Nested in the west of Singapore, the Chestnut Nature Park, as introduced by our knowledgeable guide Francis Loke, is known as a green buffer. A green buffer serves to reduce the various pressures and stresses that urbanisation has on our nature reserves. They also provide an avenue for nature lovers to explore different sites such that they are not only limited to the scarce nature reserves we have in Singapore. This is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic when people are more prone to going for hikes and visiting the parks as a form of retreat from the mundane work-from-home setting. Such buffer parks are also important for preserving the diversity and ecology of the nature reserves as the environmental impact from urbanisation will be ameliorated by them. This was rather intriguing for me as I have never looked at the differences in functionality of these different parks and reserves until this very walk.
Chestnut Nature Park
Besides serving as an escape from urbanisation for hikers, this park also has mountain biking trails for mountain bikers to indulge in. The wide range of recreational activities available is definitely one of the appeals of the park. Another appeal of the park will be the multitudinous species of trees that are found in this park. We were first greeted with the Ficus variegata also known as the Common Red-stem Fig which can be identified by their distinct morphology where the trunks of the trees are decorated with spots of fruits which are the figs albeit they grow on the stems and roots as well. Interestingly, apart from being a fruit, the fig also serves as a spot for wasps to lay their eggs. There are two types of figs that are present, the caprifig also known as a male fig and the female fig. The wasps and figs have a mutualistic relationship where the wasps help to pollinate the fig while the figs provide a place for wasps to lay their eggs. Since the female figs are also known as inverted flowers where they grow and bloom inside their pods, they cannot be pollinated via wind or insects such as bees and would require wasps to enter the figs to do so. In the event the wasps cannot lay their eggs or enter a male fig, they will die in the fig but fret not about consuming wasps in the figs because they produce an enzyme which helps to digest the dead wasp.
Ficus variegata
Another type of fig tree which was found in the park was the Burmese Banyan or the strangling fig. As the name suggests, the fig begins on tree branches and eventually grows to “strangle” its host tree after its seeds get deposited on the forest floor. The growth of this tree will put immense pressure on its host over the years until the host eventually dies off. As such, while they can be found in nature parks, they are usually not found on roadsides as they are not only detrimental to the surrounding trees but it can also cause damage to the road infrastructures as well.
Strangling Fig Tree and the Tembusu Tree
“Learn to appreciate the things or even people around us that we tend to neglect in the midst of our busy urban life”
HX
As we transverse deeper into the wilderness, I was overwhelmed by the amount of life that surrounds me. Looking right beneath my feet, I could see the ground buzzing with life, akin to looking at the MRT station during the rush hour. With a closer look into whatever is around us, we will be able to find some sort of living organism present. This made me realise that in life, we should not be too focused on what we have at hand but also learn to appreciate the things or even people around us that we tend to neglect in the midst of our busy urban life.
Ants Crawling on the Roots of the Tree
As the walk was coming to an end, we were fortunate enough to spot two uncommon animals, the Galeopterus variegatus or Sunda colugo and the Tragulus kanchil or lesser mouse-deer. As the colugo is a nocturnal animal, it was perched on the tree and remained rather unfazed despite the many eyes that were focusing on it. The colugo is often mistaken for flying foxes due to their ability to glide from tree to tree. It would definitely be fascinating to be able to see the colugo in action one day if there is a chance! Nevertheless, such near-sighting was a first for me and a memorable one as well.
Galeopterus variegatus clinging onto a Tree Trunk
With the great observation from our guide, we were able to witness the rare sighting of a lesser mouse-deer. I was very impressed by how she could spot the deer so effortlessly considering how it blended very well with the environment. When I was told that there was a deer, I expected the deer to be much bigger. It was only then I learnt that the mouse-deer is the smallest hoofed mammal hence, the name and its petite size. Though so, I was thrilled to be able to witness first-hand a deer in the wild.
Tragulus kanchil
To conclude, this field trip was indeed an eye-opening one, being able to explore another part of Singapore which I have not stepped foot in despite being an adventurous individual. The knowledge imparted to us will be useful especially in deepening our appreciation for the wildlife and the efforts put forth to protect our natural sites. With that, I look forward to coming back to this nature park again!
On the 21st 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.
