Kekalkan Gudang Keretapi Port Weld

Inilah bangunan asal gudang keretapi yang masih berdiri di Kuala Sepetang. Sekiranya anda berada di depan Balai Polis Kuala Sepetang akan nampaklah gudang ini.
Kelihatan struktur kayu dan bumbung yang masih lagi utuh.
Kawasan ini amat sesuai dijadikan tarikan pelancongan sekiranya dibaik pulih. Letak pula landasan dan kepala atau gerabak keretapi lama.




Sekarang dijadikan kilang membuat ais dan pelantar menaikkan udang dan sotong.

Bahagian belakang jelas menunjukkan kawasan jeti simen yang menjadi tempat memunggah dan menurunkan barang.

Taiping – Kuala Sepetang - Bukit Merah 2 Day 1 Night Tour

Taiping – Kuala Sepetang - Bukit Merah 2 Day 1 Night Tour

Minimum 2 persons RM300 per pax

Pick up at any destinations or hotels near Taiping.

Tour as per itinerary.

2.00pm            Pick up

3.00pm            Matang Tin Ore Musuem

4.00pm            Tea Time : Prawn Mee

5.00pm            Mangrove Park

6.00pm            Kuala Sepetang Heritage Trail

7.00pm            Sunset and Seafood Dinner

8.00pm            Fireflies Trip

10.00pm          Night Safari

11.30pm          Check in at hotel (SentosaVilla, Fleminton, SSL Traders, CasaVilla)

8.00am             Pick up at hotel

8.30am             Charcoal factory

10.00am           Rice factory

11.00am           Lunch at Local Malay Restaurant.

12.00noon        Fun at Bukit Merah Water Park
4.00pm             Send off

Not included: Hotel Room

Kuala Sepetang is a coastal town located  15km from Taiping, Perak, Malaysia. The town was formerly known as Port Weld after a former Governor, Frederick Weld. It is a thriving fishing village, and the main jumping-off point to the river mouth community of Kuala Sangga, which is a Chinese fishing community at the river mouth which specializes in fish breeding in cages.  The first railway in Malaysia was built in 1885 from Taiping-Simpang Halt-Port Weld.

Charcoal factory in Matang (Kuala Sepetang) is located right in the middle of a spectacular mangrove forest. Mangrove forest is an important part of the ecosystems around the world and in Malaysia there is fortunately quite some left.

Mangrove Park is part of the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve and  is well known

internationally as a mangrove conservation area. It is fame for the best managed mangrove forest in the world. 

Taiping Lake Gardens is the first public garden established during the British rule in

Malaysia. This beautiful garden is located near Bukit Larut and within the town center and the Taiping Zoo. Join optional tour.

Taiping Zoo: Taiping Zoo is the oldest Zoo in Malaysia. It is one of the major zoological

parks in Malaysia. It has 34 acres (140,000 m2) of space and exhibits various animals such as amphibians, mammals and reptiles to sum up a total of 1300 animals of 180 species.

The Muzium Perak (Perak Museum) is the oldest museum in the Peninsula. The building was completed in 1886, and subsequent additions were made in 1900. There are three collections - anthropology, zoology and local history - with a total of over 3,000 artifacts.

 Weekdays – only with prior arrangement.

 Rates are subject to change without prior notice.

 Booking at least 1 day before departure.

 Booking operation hour : 09:00 – 17:00

 Pick up at Hotel : 08:00

Jeti Awam Kuala Sepetang.

View Jeti Awam Kuala Sepetang in a larger map Jeti awam Kuala Sepetang terletak di belakang Restauran Makanan Laut Chin Huat merupakan jeti awam penduduk yang berulang-alik dari Kuala Sepetang ke Kuala Sangga.
Di sinilah juga tempat para pelancong yang ingin melawat hutan paya laut dan kelip-kelip bertolak.
Keistimewaan jeti ini ialah ianya terletak berhampiran dengan restoran makanan laut terkenal di Kuala Sepetang iaitu Restoran Tepi Sungai dan Restoran Xin. Para pelancong mempunyai pilihan sama ada mahu makan dahulu sebelum berlayar atau makan selepas pelayaran. Kuala Sepetang Eco Tourism

Charcoal Uses In Kuala Sepetang

Charcoal has been used since the earliest times for a range of purposes including art and medicine, but by far its most important use has been as a metallurgical fuel. Charcoal is the traditional fuel of a blacksmith's forge and other applications where an intense heat is wanted. Charcoal was also used historically as a source of carbon black by grinding it up. In this form charcoal was important to early chemists and was a constituent of formulas for mixtures such as gunpowder. Due to its high surface area charcoal can be used as a filter, as a catalyst or as an adsorbent.

