conservation – Plantiful Bounty

What Now?

Posted on November 6, 2016

Hey there!
Just a few months ago, I wasn’t as environmentally-conscious as I am now. I didn’t know how drastic some of my consumption patterns could impact the environment. However, through this module, I have learnt so much about the impacts of our actions and the urgency for a change in the way we live. Through small actions in our daily lives like bringing our own lunch boxes to takeaway food, we can do our part in ensuring that damage to the environment can be reduced.

People were shocked by my drastic change in the way I live which of course lead to doubts regarding the genuity of my actions. There are times which I am disheartened when people just dismiss my behaviour. If I cannot influence the people whom I am close to (my family and friends), how am I going to influence others and make a positive change for the environment?

This brings to the topic of influence.

For the past 3 months, I have brought up some of the development, benefits and issues regarding the greenery in Singapore. Throughout my blogging journey, there have been many times that I question myself. I have spoken a lot about the issues we face, how we prioritize artificial greenery over natural sites, how certain ecologically valuable sites have to make way for development…

But I wonder, what gives me the right to speak up and influence others? As someone who still has a lot of learn, do I really have the power to make a change for the better?

What exactly can I do as an Environmental Studies student?
What exactly can we do as Singaporeans?

Some people feel that they do not have the power or the ability to protect our sites. After all, it is usually the authorities or the higher-ups who would have the final say in the usage of the land. But the very fact is, they do listen to us. As leaders, they have to listen to our needs. We are the ones who would influence their actions. The most prominent example would be Chek Jawa. If not for the public’s opposition, awareness would not have been created about the beauty of this site and Chek Jawa could possibly be gone due to reclamation by now.

This brings me back to what Dr Peter Ng have mentioned during the talk last Monday: If people do care and love these natural sites, there is no need to worry because it is unlikely that they will be taken away.

This is the power of our voice. This collective voice is the very basis of influence. Only then can progress be made to protect these natural sites and move towards a ‘truly green Singapore’.

Right now the best thing we can do is to come together to speak up when we see a plan that we know would damage the environment. It all comes down to knowing what is the right thing to do.

Don’t be afraid to be speak up.

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

Placing faith into Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

Posted on October 31, 2016

Hey there!

Today, we had a talk by Professor Peter Ng. Dr Ng is a widely-respected biologist who discovered Johora Singaporensis, a species of crab that is endemic to Singapore.

During the talk, Dr Ng mentioned that Bukit Timah nature reserve has to be regularly maintained by people due to the lack of animals for seed dispersal. This problem is further exacerbated by the fact that many of the plants, some which are vital species to the nature site, require animals to disperse seeds. This is quite saddening to hear. Although the site used to be a forest with a self-sustaining ecosystem, the survival of the nature reserve now strictly depends on man’s regular efforts to maintain the site and ensure that the seeds of the plants are dispersed.

One of the main reason for such a change could possibly be due to the huge extents of fragmentation from development, affecting seed dispersal routes. In the map below, other than the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) which separates the Central Water Catchment area and the Bukit Timah Nature reserve, we can also see developments such as a golf site, a rifle range and even condominiums around the nature site.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps (https://www.google.com.sg/maps/place/Bukit+Timah+Nature+Reserve/@1.3483979,103.7752687,779m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x31da10f5981ed73b:0x7b421dc2a7c58be!8m2!3d1.3483925!4d103.7774628 )

In my mind, there are so many questions:

Could it be possible to restore the nature reserve its original state? Is it possible to bring back these animals that are crucial in ensuring the healthy state of the forest?

On 22 October 2016, Bukit Timah nature reserve was opened to the public after two years of closure (Spykerman, 2016). During these two years, restoration efforts were mainly targeted at facilities like trails and boardwalks. In other words, the restoration efforts were focused on satisfying the needs of the public. These restoration efforts are understandable, considering that many of these old facilities are posing a threat to the safety of the public. However, would it be better if the same amount of resources is dedicated to bringing the forest back to life so that regular maintenance can be minimised? Would this even be possible, considering the degree of fragmentation that has already resulted to the nature site?

Frankly, I do not know the answers to these questions. Seeing that the nature reserve has been maintained by people for years and there seems to be no improvement to the natural state of the forest, I couldn’t help but have a more negative stance regarding the future situation of the nature reserve. This could be why I find it ironic that much resources have been spent on improving the infrastructure of the reserve despite the dire state of the forest. However, I still have belief that not all hope is lost . After all, the reserve has one of the richest biodiversity (Nparks, 2016). Let’s not put our faith down. I feel that the best thing we can do is to minimize as much disruption to the nature reserve as possible and stop any more developments to the area.

