1. ITE ECO-CONFERENCE
Green Citizen – a lifestyle choice
Fri, 13 July 2012
Conserving and Managing
Singapore's Biodiversity
wong_tuan_wah @ nparks.gov.sg
www.nparks.gov.sg
1

2. Outline
1. Our unique and rich biodiversity
2. Our conservation efforts
3. Take Action - YOU can make a difference ..!
2
Sg Buloh Wetland Reserve

3. Singapore (710 sq.km), located within the Sundaland Region,
one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world ! 3

4. A unique urban environment … rich in biodiversity
“ In 40 yrs of careful urban planning that balances
development with nature conservation, we have created a
unique urban environment that is rich in biodiversity…”
• a pragmatic approach of balancing development and nature conservation;
• a unique conservation model that champions environmental sustainability
and nature conservation
4

5. Our Rich Biodiversity …
No. of species
2900 sp. of plants, 400 sp. of birds, 270 sp. of butterflies,
120 sp. of reptiles, 75 sp. of mammals , 25 sp. of amphibians,
200 sp. of hard corals 111 sp. of reef fish
Natural Areas Survey (2006 – 2007)
. 11 out of 23 (50%) seagrass sp. in the Indo-Pacific Region
. 35 new records (species not previously recorded in S’pore)
. 7 re-discovered sp. (species not sighted for the last 50 yrs)
Source: The Natural Heritage of Singapore (2010) 2nd, 3rd Edition
5

6. 400 bird species recorded
• Our bird species is more than 60% of the species in UK or
75% of those found in France
• Oriental Pied Hornbill last seen in 1855; rediscovered in 1994;
~139 years later
Stock-billed Kingfisher
Oriental Pied Hornbill
6

7. Leopard Cat - first live record in the mainland
(Prionailurus bengale)
“ Good news! We’ve sighted and photographed the first live leopard cat
in mainland and CCNR after 43 years ..! This one was found during a
survey on 1 Apr 2011.
Our forests still have hidden
gems!” Marcus Chua, 11 Apr 2011
7

8. Brown Wood Owl - First Record
(Strix leptogrammica), 23 Dec 2010
Description
• No known records in Singapore
• Size: 50cm, 500g
• Nesting in secondary forest, P Ubin
• Range: India, SE China, SEA
• Habitat: Lowland tropical forest
• Status: Rather uncommon
• From: Southern Johor ?
Features
• Below Parts: Downy white feathers
• Upp Parts: Brownish, white markings
• Face: Buffy-brown, black border,
shaped like a bat
• Eyes: Deep brown
• Bill: Bluish-grey
8

9. Bruguiera hainesii (Berus Mata Buaya)
• Rarest mangrove tree
• 200 individuals in the world
• 4+ found in Singapore !!
Sg Loyang, Pasir Ris (2003)
Pulau Ubin (2003, 2005)
Kranji Nature Trail (2010)
“Eye of the Crocodile”
9

10. Neptune’s Cup Sponge (Straits Times, 16 Nov 2011)
Found in March 2011. Last seen
in 1870, more than 140 years
ago !
10

11. Conservation Efforts - Safeguarding our natural heritage …
Pacific Golden Plover (Pluviaris fulva)
L: 23cm, W: 84-164g, Home: Siberia (6,000 km), Peak Count: 2,000
Ringed: 29 Oct 1990, Recaptured: 3 Jan 2003; 12yrs later 11

12. Common Redshank (Tringa totanus) - An old friend has
returned …!
L: 28cm, W: 74-178g, Home: Mongolia, Russia, Peak Count: 1,000
Ringed: 3 Nov 1990, Recaptured: 24 Jan 2011, 20yrs 2mths later 12

13. Conservation Efforts - Enhancing our bird biodiversity
• Partners (2004 - 2011): CVM Pte Ltd, WRS, NUS, NTU
• Studying the ecology and breeding behaviour of hornbills
• Monitoring and documenting the breeding activities in nests
using high definition CCTVs
• 2011: 60 hornbills in Ubin, 40 in mainland
Oriental Pied Hornbill (OPH)

14. EcoLink @ BKE - enhancing our forest biodiversity
• BKE built in 1986
• Concept Launched: Sep 09
• Detailed design: Feb 11
• Ground breaking: July 2011
• Completion: end 2013
14

15. Enhanching our Marine Biodiversity
• First underwater nursery – Jul 07
• 600 coral fragments - “Corals
of opportunity”
• $250k sponsorship (Keppel Grp)
Apr 2010: Acropora corals
Straits Times 16 Apr 08 15

16. Managing a network of trails, bridges
and walkways…
16
Straits Times, 11 May 2008

17. Park Connectors Network (PCN): island-wide matrix of green links
for recreation
LEGEND
EASTERN REGION LOOP
WESTERN REGION LOOP
KALLANG-SERANGOON LOOP
NORTHERN REGION LOOP
NORTH EASTERN REGION LOOP
SOUTHERN RIDGES LOOP
SIGLAP-KALLANG BASIN LOOP
LINKAGES
Project being fast tracked: 300 km by 2015

18. Biodiversity Conservation & Discoveries
May 2011 @ Hort Park
“A decade of biodiversity conservation and
discoveries in S'pore (May 2011)"
500 species new to
“Singapore !
This is remarkable considering that Singapore
is one of the most densely populated cities in the
world. Our pragmatic approach in balancing
development and conservation and finding
unique solutions is what makes the City a model
for other cities to follow…” Prof Tommy Koh
“Most people think Singapore is too small and too
urbanised to have anything of biodiversity
significance. We should conserve what we have and
be proud of our natural heritage…”
Prof Peter Ng (NUS)
18

19. TAKE ACTION - Join our Mailing List ..!
www.nparks.gov.sg
19

20. GREAT Opportunities - outdoor eduation
300 parks and nature reserves as outdoor
classrooms ..!
20

21. Programme for Active Learning (PAL)
Primary 1 & 2 students
Soft skills through outdoor learning
21

22. Activities in Parks
• Young Naturalist Programme (Wetlands and Mangroves)
• Nature Keeper Programme (Tropical Forest)
• Young Arborist Programme (Urban Trees)
• TreeTop Walk @ MacRitchie (Canopy Ecology)
New initiative
at SBWR with
ColorZip
Feb 2011
22

23. Visit our
most iconic
park
“Gardens
by the Bay”
28 June 2012
23

24. 7 - 15 July
The Modernist Garden
Joe Palimeno (USA)
Garden of Tales
Damian Tang (S'pore)

25. Be a Volunteer
Join CIN !
Community in Nature
“ to appreciate, understand, love
and protect our natural heritage”
www.nparks.gov.sg

26. Take Action … !
You can make a difference
• Enthuse and inspire you - go for a walk,
explore nature, attend a talk, join a Green Club,
form a Nature Interest Group
• Ignite in you a desire to contribute to nature
conservation activities - be a Volunteer
• Contribute to national and global conservation
efforts … take part in community work, students' exchange
programmes, share best practices

27. Our fate and biodiversity …
“ We are an integral part of nature. Our fate is tightly linked
with biodiversity, the huge variety of animals and plants,
the places they live and their surrounding environments,
all over the world.
People all over the world are working to safeguard this
irreplaceable natural wealth and reduce biodiversity loss.
This is vital for current and future human well-being.
We need to do more. Now is the time to Act ! ”
27

28. My City in a Garden
THANK YOU ! 28