Traditional uses of mangroves from Sungei Buloh Nature Park

WETlands
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Vol 7 No 3
Dec 2000

Traditional uses
of mangroves

Reflections of a Rhizophora Seedling

Pink-necked
Green Pigeon

BotanicalReveries
about the common names of plants

Cymbly Great
rediscovery of
an extinct Cymbidium
at the Park

Rediscovered Palm at the Park: Nibong

Deborah Yeo shares her volunteer experience

The value of trees by Julian

Nick's encounter with Smooth Otters at the Park

About the signboards
at the Park

Up & Coming Boardwalks
and Tower Hide

Go back in time and find out about the traditional uses of mangroves
with Linda Goh Senior Education Officer

Traditional Uses
of Mangroves:
A view from the human dimension

At the crack of dawn, the children from the mangrove village hurried along with a "marketing" list from their mothers. They were to collect a basket full of Sonneratia leaves and fruits that would be prepared as their vegetable dish for the day. Rhizophora leaves were also needed to cook with the fish to acidify the meat.

As they went about harvesting from the surrounding mangrove forest, they jumped with delight when they chanced upon a fruiting Nypa Palm (Nypa fruticans). They knew for certain that would be the reward for the night. The Nypa fruit was a much-appreciated dessert in the daily meals of these mangrove dwellers. The children having accomplished their task for the day ran home with their prize, eager to present it to their mothers.

Nypa Palm fruit

Some women were sitting by the catwalks busy weaving the roofing for a new stilt house. The men had gathered many Nypa Palm fronds, which the women thread into shingle panels with a split rattan strip. This roof would be able to last them for 3 to 5 years.

Avicennia sp.

Some of the younger men were carving furniture out of Lumnitzeria wood known for its durability. The older folks kept occupied by making toys for the younger ones with Exoecaria wood while keeping watch over them as they frolicked in the river.

As the diminishing light beckoned the family home, they brought out their small lanterns powered by the oil extracted from the Xylocarpus fruit. Dinner was cooked over a fire out of Avicennia wood.

The elders sat with the family imparting the many secrets of the mangrove, explaining the great healing powers of the mangrove forest. From applying scraped skin of Bruguiera seedling to stop bleeding to applying the extracts from the Avicennia bark to treat skin parasites to taking tea brewed from the Acanthus leaves to relieve pain. Much knowledge was passed on from generation to generation.

Bruguiera sp.

Such were the dependence of traditional mangrove settlement on the surroundings to provide for their daily needs, from food, construction wood, fuel wood to medicine... the sacred and intimate relationship of man with the mangroves.

The benefits of the mangrove are boundless. Though the traditional dependence of mangroves may no longer he relevant to a modern Singapore, it is still essential for us to continue protecting our mangroves and natural resources. With the push towards life sciences, the life-saving gene pool, which the mangroves potentially hold, could be unveiled and put to good use.

© Sungei Buloh Nature Park

Ng Sock Ling Senior Education Officer, brings the Great Mangroves to life.

Reflections of
a Rhizophora Seedling

This morning, I was jolted awake by a loud splash nearby. I looked, just in time to see a flash of turquoise disappearing into the treetops. It was Mr Collared Kingfisher, who had just grabbed breakfast on the wing. I yawned and quivered in my mother's hold. I live on the fringes between the land and the sea.

Rhizophora sp.

Where I live, fresh and sea water mingle, and salinity rises and ebbs with the tide. The soft mud makes for a slippery foothold, and its low oxygen content a barrier to many who try to establish themselves here. It was in this inhospitable habitat that the first of my kind set forth their roots. I live in the special habitat called the mangroves.

My mother tells me that the the Great Mangroves once covered almost the whole of Singapore's coastline. These forests were tasked by Mother Nature to reclaim from the sea, as mangrove trees have special roots to hold down shifting mud. When tropical thunderstorms lashed their fury on the island, the Great Mangroves soaked up the rainfall like sponges, and kept the island from flooding. In this rich ecosystem, early settlers hunted for fish, crabs, mussels and shellfish, spiders and collected medicinal plants. Later, as the city Singapore grew, the mangroves provided much of the charcoal and firewood needed for fuel, and timber for building. Sadly for these great forests, their very usefulness proved to be their downfall. By the time Man extended his protection to the Great Mangroves in the 1800's, most of our habitat was already degraded by over-exploitation

I am lucky to be among the very few survivors of this very special type of forest. My mother stands among others of my kind along the banks of Sungei Buloh Besar. We are Rhizophoras, recognisable by our stilt roots. Our old neighbours, the Avicennia and Brugueira stand alongside us, with their pencil roots and kneed roots. Together, we provide food and shelter to numerous mangrove creatures: crabs and shellfish, spiders and insects, reptiles and birds, local and foreign.

