My wife and I haven't been to many mangrove forests/parks/swamps but I distinctly remember two. The first was near the Tua Pek Kong temple in Sitiawan about six years ago while the second was at Tanjong Piai where we walked to the southernmost tip of Johore in 2019. To reach there, we had to cross a mangrove swamp on a boardwalk. Oh yes, I now remember a third mangrove swamp at Pulau Ubin, Singapore, which we visited in 2018.
There is now a fourth: the protected Sungai Merbok Mangrove Forest Reserve in Kedah, where we were last month as part of our Kedah excursion with some monks and volunteers from the Nandaka Vihara. This forest reserve is located near the mouth of the Sungai Merbok where it meets the Strait of Malacca. There are about 3,000 hectares of forest reserve land which is known for its rich biodiversity.
Ecologically, the place is home to a diverse array of flora and fauna. It supports various mangrove species which provide important nesting and breeding sites for numerous bird species, including migratory birds that travel long distances. A haven for birdwatchers as kingfishers, herons, egrets and eagles have been observed. The wildlife here include reptiles, amphibians and mammals.
The oyster industry is among the economic activities carried out by the Jerai Geopark community in Sungai Merbok. The villagers use the Sungai Merbok area as a source of livelihood by fishing in the traditional method known as pompang apart from raising fish in cages or catching them in nets. Another known activity is the production of charcoal from the mangrove trees but this is a dying industry. As far as I know, there is only one major charcoal factory left in nearby Semiling.
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| A model of a furnace which was once used to make charcoal from the mangrove trees |
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