VIP Guests at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

wetlands
a publication of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Vol 10 No 3

VIP Guests
Community Involvement Programme by Jurong West Secondary School

Photographing Nature Workshop forCommonwealth Secondary School

Experiencing Life in the Mangroves with the Canadian International School (Singapore)

Doing what they do best for a good cause: Hillgrove Secondary School

Volunteers Conduct Heron Counts at Sungei Buloh

13th International Coastal Cleanup

Wild Boar Sightings

An ASEAN Experience: Conference on ASEAN Heritage Parks

Volunteer Outing to Pulau Kukup and Yong Peng Heronry

Young Hearts for Nature: Young Naturalist Passport Camp

VIP Guests

Ng Sock Ling
assistant director

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) welcomed some very important people over the last few months.

Ministry of National Development Permanent Secretary, Mr Tan Tee How and Deputy Secretary, Mr Choo Whatt Bin came by for a visit on 22 May 2004.

His Excellency Mr Michael Teo, Singapore’s High Commissioner to the Court of St. James’s and Ambassador to Ireland came with his family to SBWR on 24 August.

SBWR’s most recent VIP guest, His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, visited SBWR on 2 Oct 2004. He was accompanied by the British High Commissioner, Mr Alan Colins.

Forty excited Young Naturalists and about 20 National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) winners and participants were there to greet His Royal Highness, as were the HSBC Green Volunteers and SBWR Volunteers. All were eager to show the royal visitor how the HSBC-NParks-NYAAC partnership worked.

Prince Edward watched as the NYAA participants from Ngee Ann Polytechnic explained to the Young Naturalists the importance of the mangroves and smiled his approval at a scribbled bird list a Young Naturalist presented to him. He spent time talking with the NYAA award winners, and went on a guided tour of the Mangrove Boardwalk with the HSBC Green Volunteers.

Before he left, Prince Edward planted a sea teak tree ( Podocarpus polystachyus) together with SBWR’s partners in conservation, represented by HSBC CEO Mr Paul Lawrence, NYAAC Chairman Professor Leo Tan, Ngee Ann Polytechnic Principal Mr Chia Mia Chiang and NParks Chief Operating Officer Dr Leong Chee Chiew.

© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Community
Involvement Programme
at the Sungei Buloh Wetland

Miss Zarina Ahmad Zakri
CIP co-ordinator
Jurong West Secondary School

Since 2003, Jurong West Secondary School has been in partnership with the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to involve its Secondary Three pupils in its “Care For Nature” Community Involvement Programme (CIP).

One of the main criteria of the school’s CIP policy is to create a strong sense of environmental conservation and management. The collaboration was also to promote the school value of Teamwork, as well as, to align with the school’s strategic goal of “Respect by Community”.

None of the pupils had heard of SBWR before, the trip was an eye-opener. They were amazed to find “never-thought-of” debris like tyres and large styrofoam containers. More important was the discovery of how many plastic items were collected.

Our staff also participated in coastal clean-up in March 2004 as part of our Staff CIP. Even though the activity could not be completed due to weather, our principal, Mr Oliver Balasingam, commented that “the weather did not dampen our spirits. We had a good time besides contributing something to society.”

In 2004, Secondary Three pupils were engaged in mangrove planting. It involved the pupils planting mangrove saplings during low tide, which meant having to trudge in the mud. The activity was well-received. The classes that could not go due to wet weather had all requested to go next year.

Comments from pupils’ reflections: “We learn to treasure nature by not polluting it”; “We learn to cherish plants”.

JWSS looks forward to another year of a meaningful programme with the National Parks Board.

Briefing on mangrove
planting for our pupils

Hard at work

SMILE - Our labour of environment

© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Photographing Nature
Workshop
sponsored by the Press Foundation of Singapore Limited

Jeremy Ang
conservation officer

On 2nd November 2004, more than 20 students from Commonwealth Secondary School, Chestnut Drive Secondary School and Hillgrove Secondary School attended a one-day Nature Photographing Workshop in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) sponsored by the Press Foundation of Singapore Ltd (PFS).

Professional nature photographer, Mr David Tan conducted the workshop jointly with SBWR staffs, Ms Halilah Ahmad, Mr Tay Soon Lian and Jeremy Ang.

