Hello guys! I’m Marcus Ooi, a Y1 student  from the NUS Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) Programme, and welcome to my blog! As you can probably tell from my blog title, I’m quite a huge fan of the mangroves, but it wasn’t always this way.

When I was younger, being true blue Easties, my family often brought me to Pasir Ris Park, where we would take the occasional trip into the mangrove boardwalk to enjoy the scenery. I vividly remember finding the place unspectacular and mundane, not to mention smelly! Everything was brown, green and dirty, and the mosquitoes and humidity certainly did not help.

It was only in my teenage years that I began to better understand what it means to see and appreciate nature. A teacher taught me to “look closer, longer and harder”, and his words completely altered the way I viewed the natural world. As I embarked on more field trips and guided nature walks, I began to realise how amazing every single organism and ecosystem actually is. With this new lens, I revisited the mangroves and was amazed at the richness of biodiversity that I could now see. All it takes is a little bit of knowledge and the willingness to brave the discomfort to stop and stare for awhile.

To me, mangroves are among Singapore’s most awe-inspiring ecosystems. Like unpolished gems, they appear dirty and reek of sulfur and rotten eggs. Yet when we get to know them more deeply, we can see the rich diversity of life within, the beautiful designs of nature imprinted in the mud condominiums, aerial roots and brackish water. Marrying land and sea, mangroves serve so many vital functions, not just ecological ones, including serving as a gateway for ordinary Singaporeans into a deeper appreciation of our amazing natural world.

What I feel distinguishes the mangroves from our other nature reserves here in Singapore is the intimate proximity with which we can interact with nature there, in its most raw and unmanicured state. While other trails bring you on a guided tour of the park or reserve, only mangrove trails take you right into the heart of its ecosystem, where you can see nature doing its own thing right in front of you! I don’t really know why this is so, but it is my experience.

In this blog, I’ll be delving deeper into our awesome mangroves from a number of angles, from their significance to our fellow Singaporeans, to their ecology, biodiversity and conservation status, as well as what potential they could hold for the future. I truly hope that we can grow in our love for our mangroves together. Stay tuned and see you next week!

Note: All pictures were taken with my own handphone. Sorry for the poor image quality! I’ll try to get better ones next time.