Act for Nature – Showcasing the Biodiversity of Thomson Nature Park

11th Jul 202211th Jul 2022 ~ auhcnilloc ~ Leave a comment

Throughout the field trips I have signed up for during BFF 2022, I have been impressed upon the importance of preserving our nature reserves, and how numerous nature parks have been introduced as green buffers to enhance the health of the reserves. As such, I decided that the best way to reinforce what I have learnt through the field trips, as well as spread the conservation narrative, is to host a trip myself in one of the nature parks.

As I was thinking of which park to visit, Thomson Nature Park caught my eye, as it is the latest edition to the variety of buffer parks, and I have never been there myself. Located east of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR), Thomson Nature Park only opened in 2019, and is claimed to pack rich cultural heritage as well as host a rich array of biodiversity. I thought to myself, what better place to explore than this park?

‘Evidence of Engagement’ – Me and my friends I have invited on the walk

The esteemed audience I invited to the trip are a few of my peers whom I frequently hike with around nature reserves such as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. I have previously also brought them to the Festival of Biodiversity 2022, held at the Botanic Gardens. Ironically, while we have been visiting places of nature with rich biodiversity, we did not quite pay attention to them, instead focusing on catching up and the thrill of being lost among the greenery. They also happen to be majoring in computer science, a seemingly completely unrelated field to ecology, biodiversity, and nature in general. Hence, I decided that they were the perfect audience, as they are curious individuals who are keen to learn and are not averse to sweltering heat or pesky mosquitoes either. Through the walk, I hoped to introduce, as Richard Dawkins put it, an appetite for wonder, wonder for nature and its might among my peers.

The field trip did not begin as smooth sailing as I hoped for. To start off, it was a very quiet day, and other than a couple of sweat bees being attracted to me, as well as an unidentified pupa on a Leea indica, there was not much fauna to flaunt about. Instead, I chose to focus on the very limited knowledge I have on forest vegetation.

We came across a couple species of orchids, which I pointed out – Arundina graminifolia, the bamboo orchid, and Grammatophyllum speciosum, the tiger orchid. These are orchid species that are native to Singapore. A. graminifolia is a terrestrial orchid (most orchids are epiphytic) that is relatively common in Singapore, and has been observed to be used in streetscape. G. speciosum, on the other hand, is an epiphyte. While labelled as an epiphyte, the tiger orchid is versatile and can be planted on ground as well as on trees. It is presumed nationally extinct, but we are still able to appreciate them in nature parks today thanks to the efforts of NParks and the species recovery programme conducted on orchids.

Me holding a fig I picked up from the ground while sharing with my friends about the biology of figs

We also came across two interesting plants that exhibit very unique flowering behaviour – Ficus variegata, the common red-stem fig, and Artocarpus heterophyllus, the jackfruit. I picked up a fallen unpollinated fruit of the fig, and broke open the syconium to show my friends the flowers in the hollow of the “fruit”. I also shared the amazing story of how figs are pollinated, although my friends have heard me mention it many times (it involves a type of wasp). My friend then prompted the question of whether it is a flower or a fruit, to which I replied that it is kinda both. Then, to further blow their minds, I also shared as we came across the jackfruit that the fruit is also the flowers, except this time the flowers are all around what we eventually call the fruit – in some sense the opposite of the fig. Funnily enough, both figs and jackfruit belong to the same family, Moraceae.

The many fungi we saw along our walk, but I am tragically unable to identify any of them due to my inexperience

As we continued fumbling along the path (it is quite amazing how my friends and I always seem to lose ourselves whenever we visit nature parks and reserves), I was concerned with an underwhelming trip as we just saw numerous insects, fungi, and plants, but they are all not my area of expertise, and all I could say was “I’m not sure what’s that”. The sounds of disturbed canopy cover only revealed the occasional plantain squirrel or long-tailed macaques. It really was turning out to be quite the boring walk.