The students were taught the basics of digital photography such as getting the desired exposure, photograph composition and digital photography editing techniques. In addition, they were given a 2-hour hands-on photography session in the reserve to practice what they had learnt from the workshop. After the photography session the students used the laptops in Nature Cove to download, choose and submit their best photograph for a calendar competition. Moreover, individual schools were also tasked to design a Poster Calendar using the digital photographs they had taken. To round up the session, the trainers commented on each photograph submitted and gave tips to the students on how to improve their skills.

The results of the photo and poster design competition were announced at the launch of the nature cove at SBWR on 4 Dec 2004.

At the end of the workshop the feedback collected from the students were that...

“Very useful and interesting.”
Kevin Hanurata, 17, Hillgrove Secondary School.

“Very enriching!”
Gabriel Wong, 15, Commonwealth Secondary School

“It taught us many things most people wouldn’t know about nature, and it lets us get up close and personal with nature.”
Donovan Leow, 14 Chestnut Drive Secondary School.

© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Experiencing Life
in the Mangroves
the Best Way to Learn

Cheryl Babin
Open Minds Programme Coordinator Canadian International School (Singapore)

The students at the Canadian International School (Singapore) have become skilled observers with heartfelt appreciation of the environment after spending an entire week experiencing the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

We all need time when learning to really experience new things and look closely at details before we can achieve a true level of understanding. This is just what CIS teachers and students did during their week at Sungei Buloh. Through the Canadian School’s Open Minds Programme, teachers and conservation officers from SBWR teamed together to create an educational and memorable week-long experience for middle school students.

Experts of SBWR shared their time and knowledge with students in many ways.

During the Wader Census, students learned how count, identify and observe the birds. Using journals, students recorded their questions, observations and took the time to draw what they saw.

In addition to counting the waders, students had the chance to observe these special birds as they were being tagged for the purpose of tracking bird migration patterns along the East Asian Australasian Flyway. An up-close look at measuring and weighing the birds demonstrated important details that helped to enlighten the students.

Conservation officer, Jeremy Ang, shared information about the conservation efforts preservation of SBWR. Local artist and SBWR volunteer, Pui San, also worked with the students to see the mangrove ecosystem through the eyes of an artist. Students spent time painting, drawing and interpreting the beauty and wonder of this national jewel.

Canadian School teachers led students through a variety of activities that tied SBWR into the different subject areas of curriculum. Microscopes and magnifying glasses were used to view pond water samples, poetry, journal entries and other forms of writing were created and students had ample time to discuss their thoughts, ideas and questions with their peers, teachers and parents. Back at school, math concepts were used to analyse and graph data that was collected during the week.

During the last day at SBWR, students and teachers took part in a coastal clean-up project which gave them a most valuable chance to take action and make a difference in helping the environment. They were not afraid to get a little dirty, and their efforts paid off! It was amazing to see how much garbage could be collected in a very short amount of time.

After a week of observation, journal writing and talking to the experts at Sungei Buloh, students have developed new understandings, formed deeper questions and more value for this unique wetland environment. Special thanks go out to the caring staff at Sungei Buloh who made these learning experiences possible for our students.

© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Doing what
they do best...
for a good cause

Jeanne Tan
senior outreach officer

It was not just another ordinary Saturday on the 31st of July this year. For some 25 students from Hillgrove Secondary School’s Environment Club (EC), they came together at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve ( SBWR) for one sole purpose – to raise funds and do their part for conservation.

It was a day for these EC students to work their entrepreneurial skills, with a delectable mix of art and nature. These students, as dedicated and focused as they come, did not let the dark clouds and sound of thundery ‘booms’ nearby dampen their spirits. The skies looked almost as if they were about to burst with heavy rain, and yet, the students remained hopeful, that they could still manage to raise some money for conservation.

One would have reckoned that their positive outlook and enthusiasm had helped things to start off well. They believed with much conviction that hard work does pay off, eventually. The students and teachers of Environment Club had started to prepare for this event several weeks before, conscientiously preparing craftwork for sale.

Much to almost everyone’s surprise and delight, the dark clouds, as near as they were to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, began to move away with a change of wind direction and gave the wetland reserve a miss!