I have always wanted to see what nature has to offer at night because it’s a whole new world compared to what we usually observe in the day. However, I hadn’t gone around doing it because a) My friends are not keen on exploring in the dark and b) I am not keen on exploring in the dark alone. When the signup link for this field trip opened, I jumped at the opportunity to finally tick one item off my to-do list.
The trees were shrouded in darkness as I made my way to the entrance of Bukit Batok Nature Park. Being in a nature park at night was a new and exciting experience for me. Although I have seen this place during the daytime, coming here after the sun had set gave the park a sense of mystery. Soon after, the BFFers gathered and started the walk under the guidance of Uncle Tony, who is a knowledgable and well-known figure in Singapore’s nature scene.
Even if I didn’t know then, I would have come to that realisation during the walk itself. As we walked along the trail, Uncle Tony rattled off the scientific names and facts about the plants that we encountered with ease. It can be difficult trying to remember the common names for some of the plants, let alone the complex and often tongue-tripping Latin names. We were also pretty fortunate to encounter not one but three colugos right as we entered the park. I was hoping to see one of these creatures as it has been a while since I last saw them and I was not disappointed.
I would like to highlight a message that Uncle Tony repeated throughout the walk, which is that common doesn’t mean second-class. Putting this into context, there are many plants like the fishtail palm and fig trees that grow in abundance around us. As a result, we don’t pay much attention to them, take them for granted, or even see them as less valuable compared to rarer species. However, these common species are often essential in maintaining a functional ecosystem as they provide a stable supply of food and shelter. While it’s important to take note of endangered and/or iconic flora, we should not forget the plants that enable other creatures to survive and thrive. As Uncle Tony said, try not to be distracted too much by the shiny things. Other stories and plants that Uncle Tony talked about have already been covered extensively by other BFFers in their own posts so I would definitely recommend you to check those out!
To be honest, my favourite part of the walk was the fireside chat. It was a really unique experience hanging out by the quarry and learning about how nature conservation has evolved in Singapore over time from one of the key figures who has spearheaded such efforts. Uncle Tony first talked about the redevelopment of Bukit Brown, and how different groups came together to attempt to come to a consensus in a peaceful and civil manner. That didn’t happen and according to Uncle Tony, people would resort to slamming tables in order to get what they wanted. Clearly, hostile actions didn’t help the situation.
He then contrasted this with his experience during the Cross Island Line (CRL) debate where consultations were held and people supported a more collaborative culture and were willing to listen and learn from one another. As a result of this, the authorities were open to alternatives and eventually settled for a path that minimised environmental damage. It was fascinating to hear all the behind-the-scenes stories from the very person who authored the CRL position paper. During my time as an undergraduate, I had pored over the document while working on an assignment about the pros and cons of the CRL. Looking back at my report, I realise that I had only scratched the surface of the issues at hand and there were so many nuances that I neglected to consider.
I suppose we could consider these as examples of human-wildlife conflict on a much larger scale, as compared to species-specific conflicts. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call them human-nature conflicts? It’s really admirable how people like Uncle Tony have navigated and circumvented such difficult challenges to nature conservation in Singapore, especially during times when conservation was perceived to be of a lower priority compared to other pressing needs. The question of balancing development with conservation is never an easy one to answer and Uncle Tony mentioned that we cannot expect all modernisation to stop for the sake of nature in land-limited Singapore. What we can do is to change the mindsets of people around us so that it influences general sentiment and thus political decisions, as well as educate the people who are making the big decisions so that they are personally aware of our natural heritage.
Besides learning about plants and how to identify them, the walk reminded me not to forget the common and unassuming ones around us. I also gained new perspectives and insights into what it means to be a city in nature, allowing me to have a more balanced view of the whole human-nature conflict. It was an eye-opening trip (both literally and metaphorically) and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to learn and unlearn.
The entomology walk was one I had my eye on since our very first BFF launch call so you could say I was very excited for the walk.
We started of with a special breakfast treat…the insect kind. A couple of packets of insects were passed around, different varieties different flavours. While I had eaten insects before (it was grinded into powder form and made into a cake) this was going to be whole. pieces. I picked up for myself a barbecue flavoured cricket……it was okay…. Haha 🙂
BBQ flavoured cricket
We were then introduced to the many guides accompanying us, each an expert in different fields! And off we went.