Metallurgical fuel

Charcoal burns at intense temperatures, up to 2700 degrees Celsius. By comparison the melting point of iron is approximately 1200 to 1550 degrees Celsius. Due to its porosity it is sensitive to the flow of air and the heat generated can be moderated by controlling the air flow to the fire. For this reason charcoal is an ideal fuel for a forge and is still widely used by blacksmiths. Charcoal is also an excellent reducing fuel for the production of iron and has been used that way since Roman times. In the 16th century England had to pass laws to prevent the country from becoming completely denuded of trees due to production of iron. In the 19th century charcoal was largely replaced by coke, baked coal, in steel making due to cost. Charcoal is far superior fuel to coke, however, because it burns hotter and has no sulfur. Until World War II charcoal was still being used in Sweden to make ultra high-quality steel.

Cooking fuel

Prior to the industrial revolution charcoal was occasionally used as a cooking fuel. Modern "charcoal briquettes", widely used for outdoor grilling and barbecues in backyards and on camping trips, imitate this use, but are not actually charcoal. They are usually compacted mixtures of coal or coke and various binders.

Industrial fuel

Historically, charcoal was used in great quantities for smelting iron in bloomeries and later blast furnaces and finery forges. This use was replaced by coke during the Industrial Revolution. For this purpose, charcoal in England was measured in dozens (or loads) consisting of 12 sacks or shems or seams, each of 8 bushels.^{[citation needed]}

Automotive fuel

In times of scarce petroleum, automobiles and even buses have been converted to burn wood gas (a gas mixture consisting primarily of diluting atmospheric nitrogen, but also containing combustible gasses, mostly carbon monoxide) released by burning charcoal or wood in a wood gas generator. In 1931 Tang Zhongming developed an automobile powered by charcoal, and these cars were popular in China until the 1950s. In occupied France during World War II, wood and wood charcoal production for such vehicles (called gazogènes) increased from pre-war figures of approximately fifty thousand tons a year to almost half a million tons in 1943.^[7]

Purification and filtration

Activated carbon

Charcoal may be activated to increase its effectiveness as a filter. Activated charcoal readily adsorbs a wide range of organic compounds dissolved or suspended in gases and liquids. In certain industrial processes, such as the purification of sucrose from cane sugar, impurities cause an undesirable color, which can be removed with activated charcoal. It is also used to absorb odors and toxins in gases, such as air. Charcoal filters are also used in some types of gas masks. The medical use of activated charcoal is mainly the adsorption of poisons, especially in the case of suicide attempts in which the patient has ingested a large amount of a drug. Activated charcoal is available without a prescription, so it is used for a variety of health-related applications. For example, it is often used to reduce discomfort (and embarrassment) due to excessive gas in the digestive tract.^{[citation needed]}
Animal charcoal or bone black is the carbonaceous residue obtained by the dry distillation of bones. It contains only about 10% carbon, the remainder being calcium and magnesium phosphates (80%) and other inorganic material originally present in the bones. It is generally manufactured from the residues obtained in the glue and gelatin industries. Its decolorizing power was applied in 1812 by Derosne to the clarification of the syrups obtained in sugar refining; but its use in this direction has now greatly diminished, owing to the introduction of more active and easily managed reagents. It is still used to some extent in laboratory practice. The decolorizing power is not permanent, becoming lost after using for some time; it may be revived, however, by washing and reheating. Wood charcoal also to some extent removes coloring material from solutions, but animal charcoal is generally more effective.^{[citation needed]}

Art

Four sticks of vine charcoal and four sticks of compressed charcoal

Two charcoal pencils in paper sheaths designed to be unwrapped as the pencil is used and two charcoal pencils in wooden sheaths

Charcoal is used in art for drawing, making rough sketches in painting and is one of the possible media for making a parsemage. It must usually be preserved by the application of a fixative. Artists generally utilize charcoal in three forms:

• Vine charcoal is created by burning sticks of wood (usually willow or linden/Tilia) into soft, medium, and hard consistencies.^{[citation needed]}
• Powdered charcoal is often used to "tone" or cover large sections of a drawing surface. Drawing over the toned areas will darken it further, but the artist can also lighten (or completely erase) within the toned area to create lighter tones.
• Compressed charcoal charcoal powder mixed with gum binder compressed into round or square sticks. The amount of binder determines the hardness of the stick. Compressed charcoal is used in charcoal pencils.

Horticulture

One additional use of charcoal was rediscovered recently in horticulture. Although American gardeners have been using charcoal for a short while, research on Terra preta soils in the Amazon has found the widespread use of biochar by pre-Columbian natives to turn otherwise unproductive soil into very rich soil. The technique may find modern application, both to improve soils and as a means of carbon sequestration.^{[citation needed]}

Medicine

Charcoal was consumed in the past as dietary supplement for gastric problems in the form of charcoal biscuits. Now it can be consumed in tablet, capsule or powder form, for digestive effects.^{[citation needed]} Research regarding its effectiveness is controversial. (Am J Gastroenterology 2005 Feb 100(2)397-400 and 1999 Jan 94(1) 208-12)
Red colobus monkeys in Africa have been observed eating charcoal for the purposes of self-medication. Their leafy diets contain high levels of cyanide, which may lead to indigestion. So they learned to consume charcoal, which absorbs the cyanide and relieves indigestion. This knowledge about supplementing their diet is transmitted from mother to infant.^[8]
Also, see Activated charcoal, medicinal applications.