Each of the students summed it up as a fun-filled and enriching morning. The students had several items up for sale. There was an interesting range of bookmarks, batik printed cards, bags , stones and pyrography craftworks, all done with wetland wildlife motifs.

The students did an excellent job in communicating to the visitors the purpose of this mini-sale. Aside from the sale of craftwork, the EC students also had a time of interaction with children of a younger age, guiding them on the basics of art.

It was endearing to see how they fitted into a big brother and big sister role, taking the hands of these young ones, teaching them how to draw, as well as gently explaining to them the importance of conserving nature.

In half a day here, the students raised $445.00 for the SBWR Conservation Fund. To the students and to the dedicated and committed teachers of Hillgrove Secondary, namely, Mrs Susan Tham, Ms Neo and Mdm Sarah, we would like to thank you for your tireless giving and participation as an adopter school of SBWR. Over the years, we have gained much in this partnership. I am sure my colleagues would agree with me that your students have added much vibrancy to our work place, and to some of us, our lives. To the students, I want to add, keep up your positive spirit, and continue to do what you do best….

“The students from the Environment Club have shown great enthusiasm in making these items for sale…They realized that it involves a lot of hard work.”
Mdm Siti Sarah, teacher, Hillgrove Secondary School

“The activity was fun. I wish to do it again!”
Mohd Imran, 3E2

“It was a fun-filled and an enriching experience for me.”
Pek Yong Qing, 3E1

“I’m proud to have done my part for conservation…”
Rida Nisar, 3E1

© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Volunteers conduct heron counts
at Sungei Buloh

Ramakrishnan Kolandavelu
assistant conservation officer
James Gan
senior conservation officer

Herons (and other species from the Ardeidae family) have been counted through systematic surveys, together with other groups of birds at Sungei Buloh since 1990 but the counts in 2003 represent the first time efforts were made to count the Ardeidae species regularly on a weekly basis. And what was even more special was that this was the first time Sungei Buloh volunteers, Prakash and Seema, had committed to one full year of regular Sunday morning counting the herons, egrets and bitterns in the wetland. The aim of the counts was to establish the abundance, species composition and trends regarding the species over a calendar year at the wetland.

The dedication of the volunteers has enabled the wetland reserve to obtain a snapshot of the heron numbers over a calender year (See graphs attached).

The survey results have established that Ardeidae species numbers in the wetland do not exceed 200 individuals at any one time. The Little Egret is the most abundant Ardeidae species with a maximum of 163 individuals counted in January with three lesser peaks of 130 in late February and 80 and 128 in late November. The Great Egret is much less abundant than the Little Egret with a peak count of 19 also recorded in January. The Grey Heron was found to be generally more abundant than the Purple Heron. Peak counts of 41 individual Grey Herons were noted in July with lesser peaks scattered throughout the year. The Purple Heron had peak counts of 10 individuals.

Bitterns were not abundant and being secretive with a tendency to hide among the thick vegetation, the numbers counted during the surveys are certainly less than the actual numbers present. The Yellow Bittern was the most abundant bittern with a peak count of 7 followed by the Black Bittern and Cinnamon Bittern with peak counts of 2 and 1 respectively. Based on the count data, the bitterns appeared to be more abundant in the first half of the year especially between the end of March and May.

The data collected over time will be invaluable for the conservation management of the wetlands.

In general, the count data obtained has provided an indication of the Ardeidae species and numbers that might be expected in Sungei Buloh over the next few years and in similar wetland sites in the vicinity of Sungei Buloh at different periods of a year.

Post Script:

The results of the heron counts has translated into the presentation of an abstract and poster to be presented at the Singapore Institute of Biology, Biology in Asia International Conference held at Nanyang Technological University from 7 to 10 Dec 2004.

The title of the abstract is: “Gan J.T.W.M , Ramakrishnan R.K., Prakash S., & Seema S. 2004. Ardeidae species abundance and diversity in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore in 2003.”

© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

13th International Coastal Cleanup 2004
at Sungei Buloh

Ramakrishnan Kolandavelu
assistant conservation officer

It was time again for another annual ‘spring cleaning’ of the mangroves and beaches on this earth! Here in Sungei Buloh, we held our cleanup on 18th September 2004.