Some background, insects while tiny play a humongous role in our ecosystem. They help pollinate plants (which in turn feeds other fauna), nutrient-recycling, and are an important food source for many other species.
Below is a list of some of the takeaways I thought were very cool:
FLIES
First, we met with what i thought was a bee but nooooo it was a sort of fly!! Each insect performs a particular function / niche and different flies have adapted to actually perform similar functions that cover most insects.
Hover fly > pollinate like bees
Assassin fly > able to snatch prey in mid-air like dragonflies
(There were other functions but this is what I remember)
WASPS
While wasps have a negative reputation and prejudice against them they actually play an important role in pest control pollination. There are some plants that when “attacked” by caterpillars will release chemicals to attract wasps to come and eat the caterpillars.
Our wasps, bees, butterflies and flies are all important pollinators in our ecosystem! Did you know in Singapore, we have over 100 native bees, but only 4 species are honey bees.
FIG TREES
Fig trees are a keystone species (aka disproportionate importance in the ecosystem). They sprout all year round and are an important source of food for all kinds of animals.
The flowers are hidden inside the fig and are pollinated by fig wasps. As the wasps enters, she will break her wings and lay her eggs that will feed on the fig itself.
Figs are pollinated by a specific species of fig wasps, hence if the fig wasps go extinct so will the fig tree. There is a particular fig wasps species in haiwaii that has gone extinct, hence the fig trees now require human intervention in the form of hand pollination.
Pic of what it looks like inside the figs and the flowers that get pollinated
GENDER ROLES…in the insect kingdom
In the insect kingdom each gender has a specific role. The purpose of females are meant to reproduce as much as possible, thus they are less attractive (less obvious to predators) and can live much longer hence, reproduce more.
Comparatively, the higher priority of males is to mate with as many females as possible. Hence they are “prettier” to attract mates but are more obvious to predators.
For example, for bagworm moths when turning from caterpillar to moth, the females remain in a caterpillar like state and does not leave the bag. Instead, she remains inside waiting for the male moth to locate the waiting female.
After mating, she produces the eggs within her body and dies. fin ~
Other cool pics
Ant-mimicking spider – Usually animals would mimic to hide from predators, but in this case the spider mimics to be among ants to eat them, kinda like wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Pic by James our guide, my iPhone could never do insect photography justice)Using flash reflects this glowing thingy on the dragonflies wingsSame dragonfly – but taken with a proper camera! (Pic by James)
This ends my third reflection with BFF! It has been a very fun journey learning about biodiversity, from horseshoe crabs, to night walks at Bukit Batok and now learning about etymology. Looking forward to sharing more about my act for nature.
On the way to the meeting point, I saw a tree getting swarmed by several flying creatures. Thinking they were birds of some sort, I whipped out my camera to try and grab a photo of them so I can try to identify the species. However, I was unable to get any clear shots as the creatures didn’t stop to land. After watching them for a while longer, I started to suspect that they were bats instead of birds. I wasn’t quite sure if they were hunting insects or snacking on the figs on the tree, but either way, they were having quite a feast.
I didn’t have a very good opinion of figs before the trip. The only things I knew about them were the notorious strangling figs that drained the resources of their host plants before suffocating them and the fact that every fig comes with a free serving of wasp larvae. (Yuck!) Uncle Tony, our guide for the trip, soon changed my mind though. He told us how two different trees might have their figs fruiting at different times and its constant availability allows them to be a staple source of food for many creatures as opposed to other seasonal fruits.
“Say everyday you eat rice porridge. Not very nice to eat but it is filling. Then once or twice a year there’s durian season and you can eat durian. But in between, you eat the rice porridge to stay alive. The figs are the rice porridge for the animals. “
Uncle Tony
The very first thing Uncle Tony showed us was an old rain tree. He said the rough bark of a rain tree is specially suited for plants like ferns to take root in. Sure enough, there were bird nest ferns covering the tree, even on some of its highest branches. The crevices underneath the roots of the ferns serves as rest places for bats in the day, while the top of the ferns, in the middle of all the leaves, is a popular roost for owls. This singular tree is already home to such a rich ecosystem!
Rain tree in background. Photo credit to Elijah!!
