Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s Tree #19 at Trees of the World 2025, Singapore Botanic Gardens. Photo credit: NParks
Amiera, a Cicada Tree Eco-Place volunteer, with Tree #19 at Trees of the World 2025.
This festive season, Cicada Tree Eco-Place (CTEP) is joining Trees of the World 2025 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens with a tree that’s equal parts celebration and statement: a reminder that sustainability can be creative, practical and fun.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s ornaments are handmade from upcycled fabric (including old curtains) and designed around Singapore’s most unusual rainforest residents, inspired by Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s Top 10 Weirdest Critters in Singapore series. The result is a collection of sturdy, weather-ready decorations that invite visitors to look closer and leave knowing a little more about the wildlife that quietly holds our ecosystems together.
The decorations were crafted during community sessions where volunteers gathered to cut, stitch, and assemble each piece. What emerged wasn’t just a set of ornaments, but a shared experience, stories traded across the table, new friendships formed, and a growing sense of how small everyday choices (like reusing what we already have) can shape a kinder relationship with nature.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s tree is Tree #19, counted from Tanglin Gate (Napier Road) along the event route.
Trees of the World runs 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, 7.00pm to 12.00 midnight, transforming the Gardens into a night-time trail of illuminated trees from around the world. Stroll the path, spot the ornaments, and discover the “critter stories” behind each design.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s tree species is Pteleocarpa lamponga. At the end of the event, this tree and all sponsored trees will be replanted across parks, gardens, and green spaces in Singapore, so the celebration continues long after the lights come down.
Thank you to all our volunteers: Amaani, Amirah, Crissie, Melissa, Radiah, Rana, Robert, Rominia, Sarah, Seetha, Teresa, Tia, Tina, Vilma.
If you visit, take a photo and tag @CicadaTreeEcoPlace and enjoy an evening walk that puts nature, creativity, and reuse in the spotlight.
The majestic Grey-headed Fish Eagle, the Daurian Starling and the Little Bronze Cuckoo were among the beautiful species spotted at the special conservation area in Kranji.
Article by Melissa De Silva
Photos by Teresa Teo Guttensohn, Seetha Sharma and Melissa De Silva
It was my first time birding, at the kind invitation of Dr Denise Dillon, as part of the private bird watching tour in the Core Conservation Area at Kranji Marshes she purchased during an auction at the 70th Anniversary Gala Fundraising Event of the Nature Society of Singapore in October 2024. Though I didn’t own a pair of binoculars, I wanted to be in the presence of nature, the plants and animals, and learn more about birds. Like many people living in urban Singapore, the few birds I was familiar with are those commonly seen in our built up landscape—mynahs, pigeons, crows and the Terkukor (Spotted Dove).
We met early on Saturday 4th October 2025, on World Animal Day, at the parking lot of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and piled into a van that shuttled us to a specially designated conservation area usually closed to the public, ten minutes away, led by volunteer bird guides from Nature Society Singapore, Wing Chong and Wee Jin. Wee Jin told us that peak migratory season for the birds runs from the end of October to early November.
It turned out that my lack of binoculars, or a telephoto lens for my mirrorless camera, didn’t matter. Wee Jin had a telescope and invited us to take turns looking at the birds. Among the birds we saw at our first spot were a male Common Flameback (a woodpecker) on a rain tree, looking very dapper with his red mullet, the Lineated Barbet with its stunning green body, and the resplendently coloured Stork-billed Kingfisher, the largest kingfisher in Singapore, with its teal body, orange throat and red beak.
As we moved on to a second spot, more birds came into view or were recognised by their calls. Three types of parakeet—the Long-tailed Parakeet, the Rose-ringed Parakeet and the Red-breasted Parakeet. The first is a globally endangered native species, while the other two are non-native, introduced residents of Singapore. There was also an Oriental Magpie-Robin, a beautiful songbird frequently captured for its song, and several juveniles of the Asian Glossy Starling.
Guide Wee Jin demonstrates a simple yet brilliant hack – capturing magnified bird images by placing a smartphone over the telescope’s eyepiece. No telephoto lens needed, and the results are surprisingly clear.
The Grey-headed Fish Eagle photographed through the telescope using only a smartphone, one of the most memorable sightings of the day.
A Grey-headed Fish Eagle perched on a stark, leafless tree rising from the water, an elegant silhouette against the marshland landscape.
Quick facts on the Grey-headed Fish Eagle, a rare resident raptor requiring tall, mature trees for nesting.
Some of the notable bird species spotted at Kranji Marshes, including both residents and early migrants.
(Left to right) Andrew Tay and Teresa Teo Guttensohn, co-founders of Cicada Tree Eco-Place, together with volunteers Rominia Leonard, Melissa De Silva, Merey Tan, Dr Denise Dillon, and Seetha Sharma on the Kranji birding walk.