At the Annual International Coastal Cleanup, people in 70 countries across the globe rolled up their collective sleeves and clean up debris from mangroves and beaches. In the process, they help to collect important data which are then used to educate the public on the issue of marine debris, to create a positive change to reduce trash in the world’s waterways and to improve the environment.

As with previous years, the energetic team from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR) of the National University of Singapore took the lead to rope in volunteers from schools and organisation to help with the cleanup of Singapore’s coastline. The partners for this year comprised Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Anderson Secondary School, Beatty Secondary School, Commonwealth Secondary School, National University of Singapore, Raffles Museum Toddycat, Saint Andrew’s Junior College, Singapore American Middle and High School, Tao Nan Scouts, Victoria Junior College, Yusoff Ishak Alumni.

The focus for the cleanup was the mangroves at Kranji Nature Trail. This year, some 460 volunteers cleaned up a total area of 450 square metres of coast.

After a briefing by RMBR staff for the student leaders of the various schools a week before the cleanup session, it was time for action. Excitement was in the air as the participants made their way into Sungei Buloh and gathered at their assigned area. Everyone began their task of picking up litter in earnest. They separated the trash into different categories and recorded the data. All these were done with much enthusiasm. The leaders then collated and submitted all data cards to the operations room for updating on the web page by the data manager. The litter collected on the land was removed, by means of using wheelbarrows and trollies. The trash and litter collected from the sea were removed using canoes. Everyone did their part well. The whole cleanup operation was a success and a great deal of important data was collected on this tiring but meaningful day of cleaning up our mangroves…

Summary
Total number of Volunteers 460
Total number of trash bags filled 334
Total number of items collected 22,164
Total weight of trash collected 3,167 kg
Total area cleaned 450 Sq.m

Sources of Debris
Shoreline & Recreational Activities 17,999 (81.2%)
Debris of Local Concern 1,787 (8.1%)
Ocean / Waterway Activities 1,7331 (7.8%)
Smoking-Related Activities 320 (1.4%)
Dumping Activties 259 (1.2%)
Medical / Personal Hygiene 68 (0.3%)

© Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Wild Boar Sightings
at Sungei Buloh

Jeremy Ang
conservation officer

A family of wild boars was sighted on 17th September this year at about 10.30am near Gate B by the freshwater ponds. The family consisted of one female and four juveniles. Since the encounter was an absolute surprise, the adult female hastily led her young ones back to the safety of some bushes. Thus, the only photograph that we have was of them running away to the bushes. Nonetheless, it is wonderful to know that wild boars are breeding in the vicinity of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Apart from this encounter, we had a friendly young wild boar, affectionately named “Charlie”. Charlie enjoyed going through merry rounds in our visitor carpark chasing after vehicles, rolling in mud pools that he dug for himself, sniffing and digging vegetated areas for food and lazing in the shade during hot humid afternoons.

Charlie

Whenever Charlie was at the visitor carpark, he established ‘public relations’ with both staff and visitors, making himself a “mascot” fo SBWR.

However as time passed, Charlie grew bigger and became quite a handful. He was caught chewing off young plant seedlings in our plant nursery, rubbing mud on vehicles and getting a bit too close to visitors for their comfort, especially to young children. We were concerned that there were signs of poachers trying to trap him too. Once he had a nasty cut on one of his hind legs, presumably sustained from a poacher, and another time a wire noose was found looped to his upper jaw.

Due to all these issues, the management decided to translocate Charlie into the reserve where he will be protected and possibly find a mate and start his own family.

Charlie since then, has been safely translocated from the visitor carpark into the reserve. We conducted checks and found him adapting well. Hopefully, in the near future, we can see him and his offsprings roaming in the reserve. For now, if you are ever approached by a friendly male wild boar while hiking in the reserve, chances are he might be Charlie.

An ASEAN Experience
Conference on ASEAN Heritage Parks at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, 20-24 Sep 2004

Ng Sock Ling
assistant director

On 18 Dec 2003, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) joined 26 other protected areas of high conservation value across ASEAN to become Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park.

ASEAN Heritage Parks are protected areas of high conservation importance that together, preserves a complete spectrum of ecosystems representative of the ASEAN Region. Each site is nominated by its government and evaluated by other member countries and experts.