Fortunately, Lady Luck appeared to smile on us, for we finally caught sight of movement of a figure on the canopy in the distant Adenanthera pavonina tree. As I was about to dismiss it as yet another long-tailed macaque, I realised that it was much darker in colour. That got me excited, as we happened to be walking along the Langur Trail, and Thomson Nature Park was known as one of the few locations to see the very elusive Raffle’s Banded Langur. Was that it?

The critically endangered Raffles’ Banded Langur – extremely rare and elusive, it is definitely the highlight of the walk

My friends and I stood still and quietly strained our necks over the undergrowth to scrutinise the canopy, waiting to see further movement. Then a head peeked out for a split second, a head with unmistakable facial features – whitish eye rings and crescent-shaped mark between the eye and ear. My friends were in awe, as was I. It was, after all, our first time seeing this extremely rare and shy species. It is critically endangered, with only a population of roughly 70 left in Singapore.

Once more common, the Raffles’ banded langur’s population was slowly restricted to only Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) and CCNR due to aggressive development which turned Singapore to the urban metropolitan city today. The population in BTNR slowly disappeared, leaving CCNR being the only area in Singapore where we could spot these beautiful primates. However, after 30 years of absence, a very small number of langurs were once again spotted in BTNR, perhaps attributed to the construction of the BKE Eco-Link which once again bridged BTNR and CCNR, as they have been separated by a highway during the development of Singapore.

With that being the highlight of the trip, I closed the field trip by summarising the importance of having these buffer parks, which enables species such as the Raffles’ banded langurs to be able to recover their populations, as well as the countless other flora and fauna that are threatened by human disruptions. While the trip was not a life-changing encounter that will convert my friends to devote their lives to conservation, I believe that they definitely have a newfound appreciation for the biodiversity in Singapore, and we even tossed around the idea of participating in the OneMillionTrees movement and planting some trees together in the near future.

From this walk, I discovered that I still have a very long way to go to improve my knowledge of the local flora and fauna, such as the glaring gap in identification of forest plants, fungi, and insects. And, I know that if I want to influence more people to take better care of our nature and wildlife, I will have to first be more proficient in understanding the exact dynamics of the biodiversity we possess. Nonetheless, mission accomplished for now, and that’s one count for an act for nature!

Written by: Collin Chua

Chestnut-bellied Malkoha at Chestnut Nature Park

19th Jun 202219th Jun 2022 ~ auhcnilloc ~ Leave a comment

On the 21^st of May 2022, I went to Chestnut Nature Park for the first time. I did not do any prior search on the park, and only had the impression that I would learn about forest habitats based on the name of the field trip on the sign-up page: “Forest Walk @ Chestnut Nature Park”. Perhaps like my enthusiastic guide Rachael Goh (who is from the the Friends of Chestnut Nature Park initiative) said, the launch of Festival of Biodiversity (FOB) which coincided on the same day must have blessed us with a fruitful walk, for we managed to sight many wildlife interactions and appreciate the biodiversity we have in Singapore.

Rachael started the walk with an introduction to the park itself, which is the largest nature park in Singapore. It also serves the important function of acting as a buffer to the neighbouring Central Catchment Nature Reserve, hence it is considered a buffer park. Such nature parks which border the nature reserves serve to reduce the human impacts on the nature reserves, which contain delicate ecosystems rich in our native and indigenous biodiversity. The nature reserves are of high conservation value, and the presence of nature parks such as Chestnut Nature Park not only preserve the integrity of the reserves, but also permit the local flora and fauna that resides almost exclusively in the forests to have that little bit more leg room to roam about.

Right at the entrance of the park, Rachael pointed out a native species of shrub – Dillenia suffruticosa – or more commonly known as Simpoh Air. It has a distinctive large, oval-like shaped leaves which is used to wrap tempeh, a nice protein-rich food which originated from Indonesia. I also noticed, while Rachael was describing the flowers of the plant, that there are numerous species of insects which could be found on the plant, including an unidentified cricket, as well as some species of ants. While the shrub we were admiring did not happen to be flowering, Rachael shared that many animals live off the plant, including carpenter bees which also happen to be the pollinators of the plant.

