• By Professor Peter Ng, Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore & Head of Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum

This new book by award winning photographer and author Chua Ee Kiam is the second one that has been commissioned by Singapore’s National Parks Board. And like the first book that featured Sungei Buloh’s wonderful mangrove habitats, this new one showcases the biodiversity in the inland forests of Singapore. 

Singapore is a city state, and for years, has prided itself on its lush greenery. From just having gardens, it is now touting itself as a city garden state, with a rich biodiversity to boot. For most developed cities, it is an almost impossible task; especially considering what the island has already lost - 95% of the original forest has been cut down over the last 150 years. The continuous forest loss, habitat destruction and killing has resulted in the loss of an estimated 40-60% of the plant, fish, bird and mammal species. But as Ee Kiam’s book so admirably demonstrates in this book, what has survived and/or come back, still blows our mind. Over the 10 chapters and 188 pages of the book (all in full colour) (even including a CD), he and and his fellow photographers have captured the surprising biodiversity that still dwells in our national parks. The book is a testament to Nature’s resilience, and the importance of positive mitigation and proactive management by the responsible authorities over the last 25 years. And it is not a book just about beautiful bird, butterflies and flowers – it also does full justice to the myriad of other plants and animals that live on the island. 

The photographs capture the “life-force” of all the organisms featured - even the dull-coloured. All look “exciting”! One chapter is worth highlighting – “True Blue Singapore – the Singaporeans we never knew” – treating the many plants and animals that are unique to Singapore and/or have lived here eons before man came to the picture. Including, sadly, extinct ones like the Red-naped Trogon, Green Broadbill, Red Giant Flying Squirrel and Malayan Tiger. The mix of vibrant living and tragic dead is poignant. As with coffee-table books of this type, the text is crisp and short, but it is enough to get the message across. There is no doubt that the “core” of the book is the splendid photography. All in all, this wonderful book is another labour of love from a passionate naturalist. 

• By Shawn Lum, President, Nature Society (Singapore)

"For our rainforests to thrive in our city, we must pay the utmost respect to the natural world and recognise its right to exist." -- Dr Chua Ee Kiam, Rainforest in a City 

Dr Chua Ee Kiam is back. Some twenty years since the publication of his landmark Ours to Protect, Dr Chua has published his seventh book, Rainforest in a City. 
People not well acquainted with Singapore – or rather, not well acquainted with Singapore’s natural heritage – might think six large-format books on nature in Singapore (2004’s Borneo’s Tropical Eden – Sabah, was Dr Chua’s only book devoted to a place other than Singapore) might be a tad excessive. This view is, however, thoroughly refuted by Dr Chua’s latest book, which features many plants and animals that few have had the privilege of observing. 

I have worked in Singapore’s rainforests for over 25 years, yet I have not seen many of the organisms highlighted in this enchanting book. Examples include the banded flower mantis (Theopropus elegans), the critically endangered orchid Bulbophyllum flabellum-veneris, flowers of the woody climber Kadsura scandens, or the red-cheeked flying squirrel (Hylopetes spadiceus). Even species that are not particularly rare, such as the blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis) or fruits of the small tree Gomphandra quadrifida, are captured in astonishing detail.

When Dr Chua published Ours to Protect, keen photographers shot photos using Kodachrome or Fujichrome. With the advent of digital cameras, photography has become accessible to most of us. Nature photography has become a popular pastime, at least relative to the specialised niche it was in the days of film. There are now thousands of nature photographers out every weekend, many armed with cutting edge cameras and mouth-watering gear. Numerous photographers upload their photos online, and there are some wonderful photos of Singapore wildlife for anyone with an internet connection to see. So what makes investing in Rainforest in a City an experience far removed from scanning the web for photos of Singapore flora and fauna? 

Though not a good photographer, or because of it, I know the work and patience required to come across a rare or otherwise photo-worthy scene or organism, the skill needed to execute a successful shot, and the aesthetic sense that distinguishes exquisite photography from mere documentation. In Rainforest in a City, Dr Chua has raised both his naturalist’s intuition and knowledge and his photographic art to new levels. 

Something else elevates Dr Chua’s work: his care for Singapore’s forests, his concern for its future, and his belief that we have the ability to preserve its indescribable beauty and priceless heritage if we commit ourselves to it. This passion comes through in the book’s many images and in the absorbing text. Whether describing the excitement of seeing novel things, celebrating new discoveries, or introducing readers to the amazing people committed to studying and saving Singapore’s forests, Dr Chua both informs and inspires.

There is a cautionary note to Rainforest in a City, however. The final chapters remind us that much of our natural heritage is gone, and that the future of many species is far from secure. Pressures on our rainforests will grow with a larger population, the demands of development, introduced species, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and many other factors. Dr Chua presents a convincing case that a worthy challenge lies in the preservation of “our most prized natural asset and a legacy for future generations of Singaporeans.”