The ASEAN Heritage Parks were established with two aims: “to generate greater awareness, pride, appreciation, enjoyment and conservation of ASEAN’s rich natural heritage through the creation and support for a regional network of representative protected areas” and “to generate greater collaboration between ASEAN member countries in preserving their shared natural heritage” (Guidelines for the Nomination and Management of ASEAN Heritage Parks, 2003).

In the selection of SBWR for this prestigious programme, NParks accepted both the honour and the responsibility of managing SBWR as a showcase example for the protection of the ecosystem it represents.

A year after the ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks was signed, the inaugural Conference on ASEAN Heritage Parks convened at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, on 20th to 24th September 2004. It was a conference that brought together representatives from a full spectrum of environmental conservation backgrounds, from the ASEAN Secretariat, to international experts, to ASEAN Heritage Park managers. His Excellency Mr Ong Keng Yong, ASEAN Secretary General, was the Guest of Honour. I attended the Conference as the park manager of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, together with Mr Wong Tuan Wah, Director for Conservation, NParks. It was an invigorating experience.

The Conference was held at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand’s oldest National Park and an ASEAN Heritage Park. Covering an area of 2,165 km, the Park is about three times the size of Singapore. It is part of the Phanom Dongrak mountain range that separates Thailand’s northeast plateau from the central plain, and the source of five main rivers in Thailand. Not surprisingly, it enjoys a cool climate and has numerous spectacular waterfalls. Vegetation also ranges from tropical rain forests to hill evergreen forests, dry evergreen forests and mixed deciduous forests.

The Conference delegates were housed at the Park’s headquarters, in comfortable chalets and bungalows, with light and (very cold) running water and within close proximity of the Park’s Cafeteria. Surrounded by nature, it was an ideal setting to consider the beauty and value of an ASEAN Heritage Park, and to discuss conservation concerns with like-minded folks. While the days were filled with important presentations and country reports indoors, the early mornings and nights were spent quite differently.

In the early mornings, I woke up to the calls of gibbons and monkeys, swinging their way through the green forest canopy just outside my chalet. I was not alone in my curiosity, for I spotted Dr John MacKinnon, trusty camera and tripod in hand, heading down the path following movements in the tree canopy. Sambar deer, the males magnificent with their antlers, were everywhere. In the evenings after dinner, our amiable host Mr Prawat Wohandee, park manager of Khao Yai, arranged for ‘spot-lighting’ sessions for delegates eager to sample the night life of the Park. As their children held up powerful spot lights from the windows, Park Rangers transported delegates in buses around the park to watch startled porcupines ambling away into the shadows, civet cats skulking in the grass, deer placidly feeding and owls staring from the trees. The Park had a 9:00 pm curfew, when visitors were told to stay indoors so as not to be in the way of the elephants and tigers that wander the park grounds at night. Those of us waiting for the thrill of seeing a tiger were disappointed, but on the final night of our stay, some of the lucky delegates saw a herd of elephants.

This first Conference set the tone for future exchanges between the ASEAN Heritage Parks. The meeting-together of political minds, international conservation experts and the park managers involved in the day-to-day work of managing these valuable ASEAN heritage sites formed a dynamic environment which stimulated the cross-exchanges of ideas and best practices. It also fostered a greater understanding and appreciation of our shared natural heritage among the representatives of the 10 member countries of ASEAN.

Volunteer Outing to Pulau Kukup
and Yong Peng Heronry, Johor, Malaysia

Jacqueline Lau
SBWR volunteer

Early morning on the 15th of August 2004, a busload of an assortment of individuals headed north-west of Singapore, towards the south-western end of Johor. For this year’s volunteer and staff outing, Pulau Kukup and the Yong Peng Heronry were our destinations.

We were provided with a tourist guide who entertained us non-stop for pretty much the entire journey, telling us, with zest, about the lands and history of the regions the coach passed through. To get to Pulau Kukup, we had to make a stop at the busy rural town of Pontian and proceed to the island by boat. But that was not before spending some time in the Johor National Park Visitor Information Centre, enjoying the exhibits they had there of their natural heritage.

