Join us in Penang Hill on an adventure for science!

18 – 25 October 2020, Penang Hill, Malaysia

Travel to Malaysia and immerse yourself in wild nature while at the same time learning from our experts and discovering new species. The cherry on the top? You get to name them yourself and publish your findings in top-notch scientific journals! Get ready for an adventure of a lifetime! 

The Program below is tentative, pending approval by USM and The Habitat.

(Day 1): Arrival & snailing

• To begin our journey, we will meet at Hickory on Penang Hill in the morning where we will be accommodated. Hickory is located on the eastern slope of Penang Hill at an elevation of 650m (2100ft). It provides panoramic views of Georgetown below, and of the mainland beyond. Sunrises are particularly spectacular. During the welcome lunch, you will have the opportunity to try some local delicacies and local fruits
• Afternoon workshop: collecting snails and insects using various techniques
• Lecture “Penang Hill & The Habitat” by The Habitat staff member
• Night activity: jungle night walk – in the night, a completely different array of species is active and jungle becomes a very loud place. You will be amazed by huge insects and spiders we will find as well as numerous amphibians and reptiles we will encounter.

(Day 2): Exploring the jungle & setting up traps

• Morning workshop: setting up different kinds of traps to catch insects – some of them might seem funny but they work!
• Afternoon workshop: trekking and exploring the surrounding jungle; getting to know the place and its facilities
• Lectures: (i) “Taxon Expeditions- engaging the public in biodiversity discovery” by Dr. Iva Njunjić; (ii) “How to discover new species” by Dr. Menno Schilthuizen

(Day 3): Botanishing

• Morning workshop: field botany and collecting botanical specimens with Universiti Sains Malaysia staff – you will discover amazing plants such as the Monkey Cup and Slipper Orchid 
• Afternoon workshop: learning how to process, preserve, and store botanical specimens
• Lecture: “Diversity and ecology of fireflies” by Dr. Wan Yusoh

(Day 4): Entomology- discover the hidden world of insects

• Morning workshop: hands-on general entomology workshop in the field
• Afternoon workshop: learning the lab skills – sorting, studying, and identifying specimens
• Night activity: sampling fireflies – potentially new species!

(Day 5): Primates & insect identification

• Morning workshop: Dr. Nadine Ruppert will guide us through the jungle, teach us, and show us how to spot primates
• Afternoon workshop: learning how to identify fireflies with Dr. Wan Yusof
• Lecture: “Cave biology” by Dr. Iva Nunjić
• Night activity: light trapping with UV light – did you know that some insects and other invertebrates like scorpions fluoresce under UV light? You will be amazed when you see this in front of your own eyes!

(Day 6): Working on a scientific publication

• Morning workshop: collecting the traps we have set up a few days ago
• Afternoon workshop: sorting and examining the material from the traps; working on new species descriptions – guided by our specialists you will contribute to scientific publication writing
• Lecture: “Primate conservation in Malaysia” by Dr. Nadine Ruppert

(Day 7): Canopy climbing course

• Morning workshop: continue working on new species descriptions in the lab
• Afternoon workshop: canopy climbing – you will learn the tree climbing technique and climb up to 50 m tall tree from where you will have a spectacular canopy view but also an opportunity to sample insects living high above the ground
• Lecture: “Darwin Comes to Town” by Dr. Menno Schilthuizen

(Day 8): Choosing new species names

• Morning workshop: finalizing species descriptions
• Afternoon workshop: choosing names for new species – we’ll all suggest and vote for new species names! This is the unique chance to immortalize our team’s discoveries in the annals of science. We’ll also look back on our week together with a group slideshow and videos.
• Lecture: “Darwin’s Peep Show” by Dr. Menno Schilthuizen

The Expedition fee is 3,200 euro per person, which includes:

• accommodation at the Hickory
• delicious local meals
• hands-on field research & lab work, including equipment and research materials
• lectures and study materials, including a book
• DNA sequencing
• publishing results in a scientific journal

Please keep in mind that international travel is not included.

We offer a discount for local students, local participants, and members of the media. Please contact us (info@taxonexpeditions.com) if you want to know if you qualify for a discount.