Tree-Climbing crabs

You are the not likely to spot our tenants though, unless you know what to look out for! For our tenants are very shy creatures that blend into the landscape, a very necessary feature if they want the to avoid being someone else's dinner. But they always leave some tell tale signs behind: tracks in the mud, some speckled egg shells, a discarded pupa case neatly split down the back... And open your ears - for even if you can't see them, you can hear them: the drone of the cicadas in the trees, the splash of a sea bass as it spurts through the water; the noisy rustling of undergrowth as the resident monitor lizard takes off. And the bird calls—the loud chuckle of the kingfisher contrasting with the melodious song of the magpie robin and the soft cooing of doves.

Oops, I am falling! This is the day Mother has prepared me for—the day when I will begin my own journey of discovery. "Goodbye, Mother!" I call out as I fall through the air and land with a little splash in the waters below.

As I bob upright in the water, I am amazed to see tiny fish and prawn fry flitting all about me. This must be the nursery my mother told me about. I can see why prawn and fish mothers would choose the mangroves to raise their precious young, for here among the mangrove tree roots, their young can easily hide from predators. The waters here are teeming with microscopic plant and animal life, which provide abundant food for the juveniles.

Mudskipper

It must have been this richness of fish and prawn fry that attracted man to the Sungei Buloh mangroves. For here are several prawn and fish ponds that used to supply man with quality protein for his diet. The ponds are now part of Sungei Buloh Nature Park, and the fish and prawns have also naturally become a part of the food chain in the mangrove ecosystem.

As I bob along, I think about how great a loss it would be, if all the mangroves disappeared. For along with us would go the buffering effect on our climate, the rich diversity of life and the many secrets still locked within us.

Fortunately for me, I have Sungei Buloh Nature Park a place conserved for me and my fellow inhabitants of this unique habitat. Here, I can grow to be as sturdy and majestic as my mother is, and harbour among my roots and branches, the next generation of crabs and shellfish, spiders and insects, reptiles and birds, local and foreign.

© Sungei Buloh Nature Park

Journal of a Nature Warden
Pink-necked
Green Pigeon
(Treron vernans)

The domesticated feral pigeon commonly found in Singapore has a close cousin that many would miss due to its well-camouflaged body. The wild Pink-necked Pigeon is a common bird in the forest, mangroves and parkland.

ramakrishnan nk
senior ranger

I was first drawn to this bird by its frequent visit to the Indian Cherry Tree. This green pigeon moves acrobatically on the thinnest of branches foraging for fruits. Moving in small flocks or in pairs, they frequent fruiting trees or scrubs for food. Their green plumage blends well into leaf foliage and provides a good camouflage. The male, which is separated from the female by the pinkish-purple upper breast, shows aggression during feeding by vocalising, chasing and vigorously bobbing tail in defence of foraging patch.

These pigeons are good seed dispersers for trees like the Figs, Indian Cherry and Wild Cinnamon and scrubs like the Singapore Rhododendron. Unlike the Emerald-winged Pigeon, the Pink-necked hardly descends to ground and is often spotted on canopies of treetop during early morning and late afternoon. Breeding pairs have also been recorded in the park. Nesting has been observed from late March to late July. Pairs nest alone and not in masses. The nest often found at heights at about five to eight feet and sites range from low scrub to trees, commonly next to open ground and often on the Lesser Desmodiurn creepers.

Description: Male: combination of Grey head and throat, pinkish purple upper breast and neck, and orange lower breast diagnostic. Mantle and wing covert apple green; under tall covert chestnut. Female: uniform green plumage with yellow tinge on belly; thighs mixed dark green aria yellow; under tail covert pale cinnamon.

Voice: A series of rapidly repeated loud gurgling whistling notes.

Status: Very common resident in Singapore.

Habitat: Forest, mangrove, orchards, gardens, parks.

Breeding: Late March to late July. Male collects twig and passes to the female as she sits in the developing nest. Both sexes incubate and feed. A minimal platform of thin twigs, sparse enough for eggs to be seen from below, and facing pond side. Eggs are plain white and elliptical. Fledgling found near nesting site for up to one week.

