made me happiest was being able to enjoy super tasty durians anytime in Sabah. I also tried many tropical fruits which I’d never heard of before. And guess what? My favorite fruit turned out to be the local monkeys’ favorite too! Haha!! I am eager to seize future opportunities to continue my explorations in Sabah.