Kg Dew Fireflies is one of the best places of interest attraction and interesting place in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia for you to visit.

Fireflies in Kg Dew is in the species of Pteroptyx tener. The mangrove trees called "berembang trees" by the local grow along the riverbanks of Sungai Sepetang river. These are the trees where the fireflies or "kelip kelip" in the local language congregating and feed on its dew. Like other bugs their life cycle is eggs, larvae, pupa and firefly. Female firefly lays their eggs on ground. After hatching the larvae looks for snail and eat it. As a predator the larvae consume everything they could hunt.

Firefly, one of the fascinating beetle that abound in Malaysia at one time and is now fast disappearing due to the fast pace of development. Fortunately, there are still fireflies congrageting at berembang tree to be seen in Kg Dew, Perak about 45 minutes or so drive from Penang Bridge using PLUS highway..

The best time to visit firefly is after nightfall at approximately 7:00pm to 11:00pm. It is also advisable to go when it is not full moon and not during raining evening.

Who to contact

Kg Dew Fireflies Eco-tourism, Kuala Sepetang, Taiping.

Tel 012 5145023 Amirul 

amirulisa@yahoo.com.my

Kelip-kelip Kg Dew (Ritma Cahaya Alam) merupakan satu tarikan istimewa di Taiping. Ia menjadi salah satu tempat lawatan menarik bagi pelancong yang datang ke Hutan Pendidikan Paya Laut Matang, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia

Matang, Kuala Sepetang dan Kelip-kelip

MATANG dan KUALA SEPETANG adalah dua penempatan kecil yang terletak dalam daerah Larut Matang, Perak, letaknya lebih kurang 15 km dari Bandar Taiping. Matang terletak dalam Mukim Simpang manakala Kuala Sepetang dalam Mukim Jebong. Dari segi pentadbiran, kedua-duanya adalah di bawah Majlis Perbandaran Taiping.

Penduduk Kuala Sepetang sebahagian besarnya masyarakat Cina yang sudah lama berkecimpung dalam bidang perikanan sebagai nelayan dan peniaga. Sementara majoriti penduduk Matang adalah orang Melayu yang bekerja di sektor pertanian dan perikanan.Sebelum ini pengunjung yang ingin melihat kelip-kelip terpaksa menempuh perjalanan yang jauh kira-kira 20 km dari Pusat Eko-pelajaranHutan Bakau Kuala Sepetang yang diuruskan oleh Pejabat Hutan untuk melihat kelip-kelip Kampung Dew.

Kini penduduk kampung telah menguruskan sendiri Eko-pelancongan kelip-kelip dan pengunjung dapat menyaksikan sendiri keajaiban dunia ini hanya 1 km dari jeti Kg Dew. Pengunjung boleh memilih sendiri jenis pengangkutan samada bot atau sampan untuk melihat kelip-kelip.

Kota Ngah Ibrahim di Matang

Papan Tanda Port Weld di Kuala Sepetang

Kedua-dua Matang dan Kuala Sepetang merupakan petempatan yang unik. Matang adalah pekan Melayu lama yang wujud sebelum pembukaan Taiping. Kota Ngah Ibrahim, Rumah Kapten Speedy, Balai Penghulu dan Masjid Tengku Menteri adalah beberapa contoh bangunan bersejarah yang masih wujud dan terpelihara di Matang. Rumah Majistret Pertama, Sekolah Rendah Terawal dan Rumah Pam Minyak Pertama adalah antara bangunan warisan yang dikenal pasti menjadi bangunan terpenting pada zaman dulu sebagai tonggak utama pembentukan pekan Matang ketika zaman pemerintahan Ngah Ibrahim(1836-1895).

Kuala Sepetang pula menjadi pusat aktiviti perikanan yang dinamik dan berkedudukan istimewa di muara Sungai Sepetang dan di kawasan Hutan Paya Laut Matang. Kuala Sepetang dan Hutan Paya Laut Matang, tidak asing bagi pencinta alam di dalam dan luar negara.

Pusat Eko Pelajaran Hutan Paya Laut Matang yang terletak di Kuala Sepetang menjadi destinasi yang amat popular di kalangan kumpulan ini dan juga golongan pelajar yang menggunakan kemudahan perkhemahan di sini. Hutan Paya Laut Matang pula destinasi utama eko pelancongan negeri Perak malah ia juga tersenarai dalam Pelan Eko Pelancongan Kebangsaan. Lawatan pelancong dan pengunjung luar tertumpu kepada Pusat Eko Pelajaran Hutan Paya Laut Matang, kilang dapur arang dan aktiviti menyusuri sungai.

