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Mon 04 Feb 2013 MRT through the Nature Reserve: "the line goes 'through' primary forest and good secondary forest."Category : news Two weeks ago, LTA announced that they would build “two new rail lines and three new extensions by 2030″. Of the proposed new lines, the 50km Cross Island Line (CRL) was the cause of considerable concern, as it would cut through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and I posted a couple of maps for scrutiny [see maps in link]. I sent local naturalist and GIS-geek Tony O'Dempsey the Land Transport Authority's map for a second opinion about the placement of the line. I was interested to see the type of forest we knew to be present which the line would cut through. Tony replied shortly after, saying, "I georeferenced that LTA map and co-registered it with this satellite image. The line goes 'through' primary forest and good secondary forest." Tunnelling or overhead, construction is not a neat business. And if it will occur in our nature reserves, the integrity of an already impacted forest will be further challenged. Mon 04 Feb 2013 Sat 09 Feb 2013: 7.00am - The Battle of Pasir Panjang Commemorative WalkCategory : heritage The Battle of Pasir Panjang Commemorative Walk
The National University of Singapore is built on parts of old battle ground and still contains a WWII military outpost that strategically oversees Jurong, Bukit Timah and Singapore City. In 1954, the ridge was renamed 'Kent Ridge,' and the old stone marker commemorating this event can still be seen today. The accounts of the battle on Kent Ridge left a strong impression on the Pasir Panjang Heritage Guides, and thus we commemorate the Malay Regiment's defense of the ridge every year. We will share with you stories about the Battle of Pasir Panjang, the geography, history and the flora and fauna of the area that first drew us to explore the ridge decades ago and how the ridge got its name. Our route takes us through the National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Road, The Gap and Kent Ridge Park. We end at Reflections of Bukit Chandu, which is managed by the National Archives of the National Heritage Board. Everyone is welcome if you can wake up early enough and are physically fit enough to walk some 5km at a moderately quick pace and climb some stairs. The guides may carry on walking to Harbour Front for lunch if its not too hot; feel free to join us. Registration
Links
Fri 01 Feb 2013 Sat 23 Feb 2013: 1.30pm - Darwin Day 2013 @ Woodlands Library: evolution of flowers, wildlife of Singapore and Darwin's discoveriesCategory : talks Darwin Day 2013 features lively and humorous speakers extolling the evolution of flowers, wildlife secrets of Singapore and Darwin's discoveries. There will also be storytelling, games and craft fun for children. Organised by the Humanist Society in collaboration with National Library Board. Saturday, 23 February 2013: 1.30pm - 3.30pm Admission is free at the Woodlands Regional Library, 900 South Woodlands Drive Woodlands Civic Centre #01-03, Singapore 730900 (take the MRT to NS9 Woodlands). Visit the Humanist Society webpage to RSVP or for further details. Wed 23 Jan 2013 "Reducing Our Environmental Impact Hackathon", 25 - 27 Jan 2013 @ U TownCategory : events  "UP Singapore, WWF's Earth Hour and NUS Entrepreneurship Centre (a division of NUS Enterprise) will host the "Reducing Our Environmental Impact Hackathon" from 25th to 27th Jan 2013. To find out ore, see upsingapore.com and sign-up at eventbrite.com Tue 22 Jan 2013 LTA's proposed Cross Island Line (CRL) cuts through the Central Catchment Forest ReserveCategory : news Last Thursday, LTA unveiled “Two new rail lines and three new extensions by 2030″. This significant announcement doubles the rail network from 178km to 360 km by 2030, putting some 80% of households within a 10-minute walk of a rail station.
Of these proposed new lines, the 50km Cross Island Line (CRL) was the biggest surprise, and also of greatest concern. The CRL begins in Changi and moves westwards through Loyang, Pasir Ris, Hougang, Ang Mo Kio, Sin Ming and through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve to Bukit Timah, Clementi, West Coast and Jurong Industrial Estate.
Singapore still has a mosaic of small secondary forest patches. The largest of these are hemmed in to five major areas - the Western Catchment (military use), Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR), Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) and the islands of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong (military use). Of these, the oldest patches and some of the least impacted forest areas are found in BTNR and CCNR, the green heart of Singapore.
 Map of Singapore showing locations of major forest fragments (map by Marcus Chua)
The Central Catchment Nature Reserve is a rectangular area in the centre of Singapore island bound by four roads: Mandai Road in the north Upper Thomson Road in the east, Lornie Road in the south and Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) in the west. This reserve encloses four large reservoirs - MacRitchie Reservoir in the south, Upper Peirce Reservoir and Lower Peirce Reservoir in the central west and east respectively and Upper Seletar Reservoir in the north.
Adjacent to CCNR in the south west is the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Isolated from the larger CCNR since 1986 by the BKE, the construction of an EcoLink was announced in 2009 to link BTNR with CCNR once again later this year.
Shortly after the LTA announcement about the new rail lines last week, singeo provided a Google Earth overlay of the LTA map which I downloaded and examined.
 The CRL (in red) through southern CCNR
This line will cause concern amongst local naturalists, who will have to examine the issue and ask questions.
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve are precious spaces. These are being carefully managed to cope with preservation of biodiversity for future generations, and we are also the planet's custodian for rare endemic species found nowhere else in the world.
Understandably, the forest is under pressure for recreational use. As in many other cities, Singaporeans seek relief from the confines of our urban space in the forest. Over the years the mountain bike community has grown, as have the number of trail runners and hikers. Outdoor education of our students is increasingly understood to be important.
Just last week, DBS Vickers suggested the expected Population White Paper to be unveiled by government will raise the population target of Singapore to 7 million [link]
This will bring further pressure to our heavily used forests. As an open ecosystem, man's activities in one area will affect other parts, often in ways we do not entirely understand.
