development – 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

Garden Blooms in our Little ‘Green’ Dot

Posted on October 2, 2016

Hello guys!

Let’s talk about Community Gardens.

Do you know many community gardens are there in Singapore?

I couldn’t believe it when I first saw the value. Singapore has about 1000 community gardens (“community gardens”, 2016). This actually indicates that there is a high likelihood of having one or more community gardens near where you live.

Can you spot a community garden in your area?

Photo courtesy of Nparks – Spread of community gardens in Singapore

Due to their abundance and close proximity, the community gardens are very accessible to most, if not, all of us. I really appreciate how these tiny green spaces within our compacted living environment can become areas of interaction for residents. Although many knew about the existence of community gardens, not a lot of people actually knew how easily they can be found. In where I live, there are quite a few community gardens and here is one of them:

community-garden-2 Yes, I understand that gardening is not for everyone. Worms, hard labour, sweat, hot sun. These are what some would picture whenever the word ‘gardening’ is mentioned. Yet the fruits of labour are what make gardening so enjoyable. Here is my view about the benefits of a community garden:

community-garden-3 — Photo courtesy of Ravrangifts

1) Revive the kampong spirit
Living behind metal gates and doors, there is significantly lesser opportunities for neighbours to interact amongst one another. Despite living literally just a few steps away, the relationship between neighbours could even be comparable to strangers. Community gardens can provide opportunities to bring residents with similar interests together so that bonds can be forged. This promotes social cohesion and thus revive the kampong spirit.

community-garden-4 — Photo Courtesy of Housing & Development Board

2) Bring people of various ages together
It is really interesting how gardening can evoke interests of people from various age groups. I believe that community gardens have the potential to bridge the gaps of people from different generations and allow them to spend good quality time together.

3) Low commitment due to collective effort
Gardening requires a long-term and consistent commitment. However, we don’t have to find time everyday to take care of plants in a community garden unlike a home garden. This is because the whole community is looking after the garden. Hence, the responsibility of watering and fertilizing the plants can be shared which can allow people who are busy (like many of us!) to participate in gardening as well.

With benefits, there will also be problems. When there are more people involved, there is a greater likelihood of disputes occurring due to different ideas. Since the garden belongs to the whole community, this also means that we cannot design our garden to our liking. Nonetheless, this issue goes back to consideration and the willingness accept different ideas, both being important attributes in our daily living.

If you are interested in gardening, why not help out in these gardens? Otherwise, you can just make a visit and watch how the hard work of these residents translates into rewards. 🙂

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

References:
Community gardens. (2016, June 13). Retrieved October 1, 2016, from National Parks Board, https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardening/community-gardens

Visit a community garden. (2016, January 15). Retrieved October 1, 2016, from National Parks Board, https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardening/community-gardens/visit-a-community-garden

Wonderful heritage estates garden homes – community garden. (2016, June 27). Retrieved October 1, 2016, from Ravrangifts, http://www.ravrangifts.com/heritage-estates-garden-homes/wonderful-heritage-estates-garden-homes-community-garden/

Community in-bloom. Retrieved October 1, 2016, from Housing & Development Board, http://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/community/practise-eco-living/community-in-bloom

Vertical Farming – Vegetables from the Sky

Posted on September 3, 2016

Hey there!

If horizontal does not work, go vertical. A simple idea yet it is the main concept behind vertical farming which has become increasingly popular due to the lack of land space.

Last Wednesday, our batch (Environmental Studies Year 1 Students) went to Sky Greens as part of our learning journey. Sky greens is the ‘world’s first low carbon, hydraulic driven vertical farm’ which promotes farming with green methods (Sky Greens, 2014). The farm consists of rows of tall greenhouses. In each greenhouse, there are about 16 towers as high as 9 metres, each with 38 tiers of rotating growing toughs filled with vegetables.

Row of Greenhouses (Photo taken by Johanah Seow)

Photo Courtesy of Sky Greens (Growing troughs of vegetables)

It is really fascinating how they maximise the use of resources. One example is water. According to Sky Greens, only 12 litres of water is used per kilogram of vegetables. This is because rainwater is collected and used for watering through the water pipes. The excess water that is not absorbed by the vegetables is returned back to the pipes where it can be reused to water the vegetables again for up to 3-5 cycles. Water pressure is also used as hydraulic energy to rotate the toughs, reducing a significant amount of electricity.

