 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Charcoal factory owner Chuah Chow Aun has a special
relationship with the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve. Like
his father before him, Chuah is in the charcoal business and it
revolves around the mangroves and the rising tides.
His factory in Kuala Sepetang is next to a canal that leads to
the mangrove reserve. When the tide is up, there is a rush of
activity. Boats head out to the mangrove reserve to harvest
the trees. Harvesting mangrove trees is a work against time
and tide. High tide last for just a couple of hours and the trees
must be cut down and hauled back to the factory before the
tide goes out. Like the old adage ‘time and tide waits for no
man”, if they are too slow, the tide will go out and the boats will
be left in the reserve.
Back at the factory grounds, several igloo-shaped kilns which
measure 7m high are being prepared. These kilns are used to
bake the green logs harvested from the Matang Mangrove
Forest Reserve. The green logs are then baked at high
temperatures. The process takes about a month, at varying
temperatures, slowly removing all moister from the logs. Final
product - shiny black charcoal.
relationship with the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve. Like
his father before him, Chuah is in the charcoal business and it
revolves around the mangroves and the rising tides.
His factory in Kuala Sepetang is next to a canal that leads to
the mangrove reserve. When the tide is up, there is a rush of
activity. Boats head out to the mangrove reserve to harvest
the trees. Harvesting mangrove trees is a work against time
and tide. High tide last for just a couple of hours and the trees
must be cut down and hauled back to the factory before the
tide goes out. Like the old adage ‘time and tide waits for no
man”, if they are too slow, the tide will go out and the boats will
be left in the reserve.
Back at the factory grounds, several igloo-shaped kilns which
measure 7m high are being prepared. These kilns are used to
bake the green logs harvested from the Matang Mangrove
Forest Reserve. The green logs are then baked at high
temperatures. The process takes about a month, at varying
temperatures, slowly removing all moister from the logs. Final
product - shiny black charcoal.
The Charcoal Factory at Kuala Sepetang
Baking the logs is a month long process
at varying temperatures.
at varying temperatures.
The canal beside the factory with logs
hauled from the reserve.
hauled from the reserve.
Mr. Chuah explaining the process of
charcoal to visitors.
charcoal to visitors.
Workers fight against time and tide. The
logs have to be harvested and hauled back
to the factory before the tide goes out.
logs have to be harvested and hauled back
to the factory before the tide goes out.
Visitors from around the world looking
inside one of the kilns.
inside one of the kilns.
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| The Matang mangroves is one of the largest producers of charcoal in the country. Visitors from all around the world drop in on Chuah for tours around the factory. Some of the uses of charcoal include BBQs, water filters and cooking. |
Final product - shiny black charcoal.
| Kinta Nature Park |
| Egrets in Kinta Nature Park by Laurence Poh/MNS |
The Kinta Valley in Perak is filled with
abandoned tin mining lakes and pools.
Studies by MNS in the late 1990s suggested
that former tin mining lands contained
important biological diversity and protect
ecological processes. MNS submitted a
proposal to the Perak State government in
2000 to conserve the Kinta Nature Park in
Batu Gajah and listed the park in the MNS
Blueprint for Conservation.
Kinta Nature Park is home to at least 120 bird
species, with almost 60% of them listed as
Totally Protected or Protected under the
Protection under the Protection of Wild Life
Act 1976. Furthermore, KNP is the only
location in the country that hosts five
breeding population of herons and egrets.
abandoned tin mining lakes and pools.
Studies by MNS in the late 1990s suggested
that former tin mining lands contained
important biological diversity and protect
ecological processes. MNS submitted a
proposal to the Perak State government in
2000 to conserve the Kinta Nature Park in
Batu Gajah and listed the park in the MNS
Blueprint for Conservation.
Kinta Nature Park is home to at least 120 bird
species, with almost 60% of them listed as
Totally Protected or Protected under the
Protection under the Protection of Wild Life
Act 1976. Furthermore, KNP is the only
location in the country that hosts five
breeding population of herons and egrets.
A development plan for Kinta Nature
Park was drawn up by MNS in 2001,
underlining the suitable activities and
development for the conservation and
sustainable use of the park. MNS would
like to continue to encourage and
promote eco-tourism, nature education
and training activities in KNP, which also
coincides with the State’s tourism plans.
If you would like to help in their
conservation efforts, please contact the
Malaysian Nature Society.
Contact mns@mns.org.my
Park was drawn up by MNS in 2001,
underlining the suitable activities and
development for the conservation and
sustainable use of the park. MNS would
like to continue to encourage and
promote eco-tourism, nature education
and training activities in KNP, which also
coincides with the State’s tourism plans.
If you would like to help in their
conservation efforts, please contact the
Malaysian Nature Society.
Contact mns@mns.org.my
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