Located in Kranji, the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is one of the most peaceful places I have visited in Singapore, so far. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city and its maddening crowd that is always in a rush to get to some place, this piece of land spanning over 130 ha, is a nature lover “!s paradise.
Listed as an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2003, this patch of greenery amidst all the high rises is one of the four gazetted nature reserves in Singapore. Initially given only the status of a Snature park due to its global importance as a stop-over point for migratory birds, this park was officially opened on 6 December 1993 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Earthlink NTU took the opportunity on 2nd March to take its members on a guided tour of the place. As always, it was a full house and the 20 of us were all eager to see what awaited us. After a quick breakfast we were on the road enroute to the park. As we entered the reserve we were directed into a little theatre where we watched a movie that gave us a short summary of all that awaited us in the midst of the mangroves!
Once that was done we were on our way to explore and absorb the beauties that lay ahead. Guided in two groups by our Nature Guiding Officers, we walked through the Nature Cove and Gallery, both housing creatively made structures of what was yet to come. The trail was made all the more interesting when we were handed out sheets of paper that contained a crossword puzzle and a quiz, whose answers lay with the creatures that would greet us in the wilderness .Hence, all through, the trail also became a learning experience as we filled out our respective sheets with enthusiasm learning much more in the process.
During the rest of the trail we walked in tandem with our Nature Guide who stopped at regular intervals to show us the intricacies of the reserve and its flora and fauna, which would have otherwise missed our line of vision. Starting with the less scary ones, we observed the different roots of the mangroves, the two types of bamboo trees, the wide spread banyan tree and the tiny snails that stuck to them. Then came the mudskippers, horse shoe crabs and the Lobsters, all slimy, slithery and excessively quick in their movement. Next in line was the Malayan Water Monitor, a smaller cousin of the Komodo dragon .This carnivore, not afraid of humans, is said to roam the reserve fearlessly and at its own choice. It “!s often mistaken for a crocodile while in the water! Not only were we lucky to watch this agile swimmer in its favourite atmosphere, we also got to see it basking in the sun and taking a leisurely nap!
Finally while crossing the observation deck; perched at vantage point above the river, we caught a glimpse of a crocodile. We were shown this sight by some reserve officials who were on watch then and very patiently explained its habits to us.
After this exciting and eventful Saturday morning had passed we all gathered for a nice lunch, with each one bringing their own cutlery and adhering to the values of Earthlink! The reserve officials even informed us of the various modes of volunteering and the steps to becoming a nature guide. Trust me on this, it “!s quite easy and it looks like it can be a great experience.
Le Min when asked on what makes this experience so inspiring and important for her said, It is a fulfilling experience to see the participants being fully immersed in the surroundings, and getting excited by the fishes, mudskippers, and yes, even crocodiles that we’ve seen in today’s walk. Because it means that they’ve found something to relate to the natural environment that we hardly encounter anymore. And that’s why nature walks are so important, because as the saying goes, we will only conserve what we love. And I know that most, if not all of our participants would have found something worth loving in this tangle of mangrove roots.
Piling into the bus at NTU I could only think of returning to my room and falling onto my bed, however after this little nature trail, the only thought while climbing back onto the bus was that it was a Saturday well spent!
The Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve has an absolutely minimal entrance fee and one can ask for guided tours in advance.The flora and fauna I assure you,is like no where else in Singapore and it definitely should be on the must-see places list for any person,nature lover or otherwise!So be sure to stop by and catch a glimpse of the creatures that otherwise go unnoticed,amidst the calling of the migratory birds and the twisting of the mangrove roots!