What Makes an Ecosystem Healthy

In the face of measuring human effects on biodiversity, environmental scientists have failed to identify a balanced ecosystem. The most successful concepts reflect on the properties of the ecosystem—for example, a forest or a wetland—and on what their features would be in the absence of human interaction.

As an example, in the absence of human interference, the overall plant growth in the region might be measured against what could be anticipated, as determined by the environment and soils—the natural potential of the site to grow plants. Even if they feed us, most of the croplands have a lower net carbon absorption than the native areas they substitute, so croplands must be regarded as having suffered some impact. It is not the current level of plant production that counts—rather the change from what might otherwise have been the case.

A stable environment is one that is intact in its physical, chemical, and biological elements and inter-relationships, such that it is resilient to change and stress. It is an environment that does not undergo an excessive growth or loss in native plants, an accumulation of chronic toxins, or dramatic anthropogenic shifts in its ecosystem or ecological processes. A balanced ecosystem consists of natural plant and animal species interacting in equilibrium with each other and non-living things, for example, water and rocks). Good habitats provide a supply of energy, typically the sun. The sun supplies radiant energy for the growth of the producer (plant). Producers transform radiant energy into chemical energy for use by themselves and consumers. Consumers are feeding on producers. Higher-level customers are still consuming other consumers. Split the decomposers Dead plants and wildlife, adding essential nutrients back to the earth. Plants are picking up these nutrients, along with the water, are rooted. Ecosystems have definite borders.

Components of a healthy ecosystem include: 

sunlight (energy source)

living organisms (producers, consumers, decomposers; predator/prey)

non­living things (land forms, water sources, soil, rocks)

dead organisms

natural boundaries (set by the living and non­living things within the area)

Some might think it can be hard to find a healthy and balanced ecosystem nowadays, especially with the current situation that we’re in. But some resort destinations in Davao City prove to be resilient and continue to cultivate a healthy ecosystem for their guests where they can have complete nature therapy. A new Davao birdwatching resort-like Malagos Garden, for example, is leading the way for this. To know more about them, just type “Davao Nature Resort” on google and you’ll easily pull up their website malagos.com.

 

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The Benefits of Forest Bathing

We all know how wonderful being in nature can make us feel. For millennia, we've understood it. These aspects give us a feeling of warmth, the sounds of the forest, the smell of the woods, the sunshine playing through the leaves, the fresh clean air. They alleviate our fear and anxiety, encourage us to relax and to think more clearly. Being in nature will revive our mood, renew and rejuvenate us, giving us back our energies and vitality.

In Japan, they engage in an activity that is called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. In Japanese, Shinrin means "forest," and yoku means "bath." So, shinrin-yoku means soaking in the environment of the forest, or bringing our senses into the forest. Forest bathing is a chance for individuals to take time off, calm down and contribute to nature. We agree it may be part of the combination of social prescribing operations," the Observer told Stuart Dainton of the Woodland Trust." "Construction is proof of its advantages."

So how does one exactly do it?

Select a spot first. Be sure you've left behind your phone and camera. You can wander aimlessly and painfully. There are no devices you need. Let your guide be your body. Where it needs to lead you, listen. Get your nose followed. And take the time. If you don't get there it doesn't matter. You won't go anywhere. You savour nature's noises, textures and sights and let the forest in.

In the five senses, the secret to unlocking the strength of the forest is. Through your head, eyes, nose, throat, hands and feet, let nature join. Listen to the song of the birds and the wind rustling through the trees' leaves. Look at the trees' numerous greens and the sunshine that passes through the leaves. Smell the woodland smell and inhale the perfect aromatherapy of phytoncides. When you take deep breaths, enjoy the freshness of the air.

When you do these, you’ve found the bridge to happiness. Don’t know where to start? There are plenty of Davao nature and hotel resorts that are a good place to do some forest bathing. Appreciate the art and benefits that come with it as you and your family book a stay in one of Davao’s family friendly resorts like malagos.com. The best thing about doing staycations like this is that you’re taking part and contributing in the quest to save mother earth. Environment friendly hotel resorts in Davao such as Malagos Garden, are one of the top leading resorts to pioneer this activity.

 

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Introducing Birding to Kids

With patience, concentration, and powers of observation, birding can be a wonderful lifelong hobby that’s not only inexpensive but also fulfilling. If you introduce it to your kids at such a tender age, they can easily develop a deeper connection to the natural world. This activity offers a lot of benefits that you can reap once you get the hang of it. It can also be done in nearly any environment, requiring only a few easy tools to enjoy. The best part? It gets the kids to spend time outdoors. Once kids begin engaging in birding activities, they’ll never see the outdoors the same way again. 

Starting out with your birding activity is not like any outdoor activity. You can start with the little things that you know. A good place to start is to ask your child to write down all the birds that they can already easily identify. The list doesn’t have to belong and you don’t have to force your child to review a whole encyclopedia for this. Now ask them to commit to learning a few new ones each week. With this, you can do your research together and bond as you go online or head to the library to learn which species are endemic to your town or region. It might be handy to have a field guide or ID cards. When you have these resources intact, make a list of the most common species in your area and learn with your child. Start small and once you’ve mastered both male and female species, your list just grows as you go along.

