Insect Survey @ Kranji Nature Trail

Insects? You mean mosquitoes? Cockroaches? Ants?
My relationship with my house's insects is simple. It is basically a three step approach: See - Smack - Wipe clean. Occasionally, I'll murmur a "sorry".

Although this is the general approach in my house, there are some insects that my husband and I show more respect to. We call them "The Friends of David & Weiqi". These important house guests include moths and beetles. We would usually spend some time admiring them, and then coax them to leave the house. On the event they refuse to leave, we are more then happy to make space for them till they leave on their own accord. Sometimes, we will take photographs, in rememberance, of them as well.

Perhaps it is because of this subtle respect that I have for some insects, that I readily volunteer to help in the insect survey @ Kranji Nature Trail. It is a year long project to collect data on the different types of insects found along Kranji Nature Trail.

It was an exponential learning curve for me during my first session today! From vaguely remembering that an insect consist of three body parts, I was eventually able to catch, identify and archive insects at the end of the session. I had the opportunity to work along with a great team consisting of Eddie, Teck Chye, Robert, Joanne, and myself. As amatuers in insect study, we spent a lot of time catching the insects and putting them into bottles. We also had difficulty pinning the more tiny insects. Nevertheless, we managed to successfully archive 23 different insects for the day.

With a keen eye and patience, I realised that there are many interesting and colourful insects to see in the natural environment. I believe I must have walked past many interesting things too quickly. Often, I am on the look out for birds, monitor lizards, and at most cotton stainers and spiders. Although I know that there must be a lot of insects around, hiding among the bushes, or underneath the leaves, I was still rather surprised by the variety of insects that we caught within a very very very small area!!!

Insects are one the smallest animals around, but their diversity is definitely the largest! In Singapore, many of these species of insects have extinct, and many more have been undiscovered. Alfred Russel Wallace had once discover over 700 different species of beetle "in one patch of jungle not more than a square mile in extent" (see: http://www.sochaczewski.com/ARTbeetles-geographical.htm). I cannot imagine the many more beautiful insects that will become extinct without being ever discovered!

After this experience, I will definitely treat insects with more respect. Although I will not be too quick to remove my ant traps, I promise that I will rethink my home strategy in dealing with our tiny guests. =)

Work Attachment Reflections @ Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Note: This article was written in 2004 Dec, after my work attachment @ SBWR, for the Wetlands - SBWR Newsletter.
The prawn census was one of the most memorable experience that I would treasure and share as I return to teaching. Friends and colleagues were amused that I would be willing to give up my holidays to work at ‘a mangrove place’ and ‘travel almost to JB’ each morning for five weeks. What they failed to see was the amazing learning opportunities that available at SBWR.

In the span of five weeks at SBWR, I witnessed for myself the rich natural heritage that we Singaporeans ought to be proud of. There are just so much wildlife and natural beauty around us!

People around me sometimes complained about living in a concrete jungle with little or no natural beauty, and grumbled at the lack of wildlife in Singapore. These people who would also often pack their bags during holidays, fly off to an exotic nature site in another country, and boost about their experience over dinner to their friends when they are back. These people may have witnessed the grandeur of the sunset at Grand Canyon or the majestic power of the Nigeria Falls, but they never bothered to explore their own backyard.

If I were to bring these people to SBWR now, they would probably not be able to call out the name of their own giant mudskippers, and would probably even identify monitor lizards as komodo dragons. They would see otters and think that they are big rats. They could witness their own estuarine crocodile half submerged in water and insist it to be a prop. During the migratory season, they would probably glance at about a thousand pacific golden plovers feeding on the mudflats, and ask,”Where’s all that beautiful chirping sounds coming from?” But alas, it is only if these people would be willing to come with me to visit a mangrove.

The good news is, there are many other Singaporeans who appreciate our own nature spots. From my understanding, each year, at least 100 000 Singaporeans would take the extra effort to travel to Kranji to visit our very own wetland reserve. I believe that we just need to sometimes stop in our fast-paced society and look around us. Nature can exist in small pockets. Every turn at SBWR and Kranji Nature Trail is picturesque. Stay at one spot long enough, and you would witness the place coming alive. As Singaporeans, shouldn’t we explore our own country and know it well first?

I was really glad to have trade my travelling bags for this once-in-a-lifetime experience to work at SBWR. I was very grateful that SBWR was prepared for my attachment. There was a well-planned programme drawn out for me and staff at SBWR were briefed about my attachment prior to my first day. People were friendly, and were very willing to allow me to join them in their work. Several of the staff also took initiative to share their expertise, organisational values and conservation views with me. The organisation also took initiative to liaise visits with two other Nparks Conservation Units: Biodiversity Centre and Pulau Ubin for me to have a more holistic view of the conservation measures in Singapore.
I had the opportunity to help out in SBWR research and educational programmes and activities. Some highlights of my attachment include helping out in bird census, bird ringing, prawn census, and conducting as well as participating in activities such as nature guiding, reforestation, coastal cleanup, teachers’ workshop and young naturalist camp. By participating whole-heartedly in all work that was given, I experienced working as a visitor centre personnel, educational outreach officer, ranger, researcher, clerk and even had the opportunity to do manual labour along with the contract workers.

I have definitely become more matured, and now truly appreciate the efforts and roles played by other people in our community. Through this attachment, I also had the opportunity to do a lot of reflection. I personally feel that the best insight that I had gained from this attachment is that I am now even more convinced about the role I play as a teacher. While I can contribute a bit to conservation by joining as a volunteer with SBWR, I believe I can do so much more by teaching my pupils well, and moulding them to be morally upright and environmentally consciences individuals who are proud of Singapore's own natural heritage.