Cai Xin harvested at the end of the tour which is purplish compared to the cai xin we usually see

Only 0.5% of Singapore’s land is allocated for agricultural purposes (Commonwealth network, 2013). With such limited land available, vertical farms is indeed an ingenious idea. Such feature not only maximises the use of space, the incorporation of these farms into our urban environment can also make farming more accessible which can make the industry more prominent. It is interesting that farming is no longer limited to land with soil. Sky greens has plans to place these greenhouses in rooftops or even integrate vertical farms into building facades or interior walls. These greenhouses can even be placed afloat on water (just like the Marina Bay Floating Platform), reflecting that the location of the greenhouses can be extended beyond solid ground. It has come to a point where farming can be done everywhere, even within the concrete walls where we work and live.

“It’s sad when you ask children where vegetables come from, and they say NTUC, or when you ask them where chickens come from and they say the fridge.”
Ms Chai Sheau Shi of organic vegetable farm Fire Flies

I feel that the quote above is something that we can all think about. I believe that the inclusion of farms into our urban living can allow us to gain a better understanding of our food sources. Farming may not be an major contributor to our economy but according to a quail farmer William Ho, farms can prove to be helpful in times of emergencies like SARS and bird flu (Ong, 2016). Therefore, I hope that more local farms can be promoted and treasured. In my next post, I will be discussing about the problems associated with vertical farming. Stay tuned!

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

References:
Sky Greens, (2014), About Sky Greens, Retrieved on 1 September 2016 from: http://www.skygreens.com/about-skygreens/

Commonwealth of Nations, (n.d), Find Agriculture Expertise in Singapore, Retrieved on 1 September 2016 from: http://www.commonwealthofnations.org/sectors-singapore/business/agriculture/

Ong, J, (2016 May 28), Unanswered Questions, Uncertain Future for Krani Farmers, Retrieved on 2 September 2016 from: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/unanswered-questions/2823076.html

Sembawang Sports Hub: Building into the Green Memories

Posted on August 27, 2016

Hey there!

Today I wanted to highlight the newly planned Sembawang Sports Hub which caught my attention when I saw it on the news recently. You guys may ask: It’s just a Sports Hub, what is it that is so special? Well, this is because the greenery and heritage of the area will be retained and incorporated into the hub.

Here is the video on the development plans of the sports hub:

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Video Courtesy of Channel News Asia

As shown in the video, the facilities of the sports hub include forest trails, an eco-friendly hawker centre and even a swimming pool surrounded by nature (Siong, 2016). It is really interesting because according to our Acting Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, it is intended that the facilities of the sports hub would be built into the forested area instead of planting trees around the facilities (Ong, 2016), striking a fine balance between development and conservation.

It is comforting to know that the residents of Sembawang wish that the greenery would be retained as much as possible, as shown in the video, reflecting that people do care and treasure the greenery around them. From the video, it can be inferred one of the reasons they wish to preserve the greenery could be that they associate the greenery with their joyful memories they had and they feel that retaining the greenery would also retain the essence of their living environment, since Sembawang used to be a kampong with plantations and fruit trees (Nparks, 2016). I tend to ponder if evoking nostalgia among the public can be an effective way to let them appreciate the greenery around them. While educating on the benefits of greenery can be a good idea to allow the general public to appreciate the greenery, perhaps, it could also be helpful to appeal to the emotions of the public by letting them reminisce the cheerful memories brought by greenery and the sentimental value of the greenery in their lives.

“There are now 761 trees in the area and while 200 trees will be cleared to make way for the project, another 1,000 trees will be replanted.”

Acting Education Minister and a Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang GRC Ong Ye Kung

Considering that the greenery in Sembawang is well-known (Au-yong, 2015), it may seem a little regretful that some greenery have to be cleared to make way for the sports hub. At times, I wonder if the sports hub is necessary in exchange of the greenery which has a great sentimental value for many living in Sembawang. However, I do appreciate the efforts taken by the developers and government to preserve as much greenery as possible and to use greenery as the main feature of the hub.

Regardless, looking at the artist impression of these facilities made me believe that there is potential for the sports hub to be popular in the future and to promote the greenery of the area. For now, we shall be patient as we wait for the hub to become a reality. 🙂

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

References:

Siong, O (2016 July 3) Greenery and Heritage to be retained at New Sembawang Integrated Hub, Retrieved on 22 August 2016 from: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/greenery-and-heritage-to/2926332.html

Nparks (2016 August 16) Pasir Panjang Nursery, Retrieved on 23 August 2016 from:
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/2016/8/pasir-panjang-nursery

Au-Yong, R (2015 August 15) Sembawang to get Hawker Centre Swimming Complex, Retrieved on 25 August 2016 from:
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/sembawang-to-get-hawker-centre-swimming-complex