Nearby there is also a fishtail palm, another important source of food for creatures. It’s so named because the shape of its leaves look like a fish’s tail. Though it looks like someone took a bite out of its leaves, the ragged edges of the fishtail palm are grown naturally.
Another common but also critical food provider is Dillenia Suffruticosa also known as Simpoh Air. It’s found all over Singapore and is a keystone species in many forests. It provides food and shelter for many animals and gives shade for other young plants to establish themselves.
Even though all these plants are fairly common in Singapore and can be found in most forests, they are a vital part of the ecosystem. But sadly, this is often overlooked by many people. Truly, it is these common and underappreciated plants that play the most important role to keep the habitat alive.
Mr Tony taught us to put our light source near our eyes so that any eye shine from the light reflecting off the eyes of animals hiding in the vegetation will enter our eyes. Unfortunately, our group didn’t have much light. Mr Tony’s flashlight ran out of battery and the flashlights that the other members in our group brought were not that strong. Me? I completely forgot to pack mine 😅. Hehe oops!
Thankfully we still managed to spot a colugo hanging out on the side of a tree. The little guy was just vibing up there. (This was also when I learnt that my camera is ill-equipped for night time photography) It’s so CUTE!!!!!!
We continued onwards and found more plants which Mr Tony taught us to identify. We saw cinnamon plants with unique reddish leaves and 3 distinct veins running vertically down each leaf.
They look like they got dusted with a layer of cinnamon! (The veins are more visible on the other side)
We also saw a baby rubber tree that has made Singapore its home. Its leaves are made out of three leaflets and Mr Tony said that if we were to break its stem, we would be able to see white sap coming out of it.
The entire bunch of leaves in Uncle Tony’s hand is actually 1 leaf with multiple leaflets. How cool!
We also saw fluffy plant I mean uh Koster’s Curse, which I found very interesting. Look at its berries!
The leaves are really soft to touch
And this caterpillar dangling from a single silk thread which I thought was really funny cause it was just hovering there.
oooooh magic 😛What I looked like trying to photograph the tiny thing >.< Thanks for the pic Elijah!!
While looking for more colugos, we also came across many interesting trees, like Ixonanthes reticulata, aka the Ten Men tree, identifiable by its spirally shaped leaves. (“Relative of the even taller Twenty Men tree” Uncle Tony jokes.)
The leaves are the ones in the distance. (It was a team effort to illuminate those leaves!!)
And the Jelutong tree which resembles a pole due to its lack of visible roots (as opposed to some other trees that have buttress roots.
We then had a fireside chat at the quarry. (SPOILER: There was no fire D:) There were many cicadas chirping and we even heard a few owls!
Uncle Tony told us about the past struggles that nature lovers had to go through to have the government listen to them and conserve our nature spaces. Though the government is now more willing to listen when it comes to environmental impact, not all species are subject to the same amount of concern. For instance, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve was only preserved when the presence of rare migratory birds was brought to the people’s attention, causing everyone to flock to the place. However, for areas like the Dover forest that were cleared, the victims were all common plants.
For rare plants, they usually don’t make much of an impact on the environment, cause there’s only one or two of them.It is the common plants which the environment relies on the most. The impact on the ecosystem resulting from their removal would be much worse than the loss of rare species. But the general public doesn’t really cares about these common plants.
On one hand, I get where the government is coming from. If forced to choose between preserving an area containing a highly endangered species and one that contains the same species that can be found in various other areas, I too would have picked the highly endangered species. However, Uncle Tony encouraged us to expand our view of the situation beyond just that one area. Take the Dover project again. The area cleared contained many albizia trees. These trees are fairly common and are the preferred nesting tree of raptors, the white-bellied sea eagle in particular.
A white-bellied sea eagle that I saw on my previous field trip
These birds of prey like nesting in the albizia tree due to its soft branches, which allows them to fly in and out of their nests without having to worry about banging their large wings. The removal of the albizia trees in the Dover forest could result in raptors moving away from the area due to a lack of nesting spots, which could subsequently cause an upset in the balance of the ecosystem. And though there are albizia trees found elsewhere, they could be further away from food sources or cause increased competition between raptors for ideal nesting spots.
It’s not just about this one project or this one area. Sure I can let you clear this small patch of land, but what impact does that have on the larger ecosystem?