Next, we came across a nice mature Macaranga gigantea, which as its scientific name suggests, boasts massive leaves. Rachael picked up a dried leaf which has fallen from the tree, and it was easily more than thrice the size of my face. She then shared with the group that the Macaranga trees have a symbiotic relationship with ants, which protects the tree from herbivorous insects or other plant competition. As we moved along the trail, we came across a number of oil palms, which is a telling sign of a few things – oil palms are not native to Singapore and was introduced to supply the oil trade in the past. The land which is Chestnut Nature Park today likely used to be settlement for the people, and it was probably an oil palm plantation. We also came across a number of non-native plant species in the area, and this is one of the distinguishing differences between a primary forest and a secondary forest. What was interesting about the oil palms was that we were very fortunate to see it during the fruiting season, and hence there were a lot of activities going on in the area. Numerous plantain squirrels were feasting on the fruits of the palm, as well as other common birds such as Javan mynas and yellow-vented bulbuls. A common emerald dove also made an appearance along the forest floor, which is an indication that the buffer park is probably doing well, since it is not a species which can be found in urban settings.

Plantain squirrel feasting on the fruit of an oil palm.

Common emerald dove on the forest floor.

Then, just a few metres away from the action happening around the oil palms, we saw a mother Sunda colugo carrying its offspring on its abdomen. This is a very fortunate sighting, as I often spot colugos when they are not taking care of their offspring. However, not only did we come across a mother-offspring pair on the walk, we managed to see two! As we proceeded with the guided walk, we came across another mother and offspring. It was indeed a very eventful walk already, but the luck our group had on that day had yet to end.

First pair of mother and offspring colugos.

Second pair of mother and offspring colugos.

As we were observing a troupe of long-tailed macaques hanging around the treetops, I saw a black silhouette that was distinctively not a macaque. Intrigued, I used my binoculars to check out what it was. The unidentified object then repositioned itself, revealing to be a chestnut-bellied malkoha! This is an uncommon resident, which is also a forest-dwelling species of bird that has a unique orange skin around the eyes. Sadly, I was unable to take a photograph of it before it flew off into the forest.

Nonetheless, the walk has been amazing, with the group being able to see so many species and interactions between species, as well as gain a better understanding of Chestnut Nature Park and its importance of buffering the neighbouring nature reserve. We were also able to tell the differences between a nature reserve and nature parks along the fringes, including the general height and thickness of vegetation, the species of flora that can be found, whether there are more dominant occurrences of native or non-native species. I also learnt more about mutualistic relationships between species, as Rachael also shared with us how figs reproduce with the help of fig wasps, while providing nutrients for the fig wasps which helps to pollinate the figs.

Mangroves, Mudflats and More

15th May 202216th May 2022 ~ auhcnilloc ~ Leave a comment

On the 26th of March, 2022, I went to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) to learn more about the habitats present at the reserve, as well as conservation efforts by the National Parks Board (NParks). It was humbling to have the experienced guide Ivan Kwan to impart his wealth of knowledge and experiences, as he had previously worked at NParks at Sungei Buloh.

We started the walk with the introduction of SBWR, which is one of the four nature reserves in Singapore. SBWR was demarcated as a wildlife reserve when conservationists in the early days of Singapore’s development recognised that it was a key location for migratory species along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. However, I quickly learned that the reserve faces numerous challenges.

To start off, Ivan pointed out that the freshwater body at the entrance is home to some invasive cichlids that are not native to Singapore and should not exist in there. These include species such as Mayan cichlids. Exotic species have been recorded to potentially outcompete native species and cause the extinction of native species, hence the term invasive species. It is a concern that there are many invasive species in Singapore, some of the more notable ones being the red-eared sliders, commonly termed as terrapins by the laymen. The biodiversity of Singapore is not exactly well studied, and with uninformed or irresponsible acts of releasing non-native species into the wild, it may lead to the extinction of species we may not even know existed in our little island state. Hence, I learned that it is important to spread the message to family and friends who own exotic pets, and encourage responsible ownership of pets.

