Home to a rich variety of flora and fauna that are not found anywhere else, mangroves are unique ecosystems that have slowly been losing land area as Singapore urbanises. The largest remaining stretch of mangroves on the main island is Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR), which has been recognised as an ASEAN Heritage Park since 2003.
Seeking to educate its members on the importance of these mangroves, Earthlink NTU went to SWBR for a Mangrove Mystery Nature Trail, a tour that allowed participants to get up close with the mangrove forests. 11 Earthlink NTU members were treated to rare sightings of various animals in their natural habitats, such as the estuarine crocodile, shore pit viper, and tree-climbing crabs. Led by a nature guide from the Earthlink NTU Nature Guiding portfolio, participants also learned about the value of mangroves in maintaining biodiversity, protecting the coasts, and combating climate change.
The walk coincided with the annual bird migratory season, as Singapore is a key stopover for birds on the East Asian-Australasian flyway migratory path, participants were able to observe bird species that would usually not be found within Singapore at any other time of the year.
Earthlink NTU hopes such activities would be able to cultivate an appreciation for nature and conservation among its participants – without conservation efforts and cooperation among countries along the flyway, the extinction of many birds would be much more imminent.
One of my top moments during the tour was spotting a juvenile monitor lizard eating a centipede live. It’s something you won’t be able to see every day! I also enjoyed seeing some rare birds such as the brown throated sunbirds and ashy tailorbirds. Shawn Ang, Participant
About EarthLink NTU
EarthLink is the largest student-led environmental club in NTU that promotes environmental protection and sustainability among students and residents.
The club has 10 dedicated portfolios that are constantly updating its objectives in order to address the ever-changing global climate. A few noteworthy large-scale activities and initiatives are its annual Overseas Community Engagement Programme (OCEP), EcoPromise, Earth Hour, Greenfest, and the most recently Get Woke.
It also organises events that fill up niche areas such as nature-guided walks, where a dedicated portfolio leads participants to various locations around Singapore and exposes them to the diverse flora and fauna existing within the nation.