Uncle Tony
However, he warned us again going in and banging the table demanding for change, cause that way, nobody would listen to you. Change takes time and we also have to be ready to make compromises. We can never stop or go against progress, but all we can do is to try to ensure that said progress causes the least amount of harm to the environment as possible.
Uncle Tony also told us about that while the government as a whole has implemented more measures to protect the environment, there are some that still flout the rules out of convenience. He recalled once when they were doing a frog survey, the entire river became “teh tarik” due to silt from road works being dumped into the river 2 kilometres upstream. His stories were all so interesting and educational and really got us to realise how far we have come in terms of advocacy for nature.
We then carried on with our trek, encountering many trees with interesting leaves 🍂, the first of which is the Breadfruit tree. Uncle Tony picked up two leaves from the ground, one big, and the other bigger! To my surprise, the bigger one is actually a young leaf! As it grow older, it loses its lobes and becomes smaller. Uncle Tony says that its size is because the newer leaves at the bottom need to capture more sunlight as they are further away from the sun. Therefore they grow even bigger than the older leaves up top, which have a greater exposure to sunlight.
The old leaf is the one on the left, while the young leaf is the one on the right. Weird huh?
We stopped for a while to check out a pavilion in the hopes that there were bats hanging on the roofs or moults that snakes left behind. Snakes would find a solid surface to squeeze against to help them shed their old skin and apparently pavilion rafters fit the bill. Unfortunately, we had no luck with this pavilion…
The next tree with cool leaves is Syzygium grande, more easily known as the Sea Apple. I say this because I spell it as Caesium grande when I tried to guess the spelling from the pronunciation of its scientific name 😅. Its leaves are splotchy and have a vein that runs along the entire edge of the leaf.
Do you see the vein going along the edge?
The last tree we learnt about was Macaranga bancania, who has a special mutualistic relationship with ants. The tree provides the ants with food and shelter while the ants defend the tree from external threats.
It’s leaves are also quite unique
As we were heading back, we spotted another pavilion. I suggested checking it out but Uncle Tony was not very optimistic. But lo and behold, we saw not one, but TWO shed snake skins hanging from the rafters. Uncle Tony used a stick to get them down and we admired the softness of the snake’s scales. He informed us that these were most likely from a Paradise Tree Snake, one of the more common snakes found in Singapore. (They can also glide!!!)
Can you spot it? Not going to lie, I thought it was a lizard tail the first time I saw it!A clearer picture taken by Elijah >:) You can even see the scales!
All in all, it was a very fruitful night. Honestly I was ready to call it a win when I saw a colugo for the very first time, but this walk really far exceeded my expectations.
I’ve learnt so much from the entire experience! Not just about the various species, but also about advocating for nature. I also met really amazing people that have such a great love for nature. Thank you Uncle Tony for teaching us so much and thank you to my fellow group mates who made the walk even more enjoyable!!
A celebratory group pic at the end of our walk!
I’ll end off this post with another quote from Uncle Tony.
“If you only remember one thing from this, remember not to ignore the common plants. Without them the ecosystem cannot function.”
Aerial view of the secondary rainforest at Bukit Batok nature park, where the setting sun cast a rosy glow on the canopy
As night approached, the sky dimmed, with the sunset adding faint hues of pink to the greyish clouds amid the blue canvas.
By 7.45 pm, five of us participants started our night walk at Bukit Batok nature park, led by our knowledgeable guide Tony O’Dempsey.
We stopped by under a majestic rain tree, which supports a host of other plants, such as ferns and creepers, near the carpark entrance.
As we entered the park via the main track, we were fortunate to spot a solitary Sunda colugo, aka flying lemur, clinging onto a tall tree trunk.
Tony paused at a few junctures and told us about several kinds of plants, such as cinnamon (whose leaves appear to have freckles) and clidemia (whose leaves have a hairy surface).
He also demonstrated that the fruits of clidemia are edible by eating one himself, and I followed suit – I was glad to learn a jungle survival skill.
One of us spotted a green caterpillar hanging onto an imperceptible thread, as if it was floating in the air.
We passed by a fig tree that looked spectacular, with its roots wrapping around a boulder for stability.
I decided to shine my phone light on some plants to see if I could see any creatures, and was soon rewarded with the sighting of a beetle resting on the underside of a leaf.