Then, we walked along the boardwalk, where we saw several different species of mangroves, each with their distinctive characteristic roots. With his wealth of experience with mangroves, Ivan was able to point out some amazing creatures which reside in this habitat. This includes the onch slug, tree-climbing crabs, mudskippers, and horseshoe crabs.

A mangrove horseshoe crab on the mudflat

Here, we learnt of another couple of challenges the reserve face. First, there is the problem of litter. While we walked along the boardwalk, it was impossible to miss the amount of litter and trash stuck among the roots of the mangroves. I initially thought that some of the litters are done by visitors or contractors doing works in the reserve, but was enlightened that most of the litter are brought in during the high tide, suggesting that the litter may have been introduced from neighbouring shores. It is a saddening sight to see so much trash, especially since it is home to many native species and these litters pose a great threat to them. It is difficult to solve this problem as the complex root systems of the mangroves make it difficult for people to conduct clean-ups, and to top it off, one needs to be aware of tide trends to ensure safety during the clean-up. Hence, it is not as simple as a beach clean-up.

The second problem faced by the reserve is the unexplained change in sedimentation. As the name suggests, the mudflat is typically composed of muddy sediments which the mangroves have been well adapted to accrete. This provides a buffer for inland during storm surges as the mangroves can compact the sediments and act as a barrier. It is also beneficial to the stability of the mangroves, as the roots can anchor to the ground. The issue is that there has been an increase in sandy sediments which the mangroves are not as adapted for. This has resulted in reduced accretion by the mangroves, and some of the mangroves are collapsing due to the lack of stability. The Nparks staff have made efforts to support some of the older mangroves, by stacking rocks or artificially adding more clayey soil to support the trees and prevent them from collapsing. This brought to home the idea that just because the area has been designated as a nature reserve does not mean that we can just leave it alone and it will thrive. The world has been altered by man so significantly that sometimes, leaving the wildlife alone may detrimentally lead to its own collapse, and so we still have to intervene to ensure that the ecosystem can thrive.

It was overall an enlightening trip, and with Ivan’s experience and skills, we managed to see the famous estuarine crocodile Tailless, the resident macaque troupe, a couple of oriental pied hornbills, and even ended the trip with a sighting of a beautiful oriental whip snake. I have learned much about SBWR from this walk, and I look forward to being able to enjoy more of the reserve in the future.

An oriental whip snake to end the trip

A Walk on World Frog Day

27th Mar 2022 ~ auhcnilloc ~ 1 Comment

On the 20th of March, 2022, I went to Dairy Farm Nature Park to learn more about bird-watching from the amazing and talented BFF Alumni Jeff Tan and Zachary Chong. Jeff was a whiz with bird-calls and his attentiveness bagged us a sighting of a female Green-backed Flycatcher, while Zachary had a keen eye which spotted the Asian Fairy-bluebirds, and whipped out a bashed up field guide (shows how much dedication he had in learning about bird identification) on the birds of Singapore to enlighten us BFFers on the variety of birds we spotted.

I was led by Jeff, and his wealth of experience with bird-watching really shined in this field trip. We started our journey from before the MOE Dairy Farm Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre. There was a tall tree where a large number of Asian Glossy Starlings were flocking about. From the get-go, we had to use our sense of hearing, as the birds are difficult to spot through the poor lighting and thick canopy. From listening to the ruckus up in the tree, Jeff was able to identify the species of the birds. I wish I will one day be able to master the identification of birds by their calls too.