Smoking

Special charcoals are used in smoking the hookah. Lit coals are placed on top of foil which is placed over the tobacco bowl; through indirect heat the coals "cook" the tobacco to a temperature that does not burn it but produces smoke.

Environmental implications

Charcoal production at a sub-industrial level is one of the primary causes of deforestation in the Developing World. Charcoal production is usually illegal and nearly always unregulated.^{[citation needed]} Massive forest destruction has been documented in areas such as Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is considered to be a primary threat to the survival of the mountain gorillas.^[9] Similar threats are found in Zambia.^{[10]
Source Wikipedia
Kuala Sepetang Eco Tourism, Boat Ride to Mangrove Forest, Firefly, fireflies} 

BERNAMA Report On Kg Dew

RENCANA-KELIP-KELIP
NIKMATI EKO-PELANCONGAN BERTEMANKAN KELIP-KELIP, UDANG GALAH DI KAMPUNG DEW
TAIPING...
 -- Keindahan tatkala menyusuri Sungai Sepetang perlahan-lahan dengan menaiki bot sambil dihembus kedinginan malam di Kampung Dew yang terletak berhampiran Kamunting di sini mungkin sukar diterjemahkan dengan bait-bait kata, apatah lagi melihat kelip-kelip berterbangan dari satu ranting pokok Berembang ke ranting yang lain.
Deruman enjin bot dan kocakan air sungai, sesekali tersua dengan nelayan yang mencari rezeki menjala udang galah dari aliran Sungai Sepetang seperti tidak dihiraukan untuk melihat keindahan setiap pohon Berembang yang berada di sepanjang kiri dan kanan sungai itu yang 'dihiasi' beratus-ratus kelip-kelip. Ia umpama pohon Krismas, malah lebih hebat daripada itu!
Kelip-kelip yang umpama 'bintang mengerdip di langit malam' itu mendiami kawasan Sungai Sepetang di Kampung Dew adalah merupakan daripada spesis 'Pteroptyx Tener' yang berkelip lebih kurang tiga kali dalam setiap saat. Spesis ini juga boleh berkelip secara beritma 'synchronize'.Kelip-kelip Kg Dew mengambil cogan kata "Ritma Cahaya Alam" atau "Synchronized Lights In Nature" sempena tabiatnya yang berkelip serentak.

Waktu terbaik untuk menikmati keindahan cahaya kelip-kelip ini adalah pada sebelah malam iaitu antara 7 hingga 11 malam. Pelancong dinasihatkan datang semasa bulan gelap atau bulan sabit kerana kelipannya akan menjadi lebih jelas. Jika hujan pada sebelah petang akan meninggalkan kesan air pada daun pokok berembang dan kelipan akan bertambah cantik lagi kerana biasan pada daun dan di permukaan air.


Sebelum ini, para pengunjung yang ingin melihat kelip-kelip terpaksa menempuh perjalanan yang jauh kira-kira 20 kilometer dari Pusat Eko-
Pelajaran Hutan Bakau Kuala Sepetang yang diuruskan oleh Pejabat Hutan untuk melihat kelip-kelip Kampung Dew.

Menyedari potensi eko-pelancongan yang semakin mendapat tempat orang ramai, kini penduduk Kampung Dew menguruskan sendiri eko-pelancongan kelip-kelip 

Pemandu pelancong Khairul Salleh Ahmad berkata kini para pengunjung boleh menyaksikan sendiri keajaiban dunia ini hanya satu kilometer dari Jeti Kelip-kelip Kampung Dew malah mereka boleh memilih jenis pengangkutan sama ada bot untuk sepuluh orang pelancong yang lebih stabil atau sampan yang boleh dinaiki oleh 3 pelancong untuk merasai pengalaman berada paling hampir dengan koloni kelip-kelip.
Menurut beliau lagi, kebanyakan mereka yang datang untuk menikmati keindahan alam di Kampung Dew dan kawasan sekitarnya adalah pengunjung yang datang berkumpulan.
"Apa yang menarik mengenai kelip-kelip ini, dua hingga tiga jam pertama pengelipan adalah terang dan berterusan. Selepas itu, kadar pengelipan akan menjadi rendah dan akan berhenti apabila matahari terbit...selalunya kelip-kelip betina hinggap pada hujung daun pokok dan mengelip dengan merendahkan abdomen untuk berada dekat dengan daun," ujarnya. Tujuan utama pengerdipan ialah untuk menarik pasangannya. Kelip-kelip betina akan memilih kelip-kelip jantan yang paling memikat hatinya. Sebab lain ialah untuk menakutkan musuh. Kelip-kelip mempunyai toxic di badannya. Pemangsa yang pernah memakan kelip-kelip tidak lagi menjadikannya sebagai mangsanya selepas terkena toxic.

PANCING UDANG GALAH
Aktiviti memancing udang galah di Sungai Sepetang yang menjadi sempadan bagi daerah Larut, Matang dan Selama dan Kerian juga antara menjadi tarikan kepada pakej eko-pelancongan Kampung Dew.
Khairul Salleh menambah kebanyakan pemancing seringkali membawa pulang hasil tangkapan sejumlah besar udang galah yang galak memakan umpan terutamanya perumpun nipah, cacing atau udang lombong sahaja.
"Saiznya pula pelbagai ada yang ranggah (sepit biru) mencecah 200 gram seekor dan ada pula saiz sebesar ibu jari kaki yang cukup enak untuk dimakan. Pemancing pula biasanya turun memancing pada waktu petang ketika hari panas. Sebagai persediaan, pemancing diingatkan membawa tiga atau empat set pancing ringan, batu ladung saiz tiga dan sejumlah mata kail yang siap diikat.Kini penduduk kampung menerima pendapatan tambahan dengan menyewa sampan mereka kepada kaki pancing. Bagi pelancong yang ingin merasai pengalaman memancing udang galah boleh mengambil pakej sehari yang ditawarkan meliputi sewa pancing, umpan dan tekong," ujarnya.
Sebelum aktiviti memancing udang galah, pengunjung biasanya akan diberikan taklimat keselamatan dan latihan menggunakan set pancing, mengenali umpan dan teknik memancing udang galah dengan betul.

Para pengunjung juga boleh menikmati keenakan mee udang galah dan kelazatan air nira nipah yang disediakan oleh restoran di tepi jalan utama.
"Pengunjung boleh juga menikmati udang galah goreng. Biar goreng garing-garing baru sedap rasanya," ujarnya lagi.
Menurut Mohd Hashim Hassan, 53, yang bekerja di kilang pembuatan arang, beliau boleh memperoleh antara tujuh hingga lapan kilogram udang galah sehari sekiranya turun ke sungai untuk menyuluh udang galah. Peristiwa ini hanya boleh diperolehi ketika air sungai jernih. Dengan menggunakan serampang saya akan menyuluh udang galah yang berpaut pada akar kayu dan menikamnya. Namun pekerjaan ini penuh risiko kerana terpaksa masuk ke bawah pokok dan semak hutan sungai di malam hari. Khairul Salleh yang pernah mengikut saya sekali tidak berani lagi menghadapi risiko ini.
"Pakcik tak makan, biasanya pemancing udang galah jual hasil mereka, ini lebih untung. Biasanya sekilogram jual dalam RM30. Ada masa kalau udang galah kurang, harganya boleh naik lagi," tambahnya.

KILANG ARANG BAKAU
Sungai Sepetang merupakan sebahagian daripada Hutan Paya Laut Matang yang berkeluasan (41,000) 101,877 hektar dan demikian ia memberi peluang kepada pengunjung menerokai pelbagai spesis flora dan fauna dari ekosistem persisiran pantai dan kawasan hutan paya laut. Paling sinonim adalah pokok-pokok bakau yang menjadi benteng daratan daripada hakisan ombak dan Tsunami.
Sistem pengurusan hutan berkenaan telah genap 100 tahun pada September 2004 dan ia merupakan kawasan hutan pokok bakau tertua dan diiktiraf sebagai hutan bakau yang terbaik daripada segi pengurusan dan pentadbiran hutan.
Para pengunjung berpeluang membina pengetahuan mengenai hutan bakau di sini serta yang paling menarik adalah merasai 'kehangatan' aktiviti di kilang arang kayu bakau yang memang sinomin dengan Kampung Dew dan Sungai Sepetang.
Khairul Salleh memberitahu pengunjung akan dibawa melawat kilang arang serta merasa pengalaman berada dalam dapur arang yang panas seperti berada di dalam sauna.
"Anda juga boleh mencuba melakukan sendiri kerja-kerja memproses arang seperti mengangkat kayu bakau, membuang kulit kayu bakau, dan menggred arang," tambahnya.
Menurut Mohd Hashim yang bekerja di kilang pembuatan arang sejak berusia 21 tahun berkata terdapat dua jenis kayu bakau yang diproses untuk kayu arang iaitu bakau minyak dan bakau kurap.
"Arang daripada dua jenis bakau ini mempunyai kualiti nyalaan yang berbeza. Arang bakau minyak tidak banyak masalah, nyalaan api yang
sempurna dan baranya lebih tahan lama manakala arang bakau kurap nyalaannya mempunyai percikan api kecil-kecil," katanya.

KEMUDAHAN DINAIKTARAF
Bagi yang ingin berkunjung ke Kampung Dew untuk menikmati pakej sehari meliputi aktiviti di dapur arang, aktviti nelayan seperti memancing udang galah dan kelip-kelip yang ditawarkan oleh penduduk kampung, mereka boleh berehat di "rumah bertandang" yang disediakan di Kampung Dew atau menempah sendiri homestay yang ada beberapa kawasan berhampiran seperti Kamunting dan Taiping.
Ada homestay yang berada di kawasan perumahan bandar, perkampungan biasa dan berhampiran sawah padi yang boleh ditempah lebih awal.
Khairul Salleh berkata sambutan pengunjung terhadap eko-pelancongan yang disediakan oleh penduduk kampung setakat ini sangat memberangsangkan.
"Setakat ini bermula dari 2009, kita telah menerima 600 pengunjung dan jumlah itu semakin meningkat. Setiap pelancong yang datang berkumpulan akan diberikan penerangan secara slideshow Ms Powerpoint supaya pelancong diberi pendidikan pemuliharaan dan kesedaran pemeliharaan alam sekitar, Inilah kelainan berbanding tempat lain, kami mahu pelancong balik dengan pengalaman dan ilmu mengenai kelip-kelip dan boleh menjadi duta kepada ekopelancongan kami. Kami juga mengambil maklum balas bagi menambah nilai perkhidmatan yang disediakan. Matlamat kami ialah menjadikan Kg Dew sebagai destinasi ekopelancongan bertaraf dunia menjelang 2015" katanya.
Sementara itu ketika menyertai ekspedisi eko-pelancongan kelip-kelip, Exco Kanan Kerajaan Negeri Perak Yb. Datuk Hamidah Osman mengumumkan berita gembira buat warga Kampung Dew yang sentiasa berusaha untuk memajukan industri berkenaan, iaitu kerajaan negeri meluluskan peruntukan RM50,000 bagi menaiktaraf kemudahan eko-pelancongan kelip-kelip Kampung Dew yang mula diperkenalkan tiga tahun lalu.

"Kampung ini amat bertuah kerana dianugerahkan khazanah alam yang merupakan satu keindahan, jika dimanfaatkan ia boleh menjana pendapatan tambahan kepada masyarakat di sini. Saya ingin mengingatkan supaya 100 kaki dari tebing Sungai Sepetang tidak "diusik" kerana ia merupakan habitat kelip-kelip. Kita bersama-sama perlu jaga anugerah tidak ternilai ini," katanya.

Beliau yang juga bertanggungjawab terhadap industri pelancongan negeri meminta masyarakat di Kampung Dew sentiasa menjaga kebersihan.

"Saya difahamkan jika bernasib baik, kita juga berpeluang menyaksikan ikan lumba-lumba di muara Sungai Sepetang, kehadiran ikan lumba-lumba ini adalah ujian kepada tahap kebersihan air di situ. Ia ada jika air bersih, begitu juga kelip-kelip dan udang galah," katanya.

Beliau turut menambah promosi secara besar-besaran adalah aspek penting yang perlu diusahakan untuk memajukan eko-pelancongan di Kampung Dew antaranya menerbitkan brosur yang lebih bermaklumat serta meletakkan papan tanda besar di tempat strategik bagi memudahkan pelancong.Selain itu peranan pemandu pelancong yang mesra, baik dan berpengetahuan adalah perlu bagi menarik kehadiran pelancong.

"Cerita dan kisah daripada pemandu pelancong turut memainkan peranan supaya pengunjung pulang dengan pengetahuan dan kisah yang menarik," katanya.

Khairul Salleh mengalu-alukan kehadiran para pengunjung untuk menikmati keindahan alam melalui pakej eko-pelancongan yang ditawarkan oleh penduduk kampung dengan menghubunginya di talian 012-514 5023 dan emel ke amirulisa@yahoo.com.my atau melayari http://fireflyzone.blogspot.com untuk keterangan lanjut

Kelip-kelip Kampung Dew Fireflies in New Straits Times 11 August 2011

Go: Twinkle, twinkle little bugs

2011/08/10

PUTRI ZANINA

putri@nstp.com.my

fireflies
Kampung Dew in Perak is gaining a reputation as a firefly tourist destination. PUTRI ZANINA is fascinated

AS the boat glides along the river with water that barely shimmers in the pitch dark of the night, our boatman and guide’s high-pitched voice pierces the air.

There is no moon and Abdul Halim Bidin tells us in that now familiar high tone, it’s a “perfect time to see fireflies”.

Since we left the jetty at Kampung Dew about 15 minutes ago, Halim has been chattering almost non-stop, excitedly telling us how something so ordinary to villagers like him has become a tourist attraction.
For years, there have been huge colonies of fireflies thriving near the small, sleepy village, which is about five minutes’ drive from the Kamunting toll plaza near Taiping in Perak.

“Once a little boy on one of our fireflies cruises asked me, ’Pak cik, are you cheating (me)? Did you put battery lamps on those trees?’. I told him, ‘no lah, these are not lampu kelip-kelip, these are for real’,” says Halim, laughing as he recalls the story.