Tony pointed out a large tree with patches on its trunk, which bears resemblance to eucalyptus trees.
On the way back to the park entrance, we saw a snake skin, from which the snake had moulted, at the ceiling of a shelter.
Here we are, back at the entrance of the nature park, having learnt much about its nocturnal beauty and perennial treasures
Despite the late hours, I did not encounter any mosquito during the night walk in this regenerating secondary rainforest.
This contrasts with the fact that Bukit Batok housing estate opposite the park is currently experiencing a high number of dengue cases.
Perhaps restoring ecological health and making the urban environment conducive for frogs and dragonflies to control mosquito populations would be good?
For me, the opportunity to go on an intertidal walk was one of the reasons why I had signed up for the BFF Challenge in the first place. Although I was really interested in exploring the intertidal zone, the guided walks I had encountered were all too expensive for a student like me. So, I was really happy that on the 14th of April, I was able to go on my first ever intertidal walk with Young Nautilus at Changi Beach! It was a really fun and enriching experience, which made the long journey to and from Changi Beach truly worth it.
From what I know, many intertidal walks are conducted in the wee hours of the morning, so I was relieved that this one was in the afternoon – I could take my time to travel over to Changi Beach Carpark 6. There, I met up with the other BFF-ers as well as our guides Yong Jen and Leon, and soon, we were on our way down into the intertidal zone, where there was no shortage of flora and fauna to be found!
First, we saw sand dollars buried in the sand, along with different sea cucumbers like the pink warty sea cucumber and the thorny sea cucumber. Yong Jen shared with us that sand dollars, sea cucumbers and sea stars are all related in that they are all echinoderms with pentaradial symmetry. This means that their body parts are arranged along five axes of symmetry. For me, it was really cool to see what I had learnt in the (virtual) classroom come to life, as I had learnt about the different animal phyla and their characteristics in a biology module this semester!
A sand dollar!A pink warty sea cucumber!
As we walked further out and our guides introduced us to more and more marine creatures, one thing that took me by surprise was the way in which the walk was conducted. Young Nautilus had prepared baskets in which they displayed marine creatures that they had presumably found earlier, and these formed ‘stations’ that our guides would bring us to in order to introduce the creatures to us. While I felt that it would have been more exciting to find the animals ourselves rather than having them presented to us in a container, I guess that would lower the likelihood of us being able to see so many things, and would mean less opportunities for learning. In the future though, I would love to explore the intertidal zone on my own, once I have learnt enough about the different creatures I can find there.
Leon telling us more about a flower crab at one of the ‘stations’ prepared by Young Nautilus.
Apart from the sand dollars and sea cucumbers, we saw many other interesting creatures, such as an onch slug, a dead sea jelly and a burrowing moon crab with paddle-like legs. We also saw a broken sand collar, which I learnt is the egg mass of a moon snail, made of mucus and sand.
A dead sea jelly.A moon crab.
One of the most fascinating-looking creatures we encountered was the sea pen, named for its resemblance to a quill. It is actually a colony of different kinds of polyps connected to one another, and on this particular sea pen, there was a brittle star and porcelain crab! I learnt that porcelain crabs are not true crabs, as they have three instead of four pairs of walking legs. Other examples of ‘crabs’ which are not true crabs are horseshoe crabs and hermit crabs, which only have two pairs of walking legs.
And speaking of hermit crabs, one thing that I somehow only learnt during this field trip was that we should not pick up and bring home the seashells we find on the beach. Although they are not living things, these ‘seashells’, which are mostly the calcium carbonate outer coverings of dead mollusks like clams and snails, are important to coastal and marine ecosystems. They provide homes for hermit crabs, and when they break down, they provide calcium carbonate for other organisms that build their own hard outer coverings. This is definitely something that I will take note of the next time I visit a beach, and I hope to remind my friends and family about this too.
Other than the interesting animals in the intertidal zone, there was also a lot of seaweed, which led me to ponder the differences between seaweed and algae. Yong Jen shared that seaweed are actually macroalgae, which means that they are large and visible to the naked eye (I think!). He also pointed out that they are different from seagrass, which are vascular plants with roots, stems and leaves. Although seagrass was not as abundant at this part of the beach, I was quite excited to pick up a few leaves, as I had never seen seagrass before! I had learnt about seagrass and the important ecosystem services they provide in another module this semester, so it was super cool to encounter seagrass for the first time.