Diet: Fruits from Macaranga, Indian Cherry (Muntingia sp.), Small banyan figs (Ficus benjamina).

© Sungei Buloh Nature Park

In need of an infusion to perk up?
Find out what Ali Ibrahim Conservation Officer has brewed for us

Botanical Reveries

This is to be taken in the spirit of musing daydreaming. Our pace of life is already so hectic. Why not give yourself a botanical tonic! Pick up a few botanical tips and learn some of the common names given to plants, although they may not have been their original meaning in the first place.

Not all these trees and plants
can be found in Sungei Buloh Nature Park

Always stay away from the politics of Macaranga Giant Mahang (Macaranga gigantea) has bigger leaves than any other Malayan tree. Macarangas can colonise and dominate a secondary forest. We see them as opportunists in the ecology of the survival of the fittest.

Never have anything to do with a Quisqualis if you value both your health and morals. Drunken Sailor (Quisqualis indica), no reference is made to its other common name, Rangoon Creeper. The fruit kernel is used as an anthelminthic for roundworm. The root is effective in treating rheumatism. A decoction of crushed fruit is used as a gargle for toothache. This must be the paradox of value!

The Mimosa wishes of a lady may have hidden meanings but should nevertheless be respected. Touch-Me-Not (Mimosa pudica) is also known as the Sensitive Plant or "Puteri Malu" (the modest princess). Decoction of the roots is traditionally taken orally to relieve asthma and diarrhoea.

Enthusiasm will probably burn like a Delonix if fanned by the ambition of a Koompassia. "Tualang" [almost Hokkien sounding](Koompassia excelsa) (left) is the tallest and loftiest tree in the Southeast Asian forest, soaring prominently above the other forest emergents.

Flame of the Forest (Delonix regia) (right) when in full bloom is totally leafless in the drier monsoonal countries. With such a flamboyant sight to behold, one's passions can most certainly be stirred to heights of elation.

If you have tears, go to the Maniltoa.
Handkerchief Tree (Maniltoa browneoides) is an unofficial common name. The tassel of juvenile leaves hanging down limp reminds one of the famous concert soprano, Pavarotti, who knots a hanky in one of his last fingers so as to wipe away his perspiration and dribble tears found at the corner of his eyes.

Sometimes in love we are like an Artocarpus that will never quite forget the Durio memories which linger for a lifetime. Whether you love or dislike Durian (Durio zibethinus) (right), something about it is quite "unforgettable" as the singer, Nat King Cole, would put it.

As a personification, Cempedak (Artocarpus integer) (left)will fall off the tree upon ripening like the connotation of falling in love.

In decision-making, it is best to leave out the Brunfelsia of the mind. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Brunfelsia calycina) (right). A highly scented flower which changes its colour from violet to shades of purple and then to white. Like indecisive people, they are, however, not without their charming mannerisms and queer ways to go along with it.

Hope for the best and allow Eugenia to grant this!
"Jambu Air Laut" (Eugenia grandis) (left). A majestic roadside tree which looks splendid when covered with scented, creamy white flowers during full bloom. Just wishful thinking...

© Sungei Buloh Nature Park

Cymbly Great!

joseph lai
conservation officer

Anyone interested in
mangrove plants?
Well, we have Cymbly (simply) great news for your. I have discovered a beautiful orchid Cymbidium bicolor spp. pubescens, in Sungei Buloh! Listed as an extinct orchid in the Red Data Book, it was last collected in Sungei Buloh in 1891 by Mr H. N. Ridley. That's almost a hundred year and ten years ago, and this species has miraculously survived much habitat loss. Let us all hope it is the same happy-ending story for the rest of twenty-six species of orchids (of which 24 are extinct) that were recorded in Sungei Buloh.

Significance
The discovery of the orchid obviously adds one more species to our current record of plants found in Sungei Buloh. It suggests a richer plant diversity than once thought of. However, the significance of the discovery lies much deeper.

Firstly, the orchid is a living thing. Secondly, it is a dynamic member of the mangrove system and intricately interdependent with a host of other life forms. Through the millennia, it has evolved with other natural living things to form the highly complex and specialised life system of the mangrove that we have today.

For example, bees and other insects are attracted to the orchid flowers, pollinating them while taking nourishment from nectar and pollen. These are the same insects that help to pollinate other plants in the mangrove too, such as the Buta Buta (Exoecaria agallocha) tree, on which the orchid is dependent for support. Of course, this is a rather oversimplified example of the species-interdependence.