Lampu kelip-kelip are blinking fairy lights that the Malay community often put up in their homes as part of Hari Raya celebrations. These bulbs flicker, just like the kelip-kelip (fireflies or lightning bugs, as some call them). I feel the bugs flash their lights more spectacularly than light bulbs. And along the Sungai Sepetang in Kampung Dew, the natural lightshow is spectacular.

I sit in the boat, entranced. Millions of fireflies flicker in perfect synchrony on huge berembang trees on both sides of the riverbank. The berembang trees are a mangrove species that’s the only known habitat for fireflies in this country.

Flashing and mating

The flickering lights in the trees cast brilliant reflections on the surface of the river. It’s like a magic show in the dark.

Fireflies flashing their lights on a berembang tree. (inset) Synchronous firefly — MNS picture

Halim breaks the spell when he says the fireflies here are mainly of the Pteroptyx tener species, one of 2,000 firefly species that thrive in tropical and temperate regions. It is also the same synchronous species that inhabit the more famous Kampung Kuantan in Kuala Selangor, known the world over for fireflies watching.

But I say, move over Kampung Kuantan, your lights are out. Here comes Kampung Dew — where it’s still so raw, so wild, so bright.

Many of the berembang trees here are matured, standing as tall as 1½ storey buildings. The fireflies colonise these trees, perching on the leaves and branches, and even just hovering.

The flashing starts just after sunset and goes on till pre-dawn. This is how the bugs communicate. It’s a natural phenomenon, an astonishing collective mating trick. The males fly and flash, then pause.

Are they re-charging or waiting for an answering flash? I wonder. The males flash about every seven seconds and the females answer about two seconds later.

The romantic rendezvous for adult bugs are short-lived. It’s a bit tragic, considering the showy light antics. The adult firefly lives for just two weeks, mainly to find their mates. After mating, the male firefly will die and the female dies after laying its eggs.

Time to celebrate

Before the boat trip, I had joined the villagers (mostly farmers, fishermen and factory workers) in their first ever Pesta Kelip-Kelip. It was a celebration for the simple folk who have been introduced to a new means to support their livelihood, an eco-tourism product, said the VIP who graced the event, Datuk See Tean Seng, the State Legislative Assembly coordinator for Kuala Sepetang.

Representing Perak tourism committee chairman Datuk Hamidah Osman, See came not only to launch the Fireflies, Mangroves & Community celebration but also to launch the logo of Pertubuhan Kelip-kelip Cahaya Alam Perak (Kecap), a body newly formed by the villagers of Kampung Dew to manage its firefly location as a tourist destination.

Set to be an annual event, it was organised by Kecap and the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), and supported by the Perak state government, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry as well as Ramsar Regional Centre East Asia.

MNS was instrumental in the participation of Ramsar, which is the convention on wetlands signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, to provide national and international framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

The villagers learned about nature conservation through workshops held by MNS and KECAP.

Children taking part in firefly colouring contest, a side event held during the fiesta

Making it iconic

Many people can take credit for the firefly project, including Mohamad Noor Salleh, Kecap president and village head of Kampung Ayer Puteh.

Khairul plays a key role in promoting Kampung Dew

The villagers are also assisted by concerned individuals such as Khairul Salleh Ahmad, a clerk from Taiping and Kecap secretary. The locals fondly call him Cik Khairul. According to Halim, it was Khairul who helped start it all.
.
“We were fishing on the river one night and Cik Khairu as so in awe of the fireflies here that he said we could promote this place to tourists, like in Kampung Kuantan.”

About two years ago, the villagers, with the help of Khairul, started bringing small groups of visitors to see the fireflies.

“Last year, more than 250 people came,” says Khairul, who actively promotes the Kampung Dew firefly tour through his own blog, fireflyzone.blogspot.com. This has created new waves along Sungai Sepetang.

“This place has the potential to become the tourism icon for Perak,” says MNS president Professor Dr Maketab Mohamad, whose members put up informative booths at the event location next to the river jetty.

“There are 130 berembang trees with huge colonies of fireflies here in Kampung Dew. There are only about 30 now in Kampung Kuantan,” adds Maketab.

There used to be more in Kampung Kuantan but development near Sungai Selangor had disturbed the fireflies’ habitat and resulted in the bugs slowly disappearing.

Needing help

While MNS is helping with nature conservation, Kampung Dew villagers, who are new to running an eco-tourism venture, need other types of help. They need money to improve infrastructure, especially the jetty.

“The existing wooden platform is fragile — it needs regular scrubbing or it gets slippery,” says Halim, who’s also in charge of safety under Kecap.

They also need better signboards, eco-friendly boats (now they run noisy, diesel-powered fishing boats instead of the quieter environmental-friendly electric-run cruise boats), more life vests and better ways to receive and handle tourists.

There are no ticket counters at the jetty. Visitors call ahead to book, and Khairul and his team will arrange the tour.

See is aware of the locals’ needs and plans are afoot to get the allocation to improve facilities. The plan also includes the building of a firefly monument in the area to signify its attraction.