Seagrass.Seaweed.
After about one and a half hours of walking around and squatting to look at marine creatures, our exploration ended on a high note, as we saw a rare moon-headed sidegill slug before leaving the beach. Although I was not able to fully appreciate the rarity of this sighting, I marvelled at its beautiful colours and patterns. It was a great way to end the walk!
The moon-headed sidegill slug!
All in all, it was a super fruitful first intertidal experience for me, and I will definitely be visiting the intertidal zone again soon. Thanks for reading!
On the 7th of April, I went for the Horseshoe Crab Rescue and Research Programme at Kranji Mudflats. I chose to go on this field trip as I thought that it would be a fun and unique experience that I could not find elsewhere, and it ended up exceeding my expectations!
It was a cool Thursday morning, and I woke up before the sun had risen for the first time in a very long while. Feeling very sleepy but also very excited, I made my way to Kranji Mudflats and met up with the other BFF-ers outside the gate, where we chatted (and fought off mosquitoes) while waiting for everyone to arrive. It was really nice to meet others who, despite coming from different walks of life, shared the same love for nature and biodiversity!
Eventually, we were given a briefing and led down to the mudflats by our guide, Lester from Nature Society Singapore. Although most people think of these places as wastelands, I was struck by its natural beauty, with mangrove trees growing all around, and the vast expanse of sea contrasted with the skyscrapers of Malaysia in the horizon. We trudged through the muddy substrate until we were deep enough into the mudflat, and Lester stopped to share more about horseshoe crabs before we began our survey.
Making our way down into the mudflat.
According to Lester, there are four species of horseshoe crabs worldwide, and two of them are found in Singapore – the coastal horseshoe crab and the mangrove horseshoe crab. As their names suggest, the coastal horseshoe crab is more commonly found on beaches, while the mangrove horseshoe crab is usually found in mangroves. Lester explained to us the differences between these two species – while coastal horseshoe crabs can grow up to the size of your head, mangrove horseshoe crabs are smaller and usually grow up to the size of your palm. Mangrove horseshoe crabs also have shorter spines on the side of their bodies, have rounded rather than triangular tails, and are darker in colour.
Lester also shared about the behaviour of horseshoe crabs, who, as bottom feeders, feed on whatever they find on the sea bottom. They also moult as they grow, which is why we often find horseshoe crab moults along our shores. Then, Lester taught us how to differentiate male and female horseshoe crabs, which can only be done once they reach sexual maturity (horseshoe crabs which are at least 7.5 cm from tip to tip are considered adults!). Males have distinctively swollen, ‘buff’ front legs, and tend to be smaller than females. This is because when they mate, the male attaches onto the female, and since its mouth is on its bottom, it cannot eat.
A male horseshoe crab.A female horseshoe crab.
After Lester’s sharing, we started our survey of the horseshoe crabs in the mudflat. We stood in a line parallel to the shore, then slowly moved down towards the water as we dug around in the mud for horseshoe crabs. The horseshoe crabs found would have their length taken and their sex identified. It was not easy to find them at first, but I eventually found a few, which was exciting! Lester shared that the population of horseshoe crabs used to be much larger, and that surveys would yield buckets upon buckets of horseshoe crabs.
A horseshoe crab I found! I was surprised at how small they could be.
Unfortunately, the horseshoe crabs here face a number of challenges, which is why they are not as plentiful today. Firstly, horseshoe crabs are not protected under the Wildlife Act, and as such, are particularly vulnerable to human threats like land reclamation and net fishing. Also, the changing, increasingly sandy substrate at Kranji Mudflats is unsuitable for horseshoe crabs, which is why they are being found in increasing numbers at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve instead.
Interestingly, I learnt that horseshoe crabs here are also being threatened by the invasive Charru mussels from South America. These Charru mussels are one of the many other species found on the mudflat, which include flower crabs, thunder crabs, sea anemones, drill snails and cone snails. They were first found in large numbers here in 2015 to 2016, and could have arrived in Singapore in ballast water. They are harmful to horseshoe crabs as they can prevent horseshoe crabs from burrowing into the ground, and can even latch onto them, preventing them from moving or eating properly. Thankfully, volunteers have been doing their best to manually remove these invasive mussels.