Declared a Ramsar site, or a wetland of international importance, at the beginning of this year, Pulau Kukup, like Sungei Buloh, is a mangrove reserve. “ If there is one mission that unites national parks all over the world, it is the conservation ethic.” This was one sentence from Johor Parks’ Pulau Kukup website which caught my eye and provoked some thoughts. That was certainly true, especially for reserves which have such similar habitats. While at Kukup, our conservation officers exchanged knowledge with the Park Manager, who led us around Kukup, pointing out the unique fauna and flora which could be found there. We, who were used to being the guides in a nature reserve, were now the ones being guided.

We pointed out the tiniest of crabs, in the brightest of colours, “Oh, oh! There’s an orange one there!” And a few seconds later, “There’s an even smaller one here! There… you see the green one?” We were amazed at how small the denizens of Kukup were… compared to those in Buloh. The mudskippers were small. The halfbeaks were petit. So were the many species of spiders found there, and1 the caterpillars.

The animals there were either small, or were so well-camouflaged that most of them, I reckon, had escaped our notice. Those of us with cameras snapped away at this speckled moth on a bark; it greatly resembled the Peppered moth of Europe. With the cameras flashing around it, it must have felt like a celebrity. The few grey herons that we saw were not as ‘chubby’ as those we were used to seeing. All these were not a sign of a lack of nutrition though. Far from that, Kukup is vibrant, and rich with life. Our conservation officers speculate that many of them might be sub-species.

Sometimes hailed as the central structure of attraction at Kukup is a 6-storey-high aerie. As disinclined as I was to heights, I reminded myself that we had all survived the narrow 30m suspension bridge at the entrance of the Park, and scaling the aerie shouldn’t be too difficult. The little struggle up the tower was worth it. From the top of the aerie, one was treated to a 360 degree panoramic view of Kukup and its surrounds. It was a sea of green – the canopies of the mangrove treetops. And the best thing was, there was not another man-made structure in sight… it gave the feeling of what nature was meant to define.

After witnessing a wasp parasiting a poor caterpillar, we made our way back to Pontian, to enjoy a seafood lunch on a raised platform beside the jetty. Terns dive-bombed around us, and the then-greyish sky was welcomed by the photographers, who had their bazooka lenses all ready, aiming at the swooping seabirds.

It was another long journey – for us Singaporeans who have never had to travel too far to get to where we wanted – up to the famous heronry at Yong Peng. Upon arrival, nobody could be certain if that was in fact the correct destination. All there was was a row of shophouses, a bank, and a few Yong Peng residents sitting about having their afternoon coffee. Someone pointed out the back lane, behind the shophouses. We disembarked. The moment we got off the coach, we could hear the familiar hoarse calls and squawks of… herons! Did it sound like there were many of them around! The sight which greeted us was simply amazing – in a tiny patch of shrubs and grassland, a good 30-odd mixture of Black-crowned Night Herons and Purple Herons were perched on the tree branches. It was as urban a heronry as you could get. The adults and juveniles were totally oblivious to us humans with our scopes and monster lenses and cameras snapping away from not far off. I daresay we were only slightly more than 50m away.

The hour and a half that we spent there was not enough; some of us could have stayed there for hours on end. The heronry was a remarkable arrangement. There were wild, untouched lands all around, and yet the herons chose to live and nest at a location so close to human activity. Later we learnt that there was a dam nearby, where the birds did their fishing, but still the main question which lingered in our minds went unanswered: what drew them to that particular patch of green and not any other? Not knowing why these feathered friends do what they do only makes us all the more in awe of them and their ways.

At the end of the day I had a little conversation with fellow volunteer Pui San, and in these words he summed up the spirit of the Buloh family: “The Buloh volunteers and staff... are a very tight-knit community. There’s a strong family spirit... a strong bond between the volunteers, and between the volunteers and staff, and that’s a very good thing.”

It is outings such as this which brings out this spirit. And it is this spirit which has been instrumental in ensuring the success of Sungei Buloh as a wetland reserve… a centre for conservation and learning.

That being said… another trip in December, anyone?

Young Hearts
for Nature

Jeanne Tan
senior outreach officer

On 6 December 2004, we successfully ran another Young Naturalist Passport (YNP) Camp for a full day from 9am-5pm. The YNP camp takes place twice a year, in June and December respectively, and is sponsored by HSBC. We had a group of enthusiastic young naturalists ranging from six to fourteen years old.

One of the activities “write stuff” required the children to write a pledge for nature. This page has the original thoughts penned by some of our young hearts for nature.