Danum Valley

  

 

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Danum Valley Field Centre provides facilities for research, education and wilderness recreation in one of Sabah's last strongholds of undisturbed lowland rainforest, the 438 sq km Danum Valley Conservation Area.


The Field Centre is run by the Sabah Foundation (Yayasan Sabah Group) under the aegis of a Management Committee which includes the Sabah Forestry Department, the Sabah Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and several other agencies with interests in forest research and conservation.

More about Danum Valley Field Centre......

Danum Valley Conservation Area, one of the last undisturbed forests of Borneo Island and one of the last real opportunities to explore and to learn about the richness of the tropical rainforest.

In 1981 the Sabah state government under its statutory body, Sabah Foundation, set aside the above ‘Danum Valley’ as conservation area because of its outstanding biodiversity value.

The Danum Valley Conservation Area in Sabah has the best of both worlds — nature in a pristine state and world-class research facility. Together, they have placed the 438sq km of primary jungle on the international wildlife map, writes MARILYN GERARD.

LOCATED 25km west of Lahad Datu is one of the world’s most complex ecosystems, the Danum Valley Conservation Area.

Scientists from the world over come here to study wildlife in a primary forest, with many spending three years researching its scientific wonders and soaking up its charm.

Central to the area is the Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC) set up by the Sabah Foundation, which has been home to researchers, nature students and wildlife lovers for the past 20 years.

It is an anomaly: A fully-equipped centre with laboratory, library and computer centre plumb in the centre of what could be the best example worldwide of undisturbed flora and fauna.
 

Run by the Royal Society South-East Asia Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP), it provides a platform for research besides conducting training and education programmes.

Since its inception in 1986, more than 40 Malaysians have earned their PhDs based on research at the valley.

Students from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Australia and the US have also used Danum as a research and training base.

DVFC senior scientist Dr Glen Reynolds from UK has been mesmerised by the valley since setting foot there in 2000.

The past seven years has seen him completing a PhD in forest rehabilitation besides assuming duties as the resident head of research facilities and 10 research assistants.

He makes sure that scientists have equipment for research and do not want for anything.

"I urge more local scientists, as well as foreign scientists, to come and work at DVFC as it is a unique place to work at.

"The forest itself is the most important and best protected area, the only primary forest in Malaysia. It is surrounded by natural forests and is well managed by Sabah Foundation," said the 37-year-old.

Reynolds says foreign scientists have benefited by working at DVFC as they had the opportunity to work with experienced Malaysian scientists.

Many foreigners have come to the area with the assistance of the Sabah Foundation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah and the Sabah Forestry Department.

"Danum is well known in the United Kingdom due to numerous British scientists having worked at DVFC since 1985.

"It is also well known in Sabah, but not so in the peninsula. Universiti Sabah Malay- sia is one of several local institutions which sends students here.

"I really enjoy being here. I’d like to engage local scientists to work at DVFC. We are trying to find funding to support local students through UK and Malaysian universities."

Reynolds says there has been a dramatic increase in the number of scientists coming to work at the centre.

While scientists have done great work at the valley, they have always worked in tandem with research assistants who are the backbone of the system.

Johnny Larenus, who began working at the centre 15 years ago, has always worked with scientists in analysing data, settling up spot cameras, collecting samples and filtering specimens.

"Research is never-ending. I am still learning," said the senior research assistant.

"If you really love nature, Danum is the best place to be in. I hope this place stays the same always to allow people to experience this gift of God."

For visitors to the valley, accommodation is available at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge located an hour from DVFC.

It can accommodate nearly 60 people at any one time with guides available for trips into the jungle.

 

 

DANUM VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA
 SABAH, MALAYSIA
 

DANUM VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA BIODIVERSITY  boasts an amazing diversity of animal life including the highly endangered Sumatran rhino, elephant, tembadau (banteng), sun bear, orang utan and clouded leopard. Some 275 species of birds have also been recorded, including all eight species of Bornean hornbill.

The flora is no less diverse with tree species numbering over 200 per hectare. A special feature is the 'Nenga Gajah', a small arecoid palm, found in only three locations in the world.

|  Damselflies of Sabah  |  Dragonflies of Sabah  |

The ecosystem here is also a subject of international scientific studies. Several Malaysian and foreign field scientists are working together at the Danum Valley Field Centre. Facilities here range from hostels to a suspension bridge over Sungai Segama and a 40m-high canopy observation platform, where Dutch and American companies fund studies on plant enrichment and reducing the impact of logging techniques.

Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA) was designated in 1980 and is located in the Ulu Segama Forest Reserve in eastern Sabah, near Lahad Datu Town. Its 438 sq km comprise the largest, least disturbed and therefore most valuable example of lowland dipterocarp rainforest remaining in Sabah. Formerly part of the Yayasan Sabah Concession, in 1995 the area was declared a Class I Protection Forest Reserve, under the authority of the Sabah Forestry Department.

 


 

How to get to DANUM VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA :

Danum Valley is located 80km from Lahad Datu. The journey takes about two hours with the first 15km being the main Lahad Datu-Tawau road. The rest of the ride is on an unsealed  private logging road. 

 

Permits have to be obtained beforehand. It's better to use the pick-up services provided by the Borneo Rainforest Lodge.

 
for Scientics for Tourist
Danum Valley Field Centre Borneo Rainforest Lodge
In 1986 the Danum Valley Field Centre was set-up for research and education purposes. Besides catering for researchers the Field Centre immediately attracted a great number of tourists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This separate facility solely for tourists. opened its doors in 1994 to cater for nature loving tourists and to provide better understanding of the rainforest and its environment.