The invasive Charru mussel.
Not only did I have a lot of fun during this field trip, but I also learnt a lot about horseshoe crabs, and gained a better understanding of the need to protect these interesting creatures. Thank you Lester! According to Lester, most of the people (including him) with Nature Society Singapore are volunteers, and it struck me how much of our conservation efforts are down to volunteer efforts, and how passionate these volunteers are.
Through this field trip, I also realised how important first-hand experiences with nature and biodiversity are in developing a love for the environment. It was only after getting down and dirty in the mudflats with the horseshoe crabs that I began to understand the importance of protecting them. When people are able to appreciate the beauty of the natural world, they will be more likely to take action to protect it. As put by Baba Dioum, “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”
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.
Onch slug on a mangrove treeA 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.
The sediments are a lot more sandy
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.
When I think of Pasir Ris Park (PRP), chalets, barbeque pits and the beach come to mind. Although PRP is a mere 30 minutes from home, I don’t usually visit the park for other purposes like bird-watching as I have never thought of it as a biodiversity hotspot. When I saw the sign-up link for the bird watch at PRP, I was intrigued and decided to take a look for myself.
As I reached the meeting point near the freshwater pond at Carpark B, my misconception of PRP as merely a recreational location was immediately debunked. I heard rich melodies coming from the songbirds and the calls of other wild birds such as the Red-breasted Parakeet, Collared Kingfisher and the Black-naped Oriole. Soon, I met up with Weiting, our guide for the morning, and the other participants. It was a really small group so it felt like we were friends coming together to do some bird-watching.
Although I have some basic knowledge of the common birds in Singapore, I gained new insights into the behaviours of the different species. Did you know kingfishers will smash the fish that they have caught against hard surfaces? This helps them to stun and/or kill the fish, as well as break up the spines so that the kingfisher will be able to swallow the fish safely. We did not see this in action but it was astonishing to learn about this particular behaviour. I also managed to see a few species that are new to me, such as the Rufous woodpecker and the Laced woodpecker.
We were fortunate enough to see other creatures like a pair of otters frolicking in the river and marking their scent on land. Later on, we watched some mischievous macaques playing in the water and having fun by trying to pull each other’s tails.
A park-goer also alerted us to a Painted Bronzeback (do correct me if I am wrong!) which was initially slithering on the ground but swiftly made its way up to the branches as we approached. A group of ladies passed by and were curious about why we were staring at a tree. As we shared the sighting with them, it was encouraging to see other members of the public being interested in and respectful of biodiversity by observing the snake from a distance. They also asked us about how to behave around snakes and told us about their own experiences with them. It was especially heartwarming to hear that people wish to co-exist peacefully with snakes although they are often perceived as being scary and aggressive.
Painted Bronzeback Photo credits: Weiting
As we made our way through the park, we also discussed issues such as the songbird trade and various human-wildlife conflicts. The caged songbirds at the entrance of the carpark were a stark reminder of the rampant poaching and trading of endangered songbirds like the Straw-headed bulbul. There is also an area in the park which has been cordoned off and Weiting explained that it was done to prevent parkgoers from trampling into the bushes to snap photographs of the owls which used to reside there. This reminds me of the instances when crowds thronged Changi Beach and dug up sea creatures. While I appreciate that people want to learn more about our local biodiversity, there is definitely more work to be done in terms of educating people about being respectful of wildlife and nature, as well as what it truly means to be part of a city in nature. One solution I can think of is to inform people about the availability of guided walks, where participants can learn about wildlife without sacrificing the health of our local ecosystems.
The field trip was really fruitful as we saw not only feathered creatures but also other animals such as otters, macaques and snakes. Nature continues to fascinate me and today’s trip emphasises the fact that there is so much to see and so much more to discover. I also realised that I do not necessarily have to go to far-off places like Chestnut Nature Park or Bukit Timah to observe nature. I will definitely return to PRP soon to look out for all sorts of creatures, whether big or small.
Thanks to Weiting and Nigel for their time and patience in guiding us and sharing their knowledge!
BFF Biodiversity Challenge 2022 