Fact File

Cymbidium bicolor Lindl. spp. pubescens (Lindl.)
Du Puy & P. J. Cribb

Family: Orchidaceae
Habit: Epiphytic
Habitat: On trees in exposed places near the sea.

Description: Leaves about 45cm long, 1.5cm wide, wide arching, not drooping in habit, leaf bases persistent, enclosing pseudobulbs within; raceme pendulous to 25cm long; sepals and petals with broad dark purple central band, edges pale green, less than 2cm long, 0.5cm wide; lip yellowish with purple-brown spots; column dark purple, tip pale yellow with purple spots.

Distribution: Malay peninsula, Singapore, Sumatra, Java and Borneo.

New discovery—of plants, insects, or animals, etc—is not just a statistic, but a significant indication of the vitality of the mangrove's biological system. It shows that the mangroves are much healthier and in better shape than we thought. While only one clump of the orchid has been found so far, we have not given up hope of finding others. In the meantime, we need to increase the number through selective propagation. The clump will be monitored regularly so as to obtain the next batch of fruiting capsules. A direct consequence of new discoveries also provides us with new material for research and educational purposes.

© Sungei Buloh Nature Park

Rediscovered Palm
from Sungei Buloh Nature Park

james gan
senior conservation officer

Sungei Buloh Nature Park is home to a few species of palms (Family: Palmae) typically associated with the mangroves. They are the Nipah (Nypa fruticans), Rotan bakau (Calamus erinaceus) as well as the recently rediscovered Nibong (Oncosperma tigillarium).

The Nipah is considered rare in Singapore. It has economic value in the region and the yields can be sustained. For example, the young endosperm (from the fruit) is collected for food. We commonly know it as "attap chee" when used as a key ingredient in our local dish, ice kacang. In addition, various parts of the palm can be used. For example, the construction of thatch roofs (using the leaves) and tapping of sugar and fermenting it to obtain alcohol (tapping the inflorescence). The Nipah can now be viewed easily along route 1 and there are clumps behind and in front of hide 1C.

The Rotan bakau is listed as vulnerable in the Singapore Red Data Book of threatened plants and animals. It is a climber and can grow up to 15m in length. The inner part of the stem is harvested in the region as raw materials for use in basketry and furniture. There are a number of thickets of this rattan in the Park. Care will need to be exercised when approaching this palm because of the numerous spines on the leaves and stems. You can view this palm most easily along route 1 between the Outdoor Classroom and Hide 1E.

A third palm species found in Sungei Buloh is the Nibong. It is a rare palm and was last collected by Mr. J.S. Goodenough on 29 Nov 1889 and in 1890 from the Sungei Bulob area. It was only re-discovered this year. It is a tall slender palm, and the clump I found in the Park has a height of 12m to which it can grow up to 25m. Stems once stripped of the black spines are used in the region as budding material including posts for fishing stakes and in kelong construction. We may not be aware of this, but palms found in the mangroves do have their economic uses even in today's context.

Volunteer Corner
Currently holding the post of Chairperson of the Volunteer Committee,
Debra Yeo, shares with us her Natural Therapy.

Her occupation ...
Visitors are nearly always surprised to find out that I have a "normal" weekday job which is not even remotely related to biology or any of the sciences. Some are even more surprised that I do it for free during "valuable" weekend time. You see, on weekdays I am an airfreight planner in an international logistics company; on weekends, I turn volunteer nature guide at Sungei Buloh.

When it all started...
I have been a volunteer guide at Sungei Buloh Nature Park since it was first opened in December 1993. The park has pleasantly metamorphosed from disused fish farming land to a nature park of cultivated wilderness. There has been little change since those early but I hardly tire of the place after all this time.

The reasons why she became a volunteer...
What excited me about the volunteer programme was that here at last was an avenue for the public to be shown the interesting aspects of their non-human neighbours. A chance for me to do my small bit to conserve whatever remaining natural habitat left in an increasingly crowded Singapore. It matters little that there is no monetary reward. So long as one visitor has learnt a new nature fact, I am satisfied; it is after all, a small step towards nature appreciation by the whole.

The satisfaction...
I love the quiet of the park and its varied inhabitants delight me. It is quite another world from tall concrete buildings, busy roads and modern life. It is not always easy to communicate the value of the complex ecological mangrove system to all visitors yet it is reward enough to know that they bring home good thoughts of the serenity and rustic beauty of the mangroves.