After some time, I began to wish I did have a lens to photograph the birds so I could remember them and enjoy their beauty later. That turned out not to matter either. Soon, Wee Jin showed us a neat trick to capture the images in the telescope, using just our smartphones!
At one point, while we were walking on the path along the marshy water body, we spotted a Grey-headed Fish Eagle perched on a bare tree rising from the water in the distance. Its craggy shape flowed almost seamlessly into the stark silhouette of the tree.
Teresa Teo Guttensohn scans the marshland landscape through the telescope, searching for raptors and other resident birds.
In itself a rare sight, the eagle rested on the branch for an uncommonly long time while we gazed at it through binoculars or the telescope and took photographs. Wee Jin explained that eagles make use of thermalling to save energy to soar to greater heights. This thermal soaring involves the eagles gliding on columns of warm air (thermals) to carry them to higher altitude and over long distances for hours, without having to expend energy flapping their wings.
Wee Jin told us that all the raptor birds of Singapore—including the Brahminy Kite and the White-bellied Sea Eagle—can be seen in the Kranji marshes.
The Grey-headed Fish Eagle is a globally endangered raptor that is a native resident of Singapore, said Andrew Tay, co-founder of Cicada Tree Eco-Place. He spoke on the importance of conserving old, tall trees which are crucially needed by eagles to build their nests.
Besides birds, we passed the Simpoh Ayer plant (Dillenia suffruticosa), with yellow flowers and veiny leaves used to wrap tempeh. Also the Sea Hibiscus tree that has yellow flowers with a maroon throat, and the Sea Almond tree, whose ripe seeds taste like, yes, almonds. On the walk back, we passed long grasses with a cloud of Yellow-barred Flutterer dragonflies, identifiable by the yellow and black bars on their hind wings, which made me think of bees.
In the van, Wee Jin gave us a summary of the trip. In the short span of three hours, we had collectively seen a total of 41 bird species. Notable species were migrants like the Daurian Starling, also known as Purple-backed Starling. The Daurian Starling, a small bird with a greyish, dark body and white wing bars, usually appears in big groups. There was the Blue-throated Bee-eater with its chestnut head and the blue-black Oriental Dollarbird. At one point, a flock of Asian Glossy Starlings winged by above us.
Two Blue-throated Bee-eaters perched on a high bare branch, one of the striking migrant species seen during the walk.
Among the impressive resident birds were the Grey-headed Fish Eagle and the Changeable Hawk-Eagle and the very special Little Bronze Cuckoo spotted at the end of the trip, not a common sight.
Teresa Teo Guttensohn, co-founder of Cicada Tree Eco-Place, remarked that it was highly unusual to see the variety of birds we had in one outing and that we had been very lucky. As I watched the conservation marsh area with its avian denizens recede in the distance as the van pulled away, I felt exactly the same.
About Melissa De Silva
MA Arts & Ecology student at LASALLE College of the Arts – a transdisciplinary programme for those who seek to explore critical environmental discourses. Singapore Literature Prize Winner 2018 (Creative Nonfiction) for ‘Others’ is Not a Race. Melissa is an author, and has worked in journalism and publishing.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place proudly presents Top 10 Weirdest Critters of Singapore’s Rainforest, officially launched on 31 May and 1 June 2025 during the Festival of Biodiversity at the National Library Building.
This vibrant, eco-conscious children’s book invites readers of all ages to rediscover Singapore’s wild side packed with vivid illustrations, quirky fun facts, and ten original short poems that bring our rainforest’s most unusual creatures to life.
Written by 14-year-old student volunteer Amaani Arfian and illustrated by Clarice Woon, Top 10 Weirdest Critters of Singapore’s Rainforest introduces ten of Singapore’s strangest rainforest creatures, from the flying snakes to the Pill Cockroach and Ant-pilling Assassin Bug through short, witty poems that make learning about nature fun and accessible.
Edited by Teresa Teo Guttensohn and Andrew Tay, Co-founders of Cicada Tree Eco-Place, the book encourages children to look beyond appearances and discover the wonder in every living thing.
Printed locally on Enviro Wove 100% recycled paper, the book embodies CTEP’s commitment to sustainability and responsible publishing.
“Every creature, no matter how small or strange, plays a vital role in keeping our rainforest alive.” — Andrew Tay, Editor & Co-founder of Cicada Tree Eco-Place
Children are Singapore’s next generation of nature stewards. Through art and words, we hope to nurture love for our last wild places.” — Teresa Teo Guttensohn, Editor & Co-founder of Cicada Tree Eco-Place
This publication marks Amaani’s debut as a young writer and celebrates the growing movement of youth who use creativity to protect the planet.
