Citizen Science in Sultan Kudarat
Following our epic climb up to Lake Holon, the trip was over for most international delegates from the Philippine Bird Festival. A few of us, however, got into a different van and headed back north towards Tacurong City, then west into the seldom-traveled mountains of western Sultan Kudarat. It was a long, winding road through limestone mountains, on a road that seemed to collapse regularly, perhaps due to being built on soft, porous limestone- not the proper material for road building. Joining us also was Emelie Jamorabon from the tourism department in Tacurong City, who's done wonders for promoting birding and the environment in Region XII. Once we reached Senator Ninoy Aquino town, the mayor picked us up from our hotel and treated us to dinner at his house. The food was delicious, and symbolic of the diverse cultural heritage of SNA and Mindanao in general; fern salad (known locally as “fako-fako"), a delicacy of the local Manobo tribes, and inasal-s...