Thus when I examined the map, some immediate, obvious questions came to mind. If the CRL is an underground line, could we mitigate impact during and after construction? The questions are,
A close examination of the issues would be helpful and there is much to ask and understand. This sounds like a proposal for an honours thesis! Wed 28 Nov 2012 In celebration of the conservation of Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve - registration opens for the 2012 Anniversary Walk on Sun 2nd December 2012!Category : events Registration is now open for the 2012 Sungei Buloh Anniversary Walk, to be held on Sunday, 2nd December 2012. The current capacity for the walk is 100 persons. Please register by Friday 30 Nov 2012. For registration and details, please visit the Sungei Buloh Anniversary Walk webpage.  In 1993, an area of Sungei Buloh mangrove was declared a nature park and four years after this, I offered a free guided walk in celebration of the conservation of this mangrove. My friends join me to delight the public annually with stories from the mangrove. In November 2001, we exchanged furious SMSes when the park was declared Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve. And right now, lots of work surrounds the park as the master plan is being implemented. ![22sbaw-dec2008[anand]](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3243/3090817131_1d72130b45.jpg) My friends and veteran guides from Raffles Museum Toddycats will regale you with stories about the animals, plants and the ecology of the mangrove. During the rising tide you will see tree-climbing crabs, mudskippers, drills, neritas, water monitors, archer fish, mullets, halfbeaks and garfish. Besides the fauna and flora, their ecological adaptations and regional economic uses, we will also point out the nearby Mandai mangroves, remember the WWII invasion of Singapore through this area and contemplate the uncommon scene in of a river draining into the western straits of Johor! It is also time for the migratory birds that have winged down from the north. And sometimes we are blessed with the crowd pleasers of Smooth-coated otters and the crocodile. Do join us for a lovely morning walk to celebrate the anniversary of the reserve! You must register and read the details so visit the Sungei Buloh Anniversary Walk webpage. ![32sbaw-dec2008[anand]](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3223/3090828889_8dc0836513.jpg) Tue 10 Jan 2012 Sun 12 Feb 2012: 7.00am - The Battle of Pasir Panjang Commemorative WalkCategory : heritage The Battle of Pasir Panjang Commemorative Walk
The battle accounts in the grounds we frequent on Kent Ridge left a strong impression on the Pasir Panjang Heritage Guides, and thus we commemorate the Malay Regiment's defense of the ridge every year. We will share with you stories about the Battle of Pasir Panjang, the geography, history and the flora and fauna of the area that first drew us to explore the ridge decades ago.
The National University of Singapore is built on parts of old battle ground and still contains a WWII military outpost that strategically oversees Jurong, Bukit Timah and Singapore City. In 1954, the ridge was renamed 'Kent Ridge,' and the old stone marker commemorating this event can still be seen today. We discuss ths story behind this and reveal how the ridge got its present name.
Registration
Links
 Sat 03 Dec 2011 If you go for ONE talk this year, this is it: Ria Tan's "Secret Shores of Singapore" talk is unparalleled and she speaks from the heart.Category : talks  Ria Tan of Wild Singapore and Wild Shores of Singapore speaks TODAY (Sat 03 Dec 2011: 2.30pm) at The National Geographic Store at VivoCity, 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-19 [website] She says, "No need to swim, no need to dive! Ordinary people can experience much of Singapore’s amazing marine life on the intertidal shores. Otters, wild dolphins, sea turtles, sea snakes, living corals and more! A two-time recipient of the Biodiversity of Singapore Symposium Award (2003, 2007) presented to exceptional volunteers who have contributed selflessly to biodiversity in Singapore, she has been indefatigable since I worked with her in 2000. Her mission to spread awareness about Singapore's biodiversity began over a decade ago. In 2001, she played a critical role in the conservation of Chek Jawa. That fueled her to do more and she began to investigate our shores, generating voluminous tagged and labelled photos on Flickr which have become an international resource. A walking encyclopedia, she probably knows if any marine species has ever appeard on our shores! No wonder she is a valuable ally to scientists investigating marine life in Singapore. She also supports and promotes others through Wild Singapore, a one stop resource for Singapore which sets an example for private and government efforts in resource generation. She learns, uses and adapts simple tools and it is backed by her marine life expeditions, participation in the community and engagement with people on the ground. Her powerful delivery during her slide talk is the result of a LOT of preparation to integrate all that information bursting inside of her. When she compressed this into a 10-minute presentation at the Biodiversity of Singapore Symposium III, she inadvertently created compulsory course material for the LSM1103 Biodiversity class in the National University of Singapore as well as for Organisers and Volunteers of the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore. If you go for ONE talk this year, this is it. Ria Tan's "Secret Shores of Singapore" is unparalleled and she speaks from the heart. Don't wish you could be there, just go! Mon 28 Nov 2011 An introduction to raptors of Southeast Asia by Yong Ding Li, ver 2011Category : books Update: the version I posted last Saturday was the 2010 version. I met YONG Ding Li a few hours ago and he informed he had updated the guide and subsequently sent me this 2011 version (the artwork is by the author as well): "Raptors in Southeast Asia," by Yong Ding Li, 2011. Nature Society (Singapore) Bird Group & Southeast Asian Biodiversity Society. 45p. Thanks Ding Li! Sat 26 Nov 2011 Sungei Buloh Anniversary Walk 2011 - registration closedCategory : events Registration has closed for the Raffles Musem Toddycats' Sungei Buloh Anniversary Walk in December. All spaces have been taken up. Thank you for your interest.
Happily though, there are numerous other nature events being conducted in Singapore, even this week - just see Wild Singapore Happenings. 
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Comments RSS![Proposed CRL MRT line through CCNR [Tony O'Dempsey]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8354/8444411908_fb1db2b83e.jpg)
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