Borneo Rainforest Lodge is situated in the Danum Valley Conservation Area in the south-east of Sabah, the heart of Borneo. It is the place for a keen naturalist, a bird-watcher or those want to enjoy the sounds and sights of the rainforest.

 http://www.ysnet.org.my

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Borneo Nature Tours Sdn. Bhd. was set-up as the sole agent for arranging bookings and ground handling for visitors to Borneo Rainforest Lodge

For further information, please contact: -

BORNEO NATURE TOURS SDN.BHD.
( Company Number : 208366-X )

www.brl.com.my


LAHAD DATU, HEAD OFFICE: - ( KKKP : 3026 )
Block 3, Lot 20, Ground Floor, MDLD 3285, Fajar Centre,
P.O. Box 61174, 91120 Lahad Datu,
Sabah, Malaysia
Tel : 6-089-880207 / 880206
Fax : 6-089-885051

KOTA KINABALU, BRANCH OFFICE: - ( KPL/LN : 3719 )
Block D, Lot 10, Ground Floor,
Sadong Jaya Complex, 88100 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia
Tel : 6-088-267637
Fax : 6-088-251636
E-Mail : ijl@po.jaring.my / tourisminfo@icsb-sabah.com.my

SABAH   WILDLIFE   CONSERVATION   COMMITTEE
 JABATAN   HIDUPAN   LIAR

http://www.thingsasian.com

http://www.borneorainforestlodge.com/
 

Danum Valley is, to my mind, one of the best places to bird in South East Asia. If you go to Sabah and don't visit Danum you really will miss out. According to the blurb the Danum Valley Conservation Area is the largest remaining area of undisturbed dipterocarp forest in Sabah. It is simply a joy to spend time in this magnificent, ancient rainforest. The size of some of the Mengaris (Koompassia excelsa) is exceptionally impressive. We spent 5 nights at the DVFC, which was nowhere near long enough. I would recommend no less than 7 nights here, in fact the longer the better - if you have the time a month would not be wasted.

During our stay we found all trails to be good in different ways. We concentrated on the West Trail (starting a N0 W0), the main trail in the grid system leading directly off the suspension bridge. It should be mentioned that a short time prior to our arrival the area experienced a huge flood that washed away one of the centre's buildings, half of the banks of the Segama River and very nearly the bridge as well. The waterfall trail leading off the nature trail (not shown on Seb's map) was good mainly because we found a fruiting tree in which we saw a number of species seen nowhere else subsequently. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to walk the full length of the Rhino Ridge Trail but did walk a portion of it starting from West 10. This proved to be very fruitful. As our attention was caught by a beautiful male Rufous-tailed Shama I heard a Giant Pitta call not too far away. Leeches were incredibly plentiful on all trails and Danum now ranks second on the leech list after Cat Tien in Vietnam. Take your leech socks.

Highlights at DVFC were many and included a male and female Giant Pitta at the start of the Rhino Ridge Trail, a stunning male Blue-headed Pitta also on the RR trail, White-fronted Falconet perched on a dead tree on the road leading into the centre, 2 Bat Hawks from the tree platform, 5 species of barbet in one fruiting tree, gorgeous Siberian Blue Robins on most trails, 6 species of hornbill including Helmeted, Rhinoceros, Black, White-crowned and Wrinkled and Chestnut-naped Forktail. Suffice to say, Giant Pitta was the Bird of the Trip! Black-and-crimson Pitta proved to be very frustrating - heard many times but not seen. There were also some brilliant mammals such as Bornean Gibbon, Red Leaf-monkey and Prevost's Squirrel but the prize goes to a fabulous view of a Binturong feeding in the morning in a fruiting tree just next to the centre on the morning of our departure. Another highlight was the truly magnificent view from the tree platform - out of this world.

Sunrise over Danum Valley - an area of pristene rainforest in Sabah, Borneo. Pools of mist can be seen settled in the valleys and undulations of the terrain, glowing in the early morning sun. A truly unforgettable scene that I will never forget.

View from the Borneo Rainforest Lodge situated in the Danum Valley in Sabah (Malaysia). This lodge is a limited capacity ecoutourisn lodge from where you can see lots of wildlife like: elephants, ourang outangs, gibbons, monkeys, flying squirrels and lots more.

On a steep bank of Sungai Segama, about 20m from the river, perches an overhanging rock which shelter wooden ancient coffins,in its underside.

It is believed these disturbed coffins, with almost faint but nonetheless intricate carvings on it, belong to the Orang Sungai,a nomadic tribe which used to inhabit along the river and rainforest of Danum Valley, hundreds of years ago.

When the burial site was discovered years ago, the coffins were strewn and displaced out of its limestone shelter, by wild animals. Except for a piece of bone, the rest of the skeletal remains, is missing.

It takes about an hour walk from Danum Valley Field Centre, trekking under the shades of the virgin rainforest, to this burial site. You need a guide to get here and if you have any hangup with leeches, wear a leech socks.

Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC) is a renowned tropical research facility located on the edge of the 438 sq km Danum Valley Conservation Area. It was set up in 1986 for the purposes of research, education, training and wilderness recreation.

It is also the largest undisturbed lowland dipterocarp forest in Sabah. The nearest town is Lahad Datu, about 81km away or roughly 2 hours drive away with about 90 minutes of it, on gravel.

 

 May 02, 2008 08:54:22 AM

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