Contact with the visitors...
Many visitors are just curious, having heard much or nothing of the park. Others show a mild interest; yet others savour the relaxed peace. Seldom are there visitors who remain totally oblivious to the wild beauty although modern life does appear to have taken its toll on many of the younger visitors. This saddens me but the process of education and awareness is ongoing and I know that I can can contribute to the process. I enjoy the process of educating, of bringing awareness because I love the balance that nature gives to the craziness of life today.

Her determination...
My contribution may be a small step but at least it is a right step towards building a better understanding of wildlife next door. Life could get crazier but as long as Sungei Buloh remains untouched, I will still continue as a volunteer nature guide—for the birds and the mangroves, if for nothing else. And I think these are more than reason enough.

The Value
of Trees

julian w
park volunteer

My friends have asked if I knew the value of trees. Though most people will say that trees provide the much-needed shade and beautification of our surroundings, in my opinion, trees contribute a lot more in many other ways.

Perhaps the most important factor is that trees give off oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants lock away carbon dioxide (a major global warming suspect) to produce food. Imagine if we were to cut down all the world's remaining trees gradually, what do you think will happen to the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

We have already heard about the "growing" desert problems in China, experienced the rise in global temperature, encountered numerous landslides and learnt about the melting ice glaciers in the North and South Pole regions, which had already caused numerous floods around the world. All these calamities resulted because trees were being cut down rapidly in our remaining forests.

Trees are just like poems
that were written upon
the surface of the Earth.
We cut them down and
turn them into paper
so as to record
our emptiness

Author Unknown

As we know, about 50% of the medicine we use today comes from the rainforest, there might be the possibility that some of those trees which were chopped down contain medicinal values which could help us fight dreadful diseases like cancer and Aids. If we do not do anything right now to conserve or even reverse the situation, the resulting consequences would be most grievous and unimaginable.

Other than being life generators, trees also make effective sound barriers and windbreaks. If planted at strategic positions in a neighbourhood or around your house, they can abate noise from busy roads, highways and even airports up to about 40%. During windy and cold seasons, trees act as windbreaks. A windbreak can lower home heating bills up to 30%. A reduction in wind can also reduce the drying effect on other vegetation behind the windbreak.

Trees also play an important part in keeping the air clean. They help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing pollutants. Trees help to remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining the particulate. Other major advantages include, fighting soil erosion, conserving rainwater, reducing the effect of water runoff and sediment deposits after storms and of course, providing homes and shelter for a wide variety of wildlife.

I hope that after reading this article, you will realise the continual survival of these fragile giants would also mean Man's continual survival on this planet. Remember that saving these trees would also mean saving ourselves.

Smile...
You're on Candid Camera

nick baker
park volunteer

Being a volunteer at Sungei Buloh Nature Park certainly has its rewards—clean air, friendly staff and waived entrance fees! During August and September this year I was most handsomely rewarded for my time spent assisting Mr. S.M.A. Rashid, postgraduate student of Natural Sciences (Biology) NTU, working for his Ph.D. on the "Population ecology and management of water monitors at Sungei Buloh".

My reward was an encounter with the Smooth Otters which now seem to love Sungei Buloh so much. Let me recount the story..

It was just after 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday 22nd August. Rashid was taking his morning coffee and preparing for the day's activities. So I strolled onto the Main Bridge hoping to see, perhaps, some kingfishers or snakes or something unusual. Now normally when I see a dark shape swimming across the ponds or inlets of Sungei Buloh I would immediately assume it to be one of Rashid's scaly friends on the look out for dead things to eat. Imagine my surprise to see not one, but four shapes moving swiftly downstream from the headwaters of Sungei Buloh Besar.

I attempted to conceal myself on the bridge, but the otters were well aware of my presence and seemed quite comfortable with me. To my delight I saw the entire family climb out onto the mudbank near the Visitor Centre, and then proceed to grub around in the mud looking, I assume, for crustaceans or shellfish. I was able to take a few photos before they re-entered the water, and then, fully submerged swam right under the bridge. It was quite a sight to see their effortless swimming take them quickly downstream.

