Where can you find a rainforest and a wetlands side by side? Two Saturdays ago, I experienced just that – a tour by Prof. Gretchen of the Keppel Discovery Wetlands as well as Tyersall Learning Forest, two restored ecosystems in the Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG). They support a dizzying variety of biodiversity and provide a chance to get up close with unique species such as the world’s largest orchid, the tiger orchid, as well as towering dipterocarp trees, characteristic of tropical rainforests. (It’s a must-see for anyone who wants to learn about Singapore’s natural landscapes of the past!) On the tour, I learnt about the conservation and restoration work that SBG has been engaged in and began to understand the challenges surrounding conservation.

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