Kuala Sepetang juga signifikan dari segi sejarah iaitu Port Weld yang dulunya sebuah pelabuhan terawal dan memiliki landasan keretapi pertama di negara ini yang enghubungi Port Weld dengan Taiping. Prospek Matang dan Kuala Sepetang sebagai pusat pelancongan adalah tinggi kerana terdapat begitu banyak sumber menarik yang boleh diketengahkan di kedua-dua tempat ini.

Bagaimanapun sumber-sumber yang ada sehingga ini masih belum dibangunkan secara bersepadu dan juga tidak disokong dengan kemudahan dan perhubungan mahupun publisiti yang sewajarnya. Ada peninggalan sejarah di Matang yang tidak dipelihara dengan baik dan ada kesan sejarah yang berkaitan dengan Port Weld juga kian hilang. Ini satu isu utama dalam pembangunan Matang dan Kuala Sepetang.

Pemeliharaan ikan dalam sangkar berkembang pesat di atas kawasan pembangunan yang terhad disebabkan oleh kedudukannya di tengah-tengah hutan paya laut. Pencerobohan hutan paya laut sudah berlaku dan akan terus berlaku jika tidak dikawal sewajarnya. Pembangunan yang tidak terkawal akan mengancam hutan paya laut yang menyokong aktiviti perikanannya. Akhirnya akan terjejas sekiranya keadaan sedemikian dibiarkan berlarutan.

Sementara keadaan penempatan yang sesak dan tidak teratur menyukarkan penyediaan kemudahan dan sistem perkhidmatan yang berkesan. Mengambil peluang daripada prospek dan menangani isu yang ada, perancangan yang khusus perlu dibuat bagi Matang dan Kuala Sepetang.

Dengan itu satu Rancangan Kawasan Khas (RKK) Matang Kuala Sepetang 2015 disediakan sebagai satu pelan tindakan bagi membangunkan Matang dan Kuala Sepetang. RKK ini
disediakan dengan kerjasama Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Semenanjung Malaysia, Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Negeri Perak dan Majlis Perbandaran
Taiping.

RKK ini seharusnya dijadikan panduan dan rujukan bagi Majlis Perbandaran Taiping selaku Pihak Berkuasa Perancang Tempatan dan agensi-agensi pelaksana dalam membangunkan dan menguruskan kawasan Matang dan Kuala Sepetang. Rancangan Kawasan Khas adalah merupakan satu rancangan statutori yang disediakan di bawah Akta
Perancangan Bandar dan Desa 1976, Akta 172. Akta ini memperuntukkan supaya RKK mengandungi cadangan-cadangan tindakan khusus yang terperinci bagi tujuan memajukan, memajukan semula, memperelokkan, memulihara atau bagi tujuan pengurusan kawasan berkenaan.

RKK Matang Kuala Sepetang menganjurkan supaya pembangunan bagi kawasan Matang dan Kuala Sepetang bertemakan Desa Pelancongan Warisan. Wawasan utamanya untuk menjadikan Matang dan Kuala Sepetang sebagai kawasan desa pelancongan warisan yang berdaya maju selaras dengan Wawasan Perak Maju 2015. Dalam merangka rancangan ini beberapa perkara menjadi asas pertimbangan;
• Pengekalan alam semulajadi, tumbuh-tumbuhan dan keadaan persekitaran.
• Penekanan kepada elemen pelancongan, reka bentuk perbandaran, landskap dan rekreasi.
• Pemeliharaan bangunan warisan dan kesan-kesan sejarah yang penting.

