Coastal Clean Up

It was a day out for coastal cleaning in a nature reserve! Many were excited and looking forward, but some a little hesitant. Our community is doing a great job; senior citizen volunteers are the handy lot who take it seriously. Someone said “I never knew we have so much trash in this modern island”!. Our younger ones from schools are energetic and curious and they need strong supervision to fulfill their duty hours, but yet still lots of laughter... keep it up!

Chai Kian Hin, Senior Software Engineer, SBWR volunteer for coastal cleanup


Mangrove Salvaging

Recently, I had the chance to once again get my feet muddy and simultaneously, put in new lives in the reserve by planting salvaged mangroves at Kranji Nature Trail and salvaging mangroves saplings from mudflats meant for migratory birds. The latter, if not rescued, would be cleared when the migratory season starts again. Kudos to the helpers, who for a morning, contributed to the massive effort of mangrove reforestation! Locally, our remnant mangroves are fragile ecosystems, susceptible to man-made effects such as coastal modifications, battling against substrate changes and recruitment problems. Globally, we have lost about 25 percent of the mangroves determined since 1980 (FAO report, 2003). There is definitely a serious need for mangrove reforestation and restoration.

Chua Siew Chin, SBWR volunteer for mangrove salvaging


Freshwater pond cleaning

Together with some students from Hillgrove Secondary and other SBWR volunteers, we were tasked with clearing the water lettuce growing wild outside the visitor centre. Wading about in boots, and armed with trash bags and gloves, we earned both curious glances from visitors and irate glares from sun-worshipping Water Monitors. Still, there was no better job then one involving fresh air, mud, sweat and friends to work with. So let them stare. I was in “longkang kia” heaven.

Iris Li, NUS undergraduate, SBWR volunteer for Freshwater Pond Cleaning

Bird Ringing

After each trip out to the ponds, we would head back to the visitor centre to and continue with the ringing. To us, every bag contains a mystery. Being so close to the birds was unforgettable because it is just almost impossible to carefully note their details while viewing them through a pair of binoculars. After all the information is recorded correctly, the birds are immediately released back to the wild. As we watch the birds fly into the darkness of the night, all of us have one thing in mind, to see it come back to see it come back again in the next migratory season…

Lua Wai Heng, Technical support officer, SBWR volunteer for bird ringing

Bird Ringing

I have been fortunate to ring birds in many parts of the world and the most satisfying part of the experience is to share knowledge with my fellow ringers. I have, on many occasions, been involved with the ringing programme at Sungei Buloh. My ringing experience of 25 years enabled me to pass on some ideas on techniques, such as ageing criteria, which I had learnt previously in Europe. When I first visited the Reserve, I had little knowledge of Singapore’s birds. With a good field guide and the enthusiastic help of the park staff, I learnt to recognise the species we were catching. The only way field ornithology can progress is for us to share ideas and experience. I gained a great deal from my experience at the park and hope that the knowledge and techniques contributed in some small way to the development of the ringing team. Although not having visited the park recently, I am in regular contact and still feel part of the ‘’team’’. When I next visit, I am sure that there will be something new for us to learn and to add to the understanding of birds and their conservation for the benefit of future generations.

Ray Knock, Businessman, SBWR Volunteer Bird Ringer based in the United Kingdom

Marine Fish Survey

When Sungei Buloh asked for volunteers in the “Marine Fish Survey”,I promptly volunteered for it as I thought it was a chance to relive my childhood memories of catching fish. However, the efforts required were much more and we worked till the wee hours of the morning catching and moving live specimens of prawn, catfish, tripod fish, halfbeaks, milkfish, scats, just to name a few. The marine fish survey provided resourceful data towards the compilation of an educational book for students. This was done to create much awareness on marine fish for the public as well. It was an interesting experience, not just for me, but for everyone in the program as well, working together towards a common scientific cause and to aid in the education of future volunteer guides. I will definitely make an effort to volunteer again for the next marine fish survey.

Andy Teng, HR Manager, Asia, SBWR volunteer for Marine Fish Survey

Snake Survey

Early in 2002 I was asked if I could undertake a survey of the snake fauna of Sungei Buloh. The objectives were to determine which snake species inhabited Sungei Buloh, and to gain an understanding of species distribution in relation to habitat. I made a weekly visit to the reserve to locate snakes, undertook a review of snake specimen records at the Zoological Reference Collection at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, and created an internet-based form for other volunteers to report their snake sightings. The survey proved a total of 22 snake species resident in the reserve - this is a significant level of diversity given the small size of the reserve and the limited range of habitats. Since the close of the survey in 2003 two more species have been added to the list making a total of 24. The experience was rewarding and I have learnt so much about these elusive creatures and I believe this survey has raised awareness of the great diversity of species in the reserve.

Nick Baker, Petroleum Geologist, SBWR volunteer with snake survey