“Visitors can take pictures against the backdrop of this monument since it’s difficult to photograph the fireflies in its habitat,” says See.

Indeed, it’s not easy to take pictures of the flickering fireflies. Our pictures turned out blotchy black.

Supporting livelihood

As Halim steers the boat further downstream where the river is wider, we see more fireflies in the tall berembang trees. These grow in short stretches, interspersed with long rows of nipah palms.

“The 130 berembang trees which we counted with MNS along this river are the ones that have very large colonies of fireflies. We don’t count the trees with smaller colonies,” says Halim.

He says nipah palms are a major source of income for the villagers, besides fish and prawn from the river. Villagers harvest the leaves to make attap roofing, baskets, mats and even cigarettes. The juice from the flowers is made into drinks and vinegar, and the fruit is eaten.

While nipah is favoured over the berembang for economic reasons, the villagers are beginning to realise the need to conserve the berembang to support the firefly project.

Halim welcomes the local authorities’ recent move to protect the firefly area. He says development is not allowed within 100m from the riverbanks.

For the love of fireflies

With berembang, nipah and wild bushes silhouetted against an almost black sky, the area looks invitingly pristine. It remains so almost throughout the long and slow journey.

I had opted to go in a small boat that could only fit four persons, a wise decision as it turned out and one that allowed me to take in the scene more intimately.

Halim is careful to keep the outboard motor noise down to a purr, unlike the bigger boats with some 10 people on board, zooming past noisily.

Noise, pollution and light from camera and torches aimed directly at the fireflies are recipes for disaster that will eventually drive away the sensitive tiny creatures that are just the size of a rice grain.

I appreciate it when Halim lets the boat glide near the bank, never once ramming the branches to disturb the bugs (guides in other firefly spots are fond of doing this).

Halim says none of the guides smoke when conducting the tours. It’s part of the ethics they observe in fireflies territory.

“We should not disturb them. We only pick up those that have fallen in the river, and then release them,” says Halim, a fisherman in the day and guide at night. Born and bred in Kampung Dew, the river is his playground. It is the main source of life for this village, which is divided by four mukim (sub-district) — Asam Kumbang, Jebong, Gunung Semanggol and Selinsing. The fireflies are in Asam Kumbang which has a population of about 200 people.

Kampung Dew is named after Arthur T. Dew, a British citizen and owner of Perak Estate in the early 20th Century. It is located at the start of the 10km-long fireflies colony. It takes about three hours to cruise the full distance and return.

“I’ve been plying this river since I was 6. There used to be much more fireflies in the past,” he says.

Community project

Today, Halim worries about many issues, such as the wooden platform at the jetty, rubbish and farm waste thrown into the river by villagers and industry waste dumped by nearby factories.

The villagers depend on the river for survival. Though action has been taken to deal with some of the factories, the dumping of other types of wastes and rubbish persists, which if not stopped, will affect the fish, prawn, crab and snail.

“Firefly larvae feed on the snails, so imagine if these are gone,” laments Halim, one of the few villagers who are serious about the firefly venture. They are the custodians of this rural community project. Development has to be controlled lest it kills the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Kampung Dew is still as fresh as a dewdrop. It’s best for its people to learn from the Kampung Kuantan experience.

How to get there

From the North-South Highway, exit at Kamunting in Taiping. Then follow the old trunk road towards Parit Buntar. Nearing an elevated road that looks like a bridge, you’ll see a Kampung Dew Kelip-Kelip signboard. Turn right and, in a few minutes, you’ll reach the jetty.

Where to stay

Taiping is the nearest town with many lodging options, which include Sri Malaysia Hotel (05-806 9502), Flemington Hotel (05-820 7777) and Cosy Rest Guest House (apartment rental — 016-564 7408/016-5474 802).

Tour Info

Firefly cruise: RM 80 per small boat maximum 3 pax in a boat (We stopped the tour for small boat for a while from 21 July 2012), RM300 per big boat (max 10 in a boat). Other rates and packages are also available. Time: 7pm to midnight.

Cruise duration: From twohour. For details, call 012-514 5023 (Khairul) or go to fireflyzone.blogspot.com.

Mee udang (prawn soup noodles) is a specialty in Kuala Sepetang

Must-visit places in and near Kampung Dew include traditional charcoal factory with old igloo-like kilns made of bricks and clay, Taiping Lake Gardens, Zoo Taiping & Night Safari (a good option is to combine firefly cruise with the Night Safari), Taiping’s museums and historical places, Bukit Larut, Matang Mangrove Forest Outdoor Education Centre and Kuala Sepetang for its famous special prawn noodles (with udang galah).


Read more: Go: Twinkle, twinkle little bugs http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Go_Twinkle_twinklelittlebugs/Article/#ixzz1Ugdulu9S

Conservation of Fireflies

Conservation of Fireflies

Participants from 13 countries met at the Second International Firefly Symposium in Selangor, Malaysia from 2nd to 5th August 2010. They included experts in the fields of taxonomy, genetics, biology, behaviour, ecology and conservation of fireflies as well as members of government agencies, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, corporations and the public. The theme of the symposium was ‘Firefly Conservation: From Science to Practice.’ The following declaration was made in conjunction with the symposium at the Third International Firefly Research Network Meeting on 5th August 2010.

