Along the small stream, the many variety of mushrooms growing really caught our attention.

The end of the year, being the usual wet season in this country, the ground is very conducive for a variety of wild mushrooms to breed. Everywhere sprawling on the rotten tree trunk along the stream is mushrooms in all shapes, sizes and colours.

Fungi are a large group of plants that are not green like the other plants that we know. This is because they actually contains no chlorophyll, and cannot manufacture their own food from the sunlight like most green plants do. They depend on living or dead substances to supply them with food to allow them to grow. One type off fungi is the mushrooms

A whitish coloured mushroom under the undergrowth shades by the stream

The yellowish coloured variety which is much more exposed to sunlight.

A variant of the coral mushroom species

A greyish balls of mushroom cluster, growing on a rotten log

More plate-like shaped mushroom variety.

A very slimy looking mushroom. Those black dots are tiny flies attracted by the rotten smell it produces.

Fungi provide a critical part of nature's continuous rebirth: fungi recycle dead organic matter into useful nutrients. Sometimes the fungus doesn't wait for the biomatter to die, in which case the fungus is called a parasite. Many plants, however, are dependent on the help of a fungus to get their own nutrients, living in a symbiotic relationship.

Fungi digest food outside their bodies: they release enzymes into the surrounding environment, breaking down organic matter into a form the fungus can absorb. Fungi reproduce by releasing spores from a fruiting body. The fruit, called a mushroom, releases spores into the air, and the wind carries the spores off to start the next generation.

The white brush-like clump on the flower buds is actually an insect.	As I focused my lens, the tiny insect the size of a thumbtack head actually moved about.

Above the forest floor, life's activity continues as usual with many insects moving about to enjoy whatever sunlight that is available amongst the forest canopy. On many occassion, we were caught by surprise when we discovered that what we initially thought was just a mere speck of dirt on the leaves, but upon close inspection is actually an interesting looking living life form.

The above moth (actually just the size of the head of a thumb-tack) really caught me by surprise with the design of its transparent wings.

The snail shell is just the size of a pinup pin head.

The chili-red tail of the dragonfly is truly striking	This spider is ready to defend itself as my camera lens came extremely close

Only upon extreme closeup do I begin to notice the many spikes on the spiders legs and body.

Colourful reflective patterns on the cricket body is really beautiful

With a scanning vision through the thick undergrowth, one will be able to observe the bounty of life activities in the microcosmic kingdom. Even the plant life is equally interesting to observe, and to learn from. For creative designers like us, many ideas about new shapes, patterns and forms can be gained from that simple stroll into the forest.

Dr.Baha and Tom taking aim with their cameras

The twinning tendrils helps the plant to climb securely up on other plants in its effort to reach for sunlight.	The hairy stem of the fern is another form of climbing mechanism.

This purplish colour of the young leaf stands out amongst the green background vegetation.

The variants of leaf shapes on this single stalk is outstandingly beautiful

Just as we anticipated, we were lucky to be out of the nature park just in time for a comfortable sip of hot coffee and rojak meal at a restaurant back in Subang Jaya, before the heavy rain really pours on us.