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

Reference:
Nparks. (2016, October 24). Bukit Timah nature reserve. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/bukit-timah-nature-reserve

Spykerman, K. (2016, October 22). Bukit Timah nature reserve reopens after 2 years of restoration work. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from Channel News Asia, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/bukit-timah-nature-reserve-reopens-after-2-years-of-restoration/3226578.html

Wild City Singapore – Hidden Wild in the Concrete Jungle

Posted on October 9, 2016

Hey there!

I am sure many of you guys are familiar with famous the Bishan 10 otters. Together with the fame of these otters also came along the interest towards the biodiversity in Singapore.

People actually wanted to know about the ‘wild’ side of Singapore.

Last week, I came across a documentary featuring the biodiversity of Singapore. It caught my attention as it is rare to see a natural history programme in a Singapore setting. Bearing in mind the name of the programme, ‘城市野生乐园’ (Yes, it was in mandarin), I googled and found out that it was actually a documentary called ‘Wild City Singapore’ created in conjunction with the 50th year of Singapore’s independence in 2015 (CNA, 2015).

Photo courtesy of CNA

Narrated by none other than Sir David Attenborough, a familiar voice in natural history television programmes, the documentary features much of the unknown biodiversity in our ‘concrete jungle’. Despite having just three episodes in the whole series, I could tell that a lot of effort has been placed in creating this documentary. The series which has a total length of not more than 109 minutes actually took more than a year to film (CNA, 2015). The documentary consists of two sections: Urban Wild and Hidden Wild. Urban Wild showcases the wildlife that has successfully integrated into our urban environment while hidden wild showcases the wildlife in less noticeable locations away from the hustle and bustle of the city (CNA, 2015).

Crocodiles, civet cats, pangolins. These are just some of the wildlife featured in the documentary. I have watched all the episodes and enjoyed them thoroughly. I really love how they narrate the daily lives of the various species and even personalise them by giving them names. Of course, there are also really cute and humorous moments such as this:

Gif courtesy of Mothership.SG

It is interesting to note that the documentary tries to promote conservation efforts in a positive manner. Instead of showing the destruction aspects which may have an opposite effect if overemphasized, the documentary allows us to relate to these species just by showing their normal lives. By relating to these species, a sense of attachment could be felt towards them, making it easier to promote action to protect the habitats of these species. I am not sure if this is the case for you guys but at least it did for me.

I was extremely impressed by the excellent cinematography and could tell that every scene was painstakingly filmed with each angle well-considered. Other than providing invaluable insights regarding the biodiversity of Singapore, the documentary would be a great way to get the public to learn more about Singapore’s biodiversity, regardless of whether they are ‘tree-huggers’ or not. The documentary even attracted my family members who are not really nature-enthusiasts.

I recommend you guys to watch it. The documentary can be found on Toggle:

http://tv.toggle.sg/en/channelnewsasia/shows/wild-city-hd/episodes

To end off, here is a trailer about the documentary. 🙂

Video courtesy of Beach House Pictures and CNA

Cheers!
♠ Johanah

References:
CNA. (2015, March 3). Getting wild in the city. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from Channel News Asia, http://m.todayonline.com/entertainment/television/getting-wild-city

Lay, B. (2015, May 7). Watch wildlife documentary on S’pore narrated by sir David Attenborough for free online. Retrieved October 8, 2016, from Mothership.SG, http://mothership.sg/2015/05/watch-wildlife-documentary-on-spore-narrated-by-sir-david-attenborough-for-free-online/

IMDA Singapore (2014, November 25). Wild city – produced by beach house pictures Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swPjXpxwQzM

The Cracks in Conservation #2 – Exposure

Posted on September 25, 2016

Hello there!

In this post, I will continue to discuss about this journal by Dr Liow (2000).

Mangrove conservation in Singapore: A physical or a psychological impossibility?
http://folk.uio.no/leehl/uploads/liow_2000_biodiv__con.pdf

Before I begin, let me ask you:

What is nature to you?

“In a recent study, it was found that in young people, nature conjured up an image of either manicured surroundings as we have in man-made parks and tree-lined avenues, or one of distant, exotic and accessible places (Kong et al. 1999).”
Extract taken from the journal (Liow, 2000)

I can’t be mad at this. It is entirely understandable, considering how we spent most of our lives in an urban environment. We are so used to seeing greenery in the form of parks and urban trees that we sub-consciously link them together with nature. In fact, I used to be a victim of this, growing up seeing just parks and gardens. This reflects the severity and authenticity of the problem. Perhaps, this confusion between artificial greenery and nature could be why it is so challenging to connect the public with regards to conservation.

The point of this post is not to oppose artificial green spaces. Being surrounded by high-rise buildings, I cannot imagine how ‘grey’ our lives would be without these green areas. However, it seems really unfair that these valuable nature sites are not well-known by many Singaporeans.

