The Manila Wild

School grounds are perfect vaccination sites for COVID-19. They offer roofed but open-air facilities which allow adequate ventilation and are vast enough to accommodate many people at one time. To ensure that physical distancing is in place, chairs were placed a few meters apart, creating long lines away from precious cover. But thanks to the shade provided by trees in these schools, the scorching heat becomes bearable for those underneath it.

If you look at satellite map views, the only green spaces in Manila are parks, hospitals, a few private properties including golf courses, cemeteries, and schools. Schools often harboring older trees, untouched by road widenings and clearings to give way to more buildings. This 𝘉𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘰𝘨 tree in Justo Lukban Elementary School sheltered a queue of Manileños waiting to be vaccinated. Its leaves are round and wide forming a lush canopy and its sweet-scented, white flowers are busy with insects. It was once used in making bouquets and wreaths, even traditional medicine.

This year’s theme is Ecosystem Restoration. Can this be done in our congested, ever-developing Manila? Of course! While it would be difficult to restore the city’s original ecosystem, having a few small pocket forests and/or gardens is still better than none. What can you do as an individual? A little garden by the window or just refusing single-use plastics is a good way to start! 😉

Bitaog (𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘮 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘪)
Justo Lukban Elementary School

Happy Earth Day to you!

This year's theme is Restore Our Earth. Our environment is severely degraded and we've been losing many species yearly. We've also lost many lives due to emerging diseases that are also outcomes of humans destroying wildlife habitats.

The good news is that it is possible for nature to recover! Take the case of Estero de Paco. Like many ancient creeks in Manila, this creek was once clean and used by fishermen to meander their merchandise from Manila Bay and sell them in Paco market. It later became a flowing decay prior to its rehabilitation which started in 2010. Today, even native plants and trees have set root alongside ornamental plants, like this tall Alim (𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘢) which now feeds birds and bats in the area.

While the water quality is still far from ideal, it is refreshing to see free-flowing water and greeneries in this sea of concrete. We must take care of our surroundings. As they say nature is not a place to visit, it is home.

Can you feel it? The heat is on! ☀️

You can see and smell "summer" too. A whiff of citrus is in the air along Kalaw Avenue and it lead to this beautiful tree bursting with small sunshine-y flowers. The tree is teeming with butterflies, bees and other small pollinators. 🌼💛🏵🧡

We know that Narra is our National Tree, but few Manileños can identify a living specimen. It is a premium timber species being termite-resistant. For this it was over-harvested in the wild and is now endangered. Fortunately for those who want to see one, we have many Narras still living in the city and you can easily identify one now while it's blooming. Just look for little yellow flowers ;) 💛

Narra (𝘗𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘴)
Endangered. Native.

Adding a little color in this gloomy afternoon 🐦🌺🌿

This 'maya'-looking bird is called pirokpirok, pulangga, or luklak in Manila and nearby provinces. Notice the yellow tinge under the tail (or vent)? It's called a Yellow-vented Bulbul because of that. The term often invites a giggle, but the name Bulbul is Persian for songbird. ;) It is found resting atop this ornamental, non-native species of Schefflera blooming red in a private property in Paco.

In this urban sea of concrete, pocket gardens provide shelter and food source for our native wild life. Green spaces are also known to benefit people's mental health. Could that be the reason for this booming plant craze?

Interested in birds and planting native species? There are Facebook groups you can check such as Birdwatch Philippines Community and Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines

In love? Sawi? This bird could be your spirit animal this Valentine's ;)

This endemic bird (only in the Philippines) is called Red-keeled Flowerpecker (𝘋𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘦) because of the color on its keel - which in bird anatomy is the extension of its sternum. It enjoys sipping nectar and loves fruits like this non-native aratiles (𝘔𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘢). Not only is this bird beautiful, but it is also a pollinator and seed disperser, 'planting' trees in any open space within the busy city.

This post is dedicated to those who are in love..with Nature!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Humans fear the unknown and unfortunately, our first instinct is to swat at any critter alien to us. That's why today we are featuring..the Ensign Wasp! They're quite common in urban households.

Ensign wasps (Evania appendigaster) are experts at locating egg cases (or ootheca) of cockroaches. Female ensign wasps inject their egg in an ootheca where, after hatching, the larvae feeds on "baby" cockroaches inside. No little roaches hatches from Ensign wasp-parasitized oothecas. Yes, you found a new quarantine best friend, human. Yay!

And although this insect is a species of wasp, it does not sting or bite and are harmless to humans. If you see one at home, it only means one thing: you have introduced, non-native cockroackes lurking around! And this friendly neighbor is just out to get the little cucaracha spawns under your sink ;)

P.S. What do you call this in your local language?

"Natutulog ka na naman sa pansitan."

This is an old expression and does not literally mean a person is caught sleeping in a panciteria. This means 'the person is lazy'. Ouch.

But 'pansitan' here does not mean a panciteria either. Its origin came from this common plant Pansit-pansitan or Shiny bush (Peperomia pellucida). It's a creeping plant that carpets well-shaded areas and an inviting oases for tired workers who seek quick naps (and at times oversleep!), thus the expression 'natutulog sa pansitan'. This specimen was found growing under potted plants in Pandacan, Manila.

Pansit-pansitan came from the Americas and can be recognized by their shiny, heart-shaped leaves and protruding flowers. It has many traditional medicinal uses such as treatment for headaches, cough and common colds, wounds and burns, and gout among many others.

It is also used for salads, brewed like tea, stir fried or even eaten raw. It is crunchy and has a distinct peppery taste.

"Hello!"

Things are strange and stranger nowadays and challenges come battering from all directions.

If you ever feel anxious, go look out and observe nature. The answer to your questions and your search for peace might just be around there.

Here's a young Ficus reminding us that life finds a way. 🌱

(It's cliche. That's what they always say. But it's true!)

Happy All Souls Day!

Guess who's back? The arrival of this species signals the start of migratory season for most Filipino birdwatchers. In folk knowledge it meant rainy season is here. And it's hard to miss this noisy bird as they repeatedly announce their presence even in busy urban neighborhoods.

The Brown Shrike, locally called "tarat" because of its noisy ratatat call is a migratory species in the Philippines. It is known amongst the birdwatchers as the butcher bird (mamumugot in Tagalog) due to its habit of decapitating its prey usually by sticking the body on a thorn. Its wide diversity of prey includes small birds (such as the maya), lizards, frogs, even small bats and small snakes.

They'll stay here until April or even late May. And return to announce again the changing of seasons :)

Photo and text from Mike Lu