EarthLink NTU “!s members went on a recreational trip to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve on Saturday, the 27th of October. We gathered at the EarthLink outing headquarters-the Chinese Heritage Center, at 8 30 am, only to be surprised by being handed indemnity forms to sign, making the imminent trip feel as thrilling as scaling Mount Everest. It was a magnificent experience.
The bus journey from NTU to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve was eventful as ever, as the members, munching on delicious cream rolls and muffins, learnt about how Singapore, one of the greenest cities on the planet, has a forest cover of only 2%.
Greetings by a stuffed tiger at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve “!s visitor center foretold the nature of a roaring expedition to be undertaken by the member “!s of EarthLink NTU “!s subcommittee: a trek to the highest point above sea level in Singapore. The expedition group was split up into smaller groups, each with its own expedition leader- a newly recruited Nature Guide.
Having expertly prepared for the trek, the Nature Guides stopped regularly along the path to educate other members about the exotic plants that grew in the reserve, including the sky-high Seraya trees, the Rattan, the figs and the Macaranga. In spite of the large number of trekkers and joggers on the path, the atmosphere was suffused with serenity, as we basked in the dense foliage, and played a game that involved marking the various rainforest layers.
Only after we reached the summit of Bukit Timah hill, did we realize that our eagerness to trek to the top had clouded our minds: we had not introduced ourselves to our own group members. A brief introduction and a photo-session later, we headed down; the path was surprisingly steep, with many of us having to walk backwards to keep our balance.
At the foothill, it was concluded that a group photograph was in order. In keeping with EarthLink NTU “!s eventful group photography sessions this year, a rather hungry crab-eating macaque joined us, just as the picture was about to be clicked. We didn “!t mind of course, as we at EarthLink NTU believe that every being on Earth is an integral part of our ecosystem. Or perhaps the macaque wanted to acknowledge our commitment to the environment by posing in the picture with us. Either way, it ensured that the outing ended on a humorous note.