The project came to life through the dedication of volunteers Brice Li, Radiah Rizal, Rominia Leonard, and Tia Andrea Guttensohn, who contributed to every stage of its development from proofreading and content support to logistics and event coordination. Together, they transformed curiosity into action, showing how community spirit and creativity can bring nature education to life.
At the Festival of Biodiversity 2025, visitors were treated to a special launch offer each copy of the book was available for just $10. Supporters of the Singapore Wildcat Action Group (SWAG) also received a complimentary copy with every purchase of three CTEP titles.
The booth welcomed many guests, including Minister Desmond Lee, who was presented with a copy of the book in appreciation of his ongoing support for biodiversity conservation and environmental education in Singapore.
See more moments from the launch and behind-the-scenes highlights on our Facebook page.
Proceeds from Top 10 Weirdest Critters of Singapore’s Rainforest support Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s programmes that teach children and families about local wildlife, rainforest conservation, and climate action.
By choosing recycled paper and featuring youth voices, the book reflects Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s belief that education and sustainability go hand in hand, proving that small creative acts can make a big impact.
Join Us in nurturing the next generation of nature stewards.
Your support helps us continue creating meaningful, youth-led environmental projects that inspire wonder and care for our planet.
Stay connected and visit our website and follow us on social media for more updates on upcoming projects and book launches.
Top 10 Weirdest Critters of Singapore’s Rainforest is now available at Kinokuniya, BookBar SG, and Wardah Books.
By Foo Maosheng & Teresa Teo Guttensohn 12 May 2025
Our rare and gorgeous native Black and Gold Cicada (Huechys fusca) is found in the rainforests of Singapore, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. PHOTO: Nicky Bay
Recently the shrill mating songs of cicadas at Tampines town in Singapore have drawn media attention, residents’ annoyance and unwarranted fear. Many are unaware that these harmless little critters (insects related to leafhoppers) have emerged from mother earth to signal to us the natural change in seasons.
The Chorus of Summer
In Japan during summer, the chorus of cicadas has become a cultural hallmark —an auditory signal of the changing seasons. Despite the noise, cicadas there are widely accepted as a part of summer life, often evoking a sense of nostalgia which one may have seen in Japanese films and anime.
Like springtime cherry blossoms, cicadas are a symbol of the transcience of nature due to its short lifespan, and of rebirth and transformation.
“Singapore Got Seasons Meh?”
Singapore experiences the Inter-monsoon Period from late March to May with light and variable winds, interacting with land and sea breezes. Thunderstorms, at times severe, and hot, humid afternoons are common.
Unlike the 13- and 17-year periodical cicadas found in North America, which emerge in synchronised broods (in the millions or even trillions!), the cicadas in Southeast Asia and Singapore emerge more irregularly, often triggered by climatic conditions like rainfall and humidity.
1) A cicada (Platypleura sp.) found on a wooden rack outside the home of an affected Tampines resident. 2) A pair – male (left) and female (right) – showcasing the underside. On the left, you can see 2 tymbal membranes under the last pair of legs, it is where the male cicada buzzes its song. On the right is the female, with the ovipositor at its end which it uses to lay eggs into the branches of trees. PHOTOS: Foo Maosheng.
Cicadas are Harmless to Humans
In Singapore, the sudden appearance of cicadas in large numbers can be quite overwhelming, especially if one does not understand that cicadas are harmless to humans. Cicadas do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases. In fact, they play a valuable ecological role.
The sudden intrusion of flying cicadas into homes may startle residents, especially those with a natural fear of insects. This reaction is understandable—cicadas are large, noisy, and tend to fly erratically, sometimes into personal spaces. Their sheer numbers during emergence events can also magnify this discomfort.
Loudest Insects in the World
Cicadas hold the record of being the loudest insects in the world! As they only have a few weeks to find a mate, male cicadas sing loudly to attract females, and to defend themselves and protect their territories.
It is understandable that those living near areas with large numbers of cicadas may experience auditory fatigue and discomfort, especially due to the prolonged exposure to their loud mating calls throughout the day.
While it can be stressful, this natural spectacle of mass emergence is also a fascinating event — one that reminds us of the hidden biodiversity around us.
A Remarkable Natural Phenomenon
Rather than viewing them as a nuisance, perhaps we can begin to see cicadas as a brief but remarkable reminder of the natural rhythms that still persist in our urban environment.
Impact of Climate Change on Cicadas and other Insects
Insects like bees and cicadas play crucial ecosystem roles. Climate change-related disruptions to insect populations can have cascading effects on pollination, plant health, and other ecosystem services.
Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns can potentially disrupt the periodic emergences of cicadas.
With habitat loss and impact of climate change, how much longer will we be able to hear the striking summer songs of cicadas?