Next, we walked along what Jeff and Zachary introduced as the “Walk of Shame”, a path that runs parallel to the road that is just separated by a layer of trees. Perhaps the area was too close to human activity, hence fewer wildlife could be seen, earning the title of the “Walk of Shame”. Along this path, Jeff pointed out a tossed up patch of ground, which I learnt was the deed of wild boars as they dug for food. At roughly the same point, we looked into a distant tree that emerged far taller than the neighbouring ones, and saw a couple species of birds.

Whipping out my binoculars, I spotted the Oriental Dollarbird and the Long-tailed Parakeet. The birds were a very far distance away, so Zachary was kind enough to show us how the birds look like with the field guide. We then proceeded toward the highlight of the trip, which was taking a walk along Wallace Trail. On the way there, we heard a distant bird-call, which I was unfamiliar with. It sounded like a raptor, but that’s about as much I could tell. We shall find out what it is shortly.

Fast forward to the walk along Wallace Trail, the weather was not doing too well. The sky was overcast, the winds were blowing, and birds did not like those conditions very much. Nonetheless, we were still very lucky that Zachary spotted a couple of Asian Fairy-bluebirds in the distance, which I attempted a shot but all I got was a blur one.

A very blur shot of a male Asian Fairy-bluebird.

At the sight of the Asian Fairy-bluebird, Jeff shared his knowledge on these beautiful birds. It appears that they display sexual dimorphism, where the male can be told apart from the female because they look visually different. As I only managed to snap a photograph of the male (as shown above), we are unable to see how the female looks like in comparison. However, a quick Google search will show that females have a turquoise-blue colouration instead of the blue and black of the males.

We also saw a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, which unfortunately appeared to have lost both its “rackets”. The group then ascended a little up-slope, and we reached a little clearing where a number of Long-tailed Macaques were feeding on an Australian Mulberry tree. There was a little tree cavity which Jeff peeked into, and spotted an Asian Common Toad. Did I mention it was World Frog Day on the day of the field trip? Well, it’s a toad, but close enough. Unfortunately, with the overcast weather and the menacing macaques dominating the tree, we did not have much luck spotting birds in the area, and continued on our walk.

We then came to a small viewing platform on the other side of the clearing, where more birds were sighted. First, we heard a dull, repetitive call, which Jeff attributed to that of a Red-crowned Barbet. It’s a pretty interesting-looking bird, but unfortunately we only managed to hear its calls from a distance. However, a small, brown bird flitted into our vision on one of the trees. It was an Asian Brown Flycatcher!

My photography skills are about as good as my bird-watching skills, but here is the Asian Brown Flycatcher.

But, Jeff spotted another movement in a dark, shaded area among the branches of a tree. Turns out, we managed to spot a female Green-backed Flycatcher as well!

Just look at how grainy this image is, and you can imagine how dark the area was. Yet, our BFF Alumni Jeff was able to spot this female Green-backed Flycatcher!

After a good sighting of a couple of flycatchers, we winded down the path back towards the Wallace Education Centre. There, I learnt more about the Wallace Line, which was a discovery made by naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace who independently proposed the Theory of Evolution (he was well-known for his work in the Malay Archipelago, and the trail was named after him as well). It was also here that Jeff revealed that the call we heard earlier in our walk was made by the Changeable Hawk-Eagle. It’s a shame we did not get to see one that day.

And finally, to end the trip off, the group walked toward Singapore Quarry, where we sighted some more Long-tailed Parakeets, some Critically Endangered Straw-headed Bulbuls, a common Yellow-vented Bulbul, and a bee-eater (likely Blue-tailed Bee-eater). With that, we ended the trip with a scenic view of Singapore Quarry.

It has been an enriching field trip, thanks to our BFF Alumni Jeff and Zachary, who not only shared about bird identification, but also conservation (the hunting of Straw-headed Bulbuls for the songbird trade, unethical practises by some of our local bird photographers, etc.), habitat (such as the Yellow Stem-Fig, Strangler Figs, Fishtail Palm, the Albizia tree, etc.) and how to enjoy nature walks. I look forward to visiting nature parks and reserves more now!