The ability of fireflies to produce light has been used to the benefit mankind in biomedical research, yet little is known of the diversity of fireflies in many regions of the world because research on the taxonomy of fireflies has not been sufficiently emphasised or adequately funded. As a result, in-depth research has focused on a limited number of species. At the same time, firefly populations are declining across the world, and there is an urgent need for conservation of their habitats. This reflects a decline in the health of the environment and a global trend of increasing biodiversity loss. Governments, local authorities and government agencies need to take measures to preserve the habitats of fireflies and support research, which ultimately provides valuable information to aid in conservation. Protection of the habitats of fireflies contributes to the conservation of many other species of wildlife and a better quality of life for human beings. Fireflies have the potential to be used in education to enhance environmental and conservation awareness. Fireflies have also in recent years become ecotourism icons. Ecotourism needs to be managed sustainably with good, ecologically sound guidelines. Local communities should be involved in the ecotourism industry, be beneficiaries of its economic returns and be involved in conservation.

We, the participants of the Second International Firefly Symposium and Third International Firefly Research Network Meeting recognise and advocate that:

1. Fireflies are a part of our biodiversity heritage and are iconic insects that have been the subject of much investigation in the sciences, an inspiration in the arts and a part of local cultures, folklores and traditions because of their ability to produce light. This ability has also enabled their genes and enzymes to be used in biomedical research for the benefit of mankind.
2. The world’s firefly diversity is still poorly understood, and studies on their physiology and behaviour have focused on only a small number of species. Taxonomic research on fireflies has been poorly funded and given insufficient priority, but is greatly needed since it forms the basis for our understanding of their diversity and is crucial for the development of other aspects of firefly research.
3. Fireflies have been a source of ecotourism revenue for many communities in different parts of the world and have the potential to bring similar benefits to other local communities. Fireflies and their natural habitats also enhance quality of life and contribute to economies through the promotion of aesthetically pleasing landscapes that have greater appeal.
4. Fireflies are indicators of the health of the environment and are declining across the world as a result of degradation and loss of suitable habitat, pollution of river systems, increased use of pesticides in agro-ecosystems and increased light pollution in areas of human habitation. The decline of fireflies is a cause for concern and reflects the global trend of increasing biodiversity loss.
5. Intervention is greatly needed from governments to preserve existing habitats for the conservation of fireflies. The restoration of habitats is not always possible, requires many years and requires high financial inputs.
6. The habitats of fireflies are a refuge for many forms of wildlife including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and numerous species of invertebrates. Conservation of these habitats, therefore, has the potential to conserve a wide range of fauna.

We urge governments, local authorities and government agencies worldwide to take decisive and concrete action at the regional, national and local level to:

1. First and foremost, protect the habitats of fireflies so as to preserve these iconic creatures and other fauna for the enjoyment of future generations.
2. Undertake rehabilitation of degraded firefly habitats to enable gradual recovery of populations.
3. Develop management plans for firefly ecotourism sites that enable them to be managed sustainably and in a manner that is ecologically sound.
4. Promote the involvement of local communities in firefly ecotourism and ensure they are beneficiaries of the economic returns.
5. Ensure local communities are equipped with knowledge of the habitats, life cycle and ecology of fireflies and are fully involved in conservation efforts.
6. Promote education on firefly conservation at the level of schools, and create awareness among the public on the natural history and conservation of fireflies.

We strongly recommend that governments, local authorities, agencies and corporations support the allocation of human and financial resources for:

1. Inventory and documentation of firefly species in highly diverse, under-researched areas such as Asia, Africa and tropical America.
2. Taxonomic research on fireflies at both the morphological and molecular level, which forms a basis for our understanding of the world’s poorly-documented firefly fauna.
3. Research on fireflies that provides key information on all aspects of their classification, genetics, biology, ecology, behaviour, physiology, conservation and utilisation in biomedical research.
4. The development and application of low environmental impact techniques that minimise degradation of firefly habitats yet enable the development of infrastructure for the benefit of human communities.
5. Collaboration and the sharing of research findings among researchers, and communication of research findings to government authorities and agencies to aid the cause of firefly conservation.
6. Education on the ecology and conservation of fireflies at the level of schools, local communities and the public, as a tool for inculcating environmental responsibility.


Dated this 5th day of August, 2010, by
the participants of the Second International Firefly Symposium
and Third International Firefly Research Network Meeting
in Subang, Selangor, Malaysia

For further information contact:
The Secretariat, International Firefly Symposium 2010
Entomology Branch, Tropical Forest Biodiversity Centre
Forest Research Institute Malaysia
52109 Kepong, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel. +603-6279 7112
Email: ifs2010@frim.gov.my