Telefon 0125145023 Khairul

Sungai Sepetang-one of the major firefly river in Perak

Posted by: malaysianfireflies on: March 23, 2010
In: firefly symposium or meetings and media
Comment!
http://thestar.com.my/services/printerfriendly.asp?file=/2010/3/20/north/5892618.asp&sec=north
The Star Online > NorthSaturday March 20, 2010
Call to look after fireflies By FOONG THIM LENG
The firefly colonies can be found about 1km downstream from Kampong Dew, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.
Wong said the river could be easily polluted by waste water from the farms and plantations.
”The firefly species found in the man-grove of Sungai Sepetang is the ‘pteroptyx tener’, the same species found in Sungai Selangor.
”The adult fireflies flashing together every night on a ‘berembang’ tree when they mate is a mesmerising sight to watch,” he said in an interview.
Mesmerising attraction: Wong giving a talk on fireflies at Sungai Sepetang during the MNS 70th anniversary roadshow in Ipoh. Sungai Sepetang, Wong said, was one of the congregating firefly zones (CFZs) in Malaysia, adding that some form of regulation was needed to protect the river’s firefly colonies.
”MNS is currently documenting the major CFZs in Malaysia for the Government to know where to protect and promote the fireflies as well as the mangrove habitats which are fast disappearing in the country.
”The mangroves in a CFZ act as a nursery for young fish and marine life, protect the coast from tsunamis and erosion, create food sources and provide charcoal,” he said,
Wong said the fireflies were an important eco-tourism product which could bring in revenue to the local community, state, and country just like the Sungai Selangor firefly watching industry.
“The fireflies of Sungai Sepetang are not the only attraction around here.
“Tourists can also visit the historical sites around Taiping, museums, charcoal factories, mangroves, fishing villages and also enjoy the local food.
”The fauna found here include migratory birds and crocodiles which tourists would love to watch,” he said.
Wong said the existence of fireflies was a good indicator of a clean river.
”In Japan, fireflies are protected by law. Their firefly watching period is only three months in summer.
”The drains or former streams are rehabilitated to become firefly habitats and are protected and looked after by the community.
”The Japanese like to watch fireflies and they come all the way to Malaysia to do this but locals here do not know the existence of fireflies in their own backyard and lack awareness in firefly protection,” he said.

Conservation of fireflies in Kg Dew & Sepetang river catchment

Conservation of fireflies in Kg Dew & Sepetang river catchment
Nurul Salmi, Abdul Latip,Nurul Nur Farhana Yahya and Asif Abdul Rahim
School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang
Fireflies are also important as biological indicators for the health of an environment,especially the wetlands. Decrease in the number of fireflies in an area can indicate a change in the environment of the area. Indirectly, the conservation of fireflies can also lead to theconservation of many of flora and fauna species that create the habitat of species. In additionto biological indicators, fireflies also have been used as biological control in agriculture, inmedicine and others.

It is of out most priority to educate not only local residents but also relevant
authorities and local government on the importance of fireflies and encourage them to
become involved in firefly conservation and thus, to protect the environment.

Relevant firefly aggregation to ensure that its life cycle is not disturbed. It is crucial and highly recommended that relevant authorities replanting of, berembang trees as well as Nypa in this areas in order to rehabilitate firefly habitat with the aim of, attracting and increasing its population.To do this, we need to understand the biology and ecology of firefly and the berembang trees to ensure that all firefly life cycle requirements such as soil salinity, water salinity and quality, prey, absence of human disturbance etc are fulfilled.

Integrated river basin management could be a starting point towards conservation actions, which will offer a platform for diverse stakeholders to cooperate and coordinate strategies.
Well coordinated strategies from all stakeholders will enable extended development in
other activities including ecotourism to take place in a systematic manner, ensuring
sustainable practices to be implemented and performed. One of the best example of tourism involved fireflies was Kampung Kuantan in Selangor. The fireflies of Kampung Kuantan have generated worldwide interest. Although fireflies are present throughout the Selangor river, synchronizing aggregation and flashing of the fireflies is restricted to areas along the riverbank where there are prominent Sonneratia (Berembang) stands.

The revenue from firefly tourism became a profitable side income to the local people and to this end has contributed towards improving the financial status and lifestyle of the village and its community. The success of Kampung Kuantan in fireflies tourism management can be a guide to Sepetang river. However, recent reports on the decline in its firefly population and habitat degradation should be critically heeded and lessons learned.

For Sepetang river, various challenges await if Integrated River Basin Management is to be implemented. Knowing the potential tourism attraction to the area, it is wise that the ecotourism potential is tapped in a sustainable manner. As a start, urgent actions has to be initiated immediately so as to control and monitor present human activities along the river if the current firefly population is to be maintained. This sensitive lampryids are racing against time for its survival.

Udang Galah Kembali Lagi

Tamat sudah tempoh pemulihan. Kini para pemancing udang galah boleh memulakan semula aktiviti pancingan. Hari Ahad yang lalu aku membawa Guru Besar SK Air Puteh dan isterinya memancing udang. Dapat 14 ekor. Hari Isnin dia menelefon mengenai resipi udang yang dimasak dan persetujuan isterinya untuk membeli bot dan enjin baru. Mana tidaknya hari iru Pn Narimah telah mendapat jackpot iaitu udang galah terbesar.

Kelip-kelip Kg Dew Welcome "CC1M - X2 NATURE"

Cuti-cuti 1Malaysia-X-Plore & X-Perience Nature
Please have a good rest at the hotel.