Some of your best birding may be in your own backyard or local park or community garden. It's easiest to learn the birds that live around you as you will see them repeatedly and, as they say, practice makes perfect! To ensure that your child will see birds in your early days of birding, think about making and setting up a window of a backyard bird feeder or transforming your backyard into a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary. If you put up a feeder, stock it up with the favorite seed blends of local birds and keep it stocked. Getting your local birds hooked on your reliable food source only to forget about the feeder through the winter is irresponsible as some of those birds may not survive as well with the food source suddenly gone.

For a nature resort destination in Davao, you can check out Malagos Garden Resort. One of their newly introduced child-friendly resort activities in Davao is birding inside the resort’s premises! Talk about an innovative Davao tourist attraction. Check them out today at malagos.com for more info.

 

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Green Spaces for Your Mental Health

Bodies of water have a lot of health benefits. Bodies such as lakes, rivers, ponds, seas, oceans, and springs have always been considered a source of physical and mental nourishment. These resources do not only provide our basic needs but as well as improvements in our physical and emotional well-being. Living near one can give a very positive effect on our overall disposition.  Take a look at some of the major benefits below to see how water bodies can significantly enhance your lives.

Lowers stress levels - stress can be caused by many things including prolonged isolation, which can in turn develop to bigger health issues. With water bodies, we can effectively cope up with and lower our stress levels. This can be achieved by exercising in water or arranging activities that center around bodies of water like picnics, yoga, walks, and more.

Stimulates and enforces the immune system. Frequently submerging in natural water bodies is a great way to stimulate and reinforce our immune system. Bacterias grow freely in natural water bodies, and although it may seem like they pose a threat, they actually help your immune system. Constant exposure to chemicals such as chlorine, hormones, and pesticides found in our food tends to hinder our immune system. Exposing ourselves to weak bacteria serves our immune system as a simulation and can help raise antibody count.

Releases endorphins. Water bodies are known to increase our endorphin levels. Carrying out a physical activity near water can significantly improve our endorphin count. These chemicals are important because they help reduce pain and give a feeling of euphoria. With which, we can fight off depression, anxiety, and improve our sleeping patterns, stabilize our blood pressure, and enhance the workings of our immune system.

Water is known as the elixir of life. It contributes a lot not only to our physical health but also to our mental state. If you have the chance, it’s best to visit resorts in Davao with natural elements such as green spaces and water bodies after being exposed to a lot of stressors brought about by the pandemic. Davao’s best resort, Malagos Garden, has a lot of water bodies that are ideal for your mental health. For a complete list of what to expect in Malagos Garden Resort as they reopen soon, check out malagos.com.

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Why I’m An Avid Fan of Malagos

One might go and argue that my generation is killing industries because of our buying behavior, but I really believe us millennials are one of the most responsible consumers out there. We don’t just consume mindlessly any products that are presented to us. We are more conscious of not just the end product but also the process that comes along with it. I’m an avid Malagos fan, to be honest and it’s because of their genuine love and respect for nature. Here are some of the eco-warrior initiatives they have imposed even before “eco-warriors” and “single-use plastic bans” were a thing:

Sustainable farming. While other farms were focused on turning their crops into the most profitable milking cow it can be in the shortest amount of time possible, the family behind the Malagos brand focused on providing food for families without destroying the land that’s providing them with bountiful harvests. While most were drowning their plants with synthetic fertilizers, weed killers, and other chemical-based solutions for yielding bigger and more fruits, Malagos kept it simple and have used natural means and ways of growing their crops. Now their soil is still in good condition and will probably last more than soils from big agricultural exporters who just now shifted to more natural ways and means of farming in the effort to save their hectares of disease-stricken soils.

Wildlife preservation. The family-focused not just on preserving soils and supporting local farmers, but also on ensuring native species of both floras and faunas live on for the future generation to see. It is also the matriarch of the family behind Malagos that is pushing for the native to Mindanao Waling-Waling or Vanda Sanderiana to replace the current national flower Sampaguita—a flora that isn’t even a native flower in the Philippines.

Edutainment. The Malagos Bird Show for example that has been running for more than 20 years in the hope to educate the children about preserving culture and the dangers of climate change, uses its rehabilitated and rescued birds. They also feature seminars as well as indoor and outdoor museums that aim to educate people through entertainment the eco-advocacies they have been fighting and continue to fight for until now.

One might think of Malagos as the makers of international award-winning chocolates or the best resort in Davao City. However, Malagos is more than their products. They’ve been pushing to “support your local farmer” and “buy local, eat local” movements before it was a niche marketing strategy. They were doing the farm to table- support local farmers movement before it was a big deal. That’s why from Malagos Garden Resort and even shifting to Malagos Homegrown Produce, an online grocery store during this pandemic, I support them all the way and continue to do so. You can do the same by checking out their website. It’s definitely worth checking out especially from some authentic Davao Kadayawan 2020 experience at home.

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