Problems – Plantiful Bounty

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

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/

Tree Falls – Is There Anyone to Blame?

Posted on September 17, 2016

Hey there!

Recently I came across this news online which made me decide to discuss this topic about tree falls.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/heritage-tree-falls-on-chinatown-s-pearl-bank-apartments/3120422.html (CNA, 2016)

Sadly, tree falls are pretty common in Singapore since we are surrounded by trees. A few months ago, I took this photo from the window of my room.

Seems like a bad day for the car owner

At times, situations such as the one above is considered mild. If the very target of the tree or branch fall is shifted to a person, I believe that the matter will escalate to become more serious. Just recently on July 2016, a motorcyclist was in coma after being hit by a falling tree at Admiralty Road West (Laiu, 2016). The impact was severe, leaving the motorcyclist, at best, paralysed from the waist and a blind eye (Laiu, 2016). With such devastating consequences, should there be a party responsible for such incidents? Who exactly is at fault?

Is it an act of nature or an act of negligence?

Thinking about the question above, there are endless uncertainties in my mind. With regards to determining negligence, how do we measure the amount of care given to a tree? How do we know if the tree is well taken care of? If it is an act of nature, can we do anything about it?

Unfortunately, it is impossible to ensure that there will be no such incidents occurring since strong winds and storms can even affect the healthiest trees (Nparks, 2014). While it is true that these trees are under the care of Nparks and the blame of such incidents might be shifted to them, there is really nothing that can be done if a healthy tree or branch falls due to bad weather conditions. The unpredictability of these incidents emphasizes the hardships of having greenery in our urban environment and we should not take them for granted. While incorporating greenery into our environment may be widely encouraged, we should also note that placing trees into our living environment is a long-term commitment and efforts do not just end at the very action of planting trees.

At the end of the day, whose fault is it? Nparks? The weather? Truthfully, the answer is not clear as the factors behind these falls are too wide and it would be unfair to pin point a party to blame. Instead of spending time to figure out who is at fault, the best action that can be done is to minimize such occurrences by conducting regular checks on the trees and to trim the trees frequently.

Tree and branch falls can happen at any place and any time. Perhaps, what we can do is to be more aware of our surroundings. This may not sound satisfying as a recommendation but this is something we can do at the very least, since the responsibility of our own safety comes from us as well. 🙂

Cheers!
♣ Johanah

References:

Channel News Asia, (2016 September 12), Heritage Tree Falls on Chinatown’s Pearl Bank Apartments, Retrieved on 16 September 2016, from: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/heritage-tree-falls-on-chinatown-s-pearl-bank-apartments/3120422.html

Laiu, D. (2016 July 28), Motorcyclist in Coma After Tree Falls on Him, Retrieved on 16 September 2016, from: http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-news/motorcyclist-coma-after-tree-falls-him

Nparks, (2014 November 20), Nparks’ Tree Management Programme, Retrieved on 16 September 2016, from: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/news/2013/1/nparks-tree-management-programme