I gathered my camera and bag, and hastily made my way to the small boardwalk at the mouth of Sungei Buloh Besar, totally forgetting about Rashid and his lizards! From there I watched as the family caught fish, large and small; they were most adept at this—at one point all four were chewing on fish heads simultaneously. I then made my way to the platform that looks out to Pulau Buloh. There I bumped into Charles, a Park Ranger, doing his rounds. We spent some convivial moments watching the otters as they moved up past the boardwalk. Charles went about his duties, but I proceeded further, concealing myself behind a tree a short distance upstream. At this point the otters appeared full up, and were now exploring tree roots and diving into pools. As they moved past me, one of the parents could smell my presence (do I really smell that much!), but could not see me. As the parent stopped to investigate, I was able to take the closest photos ever of these most treasured inhabitants of the park.

So that was my reward. I shall always remember that morning; crouching in the mangroves and being treated to such a special encounter with four charming, handsome otters.

Traditional uses
of mangroves

Reflections of a Rhizophora Seedling

Pink-necked
Green Pigeon

BotanicalReveries
about the common names of plants

Cymbly Great
rediscovery of
an extinct Cymbidium
at the Park

Rediscovered Palm at the Park: Nibong

Deborah Yeo shares her volunteer experience

The value of trees by Julian

Nick's encounter with Smooth Otters at the Park

About the signboards
at the Park

Up & Coming Boardwalks
and Tower Hide

Sense of
Direction

Where are we? What's that? These are the two most frequently asked questions when we are in an unfamiliar place. Especially so when you are surrounded by trees and scrub that may look the same as the other.

halilah ahmad
education officer

Like other parks, Sungei Buloh Nature Park is equipped with many signboards and signposts throughout its vicinity. From informative signs at the entrance and exit, to the directional, flora and fauna identification signs within the Park.

Before entering the Park, you will notice the do's and don'ts signs. These signs are created so that plants, animals and park features are cared for, while allowing people to enjoy and experience the Park.

Do arm yourself with a brochure as you explore the Park. Look out for the directional signboards as they complement the brochure, guiding you through without losing direction.

For bird lovers, many coloured bird identification signs were installed in the hides as well as in the bird observation screens.

For plant lovers, signs with simple explanation of their uses or special features were installed along the routes. Do look out for them as all plants, though mostly green, have special unique features.

We see the importance of these signboards and have, over the years added more informative and educational signboards along the walking routes. Do pause and look at these beautifully crafted signboards when you are in the Park.

They will be able to guide you home safely and make your walk more enjoyable and educational.

Vol 7 No 3 Dec 2000 Traditional uses of mangroves Reflections of a Rhizophora Seedling Pink-necked Green Pigeon BotanicalReveries about the common names of plants Cymbly Great rediscovery of an extinct Cymbidium at the Park Rediscovered Palm at the Park: Nibong Deborah Yeo shares her volunteer experience The value of trees by Julian Nick's encounter with Smooth Otters at the Park About the signboards at the Park Up & Coming Boardwalks and Tower Hide		The Park has been under various developments of late. James Gan Senior Conservation Officer, brings you up to date Up & coming New Kids on the Block Sungei Buloh Nature has improved upon yet another facility for the enjoyment of visitors. Two platform decks along route 1 were reconstructed over the waters of the Straits. They were completed in the first quarter of this year and were opened to visitors in the second quarter. During construction much effort was made to ensure that the mature mangrove trees around the platform decks were retained. Reinforced concrete piles were used to prolong the life of the structure and to ensure structural safety. Natural timber, used in the construction of the deck and handrails, helped the structure to blend into the landscape. Seats were constructed and the canopy of adjacent trees retained for shade. The result is a lookout point that offers visitors calm and serene views of the mangrove island of Pulau Buloh and the Straits. It is also a comfortable spot to look for otters, watch herons, kingfishers and other birds or just relax. Coming your way next year is the much anticipated reconstruction of the boardwalks and a new lookout tower. Backed by popular demand, the Park is currently rebuilding the boardwalks that had undergone wear and tear over the years. The new boardwalks will incorporate a number of improvements over the existing. Some examples are: laybys and rain shelters at well placed intervals, distance markers and an improved deck. As was practised with the two platform decks constructed earlier this year, we will conserve the existing trees around the boardwalks during construction. The lookout tower will also have many interesting new features. Sited at a strategic position along route 1, the tower will offer visitors a panoramic view of the waders on the mudflats. In addition, the tower will have a stable deck suitable for placing tripods and mounting cameras and telescopes for viewing the wildlife. Construction work has commenced for the boardwalks and lookout tower. It will not be long before you can take a walk along the newly improved boardwalks or up to the deck of the lookout tower. Stay tuned.
		© Sungei Buloh Nature Park