Fortunately, we can change this.

“many fear nature because of the lack of understanding’’ (Liow, 2000)

Something comforting to know is that people still do have a slight interest nature, but the fear of the unknown as mentioned by Liow (2000) results in the hesitation to interact with it.

Exposure is the key.

One way to increase exposure is to create more opportunities in the form of learning journeys or field trips for the public to interact with nature. In nature sites, I always find it heart-warming to spot parents trekking together with their children. Perhaps, families can consider going to nature reserves. After all, these sites are good locations to be away from the hustle and bustle of city life and spend good quality time with the family. And if you guys are interested to learn more about our natural heritage, why not participate in free guided walks held by various interest groups like Toddycats or BES Drongos?

Tree-top Walk in MacRitchie Reservoir

In my own part, I am trying make up for the lost opportunities to interact with nature by training to be a guide in MacRitchie Reservoir. Through this journey, I hope I can learn much about Singapore’s biodiversity and impart my knowledge to the public. It would be amazing if I can be a source of influence for the public to gain a deeper appreciation for the wonderful flora and fauna in the reservoir.

It is time to start embracing nature by spending more time with it. Only then it would be more likely for conservation efforts to be effective. 🙂

Bonus Picture: Long-tailed Macaque under a really good lighting in MacRitchie Reservoir 😀

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

Reference:
Liow, L. H. (2000). Mangrove Conservation in Singapore: A Physical or a Psychological Impossibility. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from http://folk.uio.no/leehl/uploads/liow_2000_biodiv__con.pdf

The Cracks in Conservation #1 – ‘Psychological Refusal’

Posted on September 21, 2016

Hello there!

Today, I wanted to discuss about a scholar journal that I have read by Dr Liow.

Mangrove conservation in Singapore: A physical or a psychological impossibility?
http://folk.uio.no/leehl/uploads/liow_2000_biodiv__con.pdf

Although the journal was published back in 2000, I was really impressed by the journal as it provided me with fresh perspectives regarding mangrove loss in Singapore.

To be frank, the loss of mangroves is an issue I have never noticed or heard before entering this course. Perhaps, this is because mangrove loss is less publicized in news compared to more prominent problems like climate change. Yet, the declining trend of mangroves is just as important as any other environmental concerns, especially in Singapore where the mangroves could possibly go extinct at the rate we are damaging them.

Diagram Courtesy of Liow

From this diagram, the state of mangroves is indeed worrying. According to Liow (2000), one of the major reasons for cutting down mangroves is to make way for development like housing, industries and even recreation. However, is it worth it to sacrifice these precious mangroves for development?

Do we really have no other choice?

Here is an extract from the journal that attracted my attention:

“The puzzling matter is why ecologically valuable areas were sacrificed (e.g. Senoko) when less valuable sites (like artificial park land and golf courses) could have been ‘swapped’ with them so that the total green area can remain the same, not at the expense of housing development so needed in Singapore.”

This extract kept me thinking for a long time. For the past few decades, much resources have been placed to create artificial green spaces in our living environment. Yet nature sites which should be deemed more important and precious are at risk of being destroyed by development plans. While attractions such as the Mandai Rainforest Park are built, the Mandai Mangrove, a site that is ecologically rich, is still a ‘reserve site’ under the Urban Redevelopment Authority and is in danger of being cleared (Chua, 2013).

This doesn’t feel right to me.

Indeed, Singapore is land-scarce. However, it seems really sad that this problem of land scarcity has become an excuse to put in less conservation efforts. We have been so caught up with the notion that Singapore has little land area and natural resources such that we feel that there is less need to preserve our natural heritage.

Yet contrary to what many believe, Singapore, being a tropical country, has rich flora and fauna that is in need of protection and the very fact is, we do have a choice in saving these nature sites. It is the ‘psychological refusal’ ingrained in us as mentioned by Liow (2000) that creates this perception that there is nothing much we can do.

We need to change this.

Change involving mindsets can be challenging but it all starts with the acceptance of this ‘psychological refusal’ which I believe is the key to conservation. 🙂

Heart Shaped Mangrove in Puerto Rico – Photo Courtesy of Verdiales
Because Mangroves need our love 🙂

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

References:
Liow, L. H. (2000). Mangrove Conservation in Singapore: A Physical or a Psychological Impossibility. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from http://folk.uio.no/leehl/uploads/liow_2000_biodiv__con.pdf

Chua, G. (2013, October 7). Calls to save Mandai site that’s rich in biodiversity. The Straits Times. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/calls-to-save-mandai-site-thats-rich-in-biodiversity-0

Verdiales, T. (2011, September 1). Heart shaped mangrove. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/121680534@N05/13478189173/