In commemoration of World Wetlands Day 2021, we conducted our first guided walk at Kranji Marshes, one of the largest marshland habitats in Singapore. It was Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s first walk since the opening of Phase 3 and everyone was very excited. We were joined by new faces and familiar faces, all eager to learn about the biodiversity at Kranji Marshes.
Some of the fauna we spotted along our walk included:
“It was an enjoyable walk at Kranji Marshes. Our guide Shao Hua has extensive knowledge on the biodiversity there. He was very patient and answered our enquiries to the best of his knowledge. I saw many creatures including the White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), butterflies, Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) etc. I also learnt that the Fishtail Palm has leaves with jagged edges, which make it look like it has been eaten. Its purpose is actually to prevent other creatures from eating the leaves.”
Elsie lim
Check out some photos of the walk below! The walk was led by volunteers Li Fang & Shao Hua.
Looking at a Stork-billed Kingfisher
Descending from the tower, happy faces
Raptor Tower
Little Michael trying to photograph the lapwings
Bulbul chicks in nest
Group photo at the top of Raptor Tower overlooking the marshes
Red-wattled Lapwings enjoying a nice morning sun
Little Michael trying to photograph the lapwings
Group photo at the top of Raptor Tower overlooking the marshes
Volunteers and friends of Cicada Tree-Eco Place continued our safely distanced greening work at Pulau Ubin on 27 and 28 November 2020.
A total of 64 volunteers helped to plant 246 trees at Pulau Ubin in support of NParks’ One Million Trees Movement. Organised by Cicada Tree Eco-Place, it is the third tree planting event after Pesta Ubin and Macritchie Reservoir earlier in 2020.
Volunteers and friends from Cicada Tree Eco-Place continue to plant trees for nature!
Teresa Teo Guttensohn representing Cicada Tree Eco-Place planted 3 trees at Jurong Lake Gardens last Saturday on 26 September 2020.
Some of the trees planted included native and endangered species: Sterculia rubiginosa, Sterculia cordata, Sterculia parviflora, Calophyllum soulattri, Pometia pinnata.
Jurong Lake Gardens
MacRitchie Reservoir
Volunteers planted 15 trees, including the critically endangered Gaharu Tree at MacRitchie Reservoir.
Neeta and very sweet kids Jaime and Andrew with Teresa at a tree planting event at MacRitchie. Together with Janice from SUSS, 15 trees were planted.
The total count of trees planted thus far in support of Nparks’ One Million Trees Movement is 110+3+15=128 trees.
Participants and volunteers at Island Tales and Forest Fables @ Pesta Ubin 2020, a first of its kind storytelling and culture event organised by Cicada Tree Eco-Place and supported by NParks, on Saturday, 12 September 2020.
A million thanks to all our wonderful family participants, storytellers, tree planting volunteers from ActiveSG Pasir Ris Sport Centre, volunteer crew from Cicada Tree Eco-Place and NParks team who planted 110 trees as part of Pesta Ubin 2020 and One Million Trees movement.
Tree Planting
Jalan Jelutong tree planting site.
Jln Jelutong was a piece of quarry wasteland reclaimed from the sea during granite quarry operations in the past.
The tree planting initiative is part of One Million Trees movement which aims to restore nature back into our City through the planting of more than a million trees across Singapore over the next decade.
Click to view photos:
Guttensohn Family & Friends
Lee Hui Lee & Family: Children Noah, Pasquale and Johannes
Chong Hai Yen & River Chong
87-year-old Mdm Lau, our oldest participant
Tia & Jabe
Dr Denise Dillon
Balakrishnan Matchap & Lisha Raghani
Over 16,000 trees from over 70 native species will eventually be planted at Balai Quarry South, Sungei Teris and Jalan Jelutong on Pulau Ubin.
Despite the sun and torrential rain, our volunteers persisted and successfully planted 110 trees!
Interactive Storytelling
As part of Pesta Ubin 2020, our interactive, socially-distanced storytellers also shared about the history and legend of Pulau Ubin.
Ubin is known as “Granite Island” in Malay. Today, it is one of Singapore’s last traditional kampongs with less than 50 residents.
Ubin is also home to Chek Jawa, an unprotected wetland ecosystem that was saved from land reclamation in the early 2000s.
As the story goes, the island was formed when three animals from Singapore – a frog, a pig and an elephant – challenged each other to a race to reach the shores of Johor.
The animals that failed would turn to stone.
All three failed to swim across. Therefore, the elephant and pig turned into Pulau Ubin whilst the frog became Pulau Sekudu or Frog Island.
Tia sharing about the story of the frog
Bala in the bamboo grove
Jelaine tells a story about the crabs
Teresa briefing participants before tree planting
Thanks to our fun storytellers: Tia Guttensohn, Balakrishnan Matchap, Jelaine Ng and Teresa Guttensohn.
Thanks to all our family participants and tree planting volunteers from ActiveSG, Pasir Ris Sport Centre – Urban Farming Interest Group as well as our volunteer event crew from Cicada Tree Eco-Place:
Teresa Guttensohn, Tia Guttensohn, Sean Guttensohn, Jabriel, Amanda Ang, Balakrishnan Matchap, Lisha Raghani, Jelaine Ng Sha-Men, Angela Pinto, Lim Li Fang, Kripa Dubey, Dr George Jacobs, Dr Denise Dillon, Joleen Chan, Jeffrey Roslan, Fatin Syahirah, Farhan, Richard Tan, Rosemary Chan, Susan Kueh.
More photos of our volunteers hard at work:
Rosemary Chan
Vegan cupcakes sponsored by Seetha
Sean ushering our participants
Amanda
Kripa & Li Fang
Kripa & Nic
Dr George Jacobs assists with tree planting
Richard Tan, Noel Thomas, Teresa Guttensohn
With staff from Nparks
Our youngest participants
Photos: Nicholas Yeo, Teresa Teo GuttensohnGrey Heron (Ardea cinerea) at the nearby Pekan Quarry, where NParks piloted a floating wetlands system in 2015. 10 heron-nesting structures have been deployed there.
Ubin: A Refuge for Wildlife
In other news, a comprehensive biodiversity survey of Pulau Ubin since 2018 has found over 20 new species of fauna, said Mr Desmond Lee, minister for National Development on the occasion of Ubin Day.
This includes the new spider species Piranthus sp. – characterised by bright reddish-orange pairs of front legs in the females.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat was taken on a tour of the island and planted a tree there on Ubin Day:
