Love Our MacRitchie Forest Walk, 22 Sep 2019

Sunday, 22 September 2019
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM SST
Venus Loop, Venus Drive

FREE walk through Venus Loop. Come see the abundance of flora and fauna in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR).

The LTA has released its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on two possible alignments for the Cross Island Line (CRL). Alignment 1 will see two worksites just outside the CCNR and a 2 km tunnel under the CCNR.

Alignment 2 will see 3 worksites on the fringes of the CCNR and a 4 km tunnel skirting the CCNR. Both alignments are expected to have significant impact on the flora and fauna within the CCNR. The impact on the stream system within Windsor Nature Park is assessed to be Critical.

The CCNR is the largest remaining contiguous patch of forest in Singapore and is home to several rare species such as the Sunda Pangolin, Straw-headed Bulbul and Greater Slow Loris, which are listed as vulnerable or endangered in the entire world.

Singapore only has less than 1% of its original forest cover left. With the emergency of climate change hanging over our heads, we need to preserve whatever is left as forests are the best carbon sinks known to us. Destroying mature forests, and therefore also their existing biodiversity, and then replanting trees to try and regenerate forests, is a colossal waste.

It is true that several birds, animals and plants have made a comeback in Singapore after their habitat was destroyed. But, many have not and will never come back. We should not let the resurgence of some species mislead us to ignore the loss of many others.

On this walk, come see for yourself the rich variety of flora and fauna found in this part of the Central Catchment Nature Area and understand why protecting the CCNR is so important for Singapore.

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Cross-Island Line: Align interests of present, future generations – ST, 7 Sep 2019

Christopher Tan

The following are excerpts from a Straits Times analysis of the 954-page Cross-Island Line assessment report by Senior Transport Correspondent Christopher Tan. In it, he mooted the possibility of a third alignment further south, which would serve the future Bukit Brown estate.

Tan wrote: “Having one more line serving an area as sizeable as Bukit Brown is well within reason. Many areas in Singapore are served by two or more lines. For instance, Marina Bay has four lines and about half a dozen stations.”

In transport, efficiency here means more than having the shortest possible route between two points. It also means making a transport system accessible to as many people as possible so that its long-term benefits will outweigh its initial cost.

Going to the extreme to achieve either objective would not be viable. You end up with either a straight line, which invariably misses crucial passenger catchments, or a squiggle of a line which makes construction unwieldy and journeys inordinately long.

Christopher Tan, SENIOR TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT, ST

Through nature reserve or around? Residents, nature groups stick to guns on Cross Island Line paths – TODAY, 3 Sep 2019

“We are totally not for the Cross Island Line to go through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve… It is a remnant fragment of an ancient rainforest with its incredible biodiversity. That’s something so priceless and invaluable that you can’t put a price on.”

Andrew Tay, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER, CICADA TREE ECO-PLACE

Nature Walk at Bukit Timah Station for ‘Connecting Communities Through Rail Corridor’ event, Sat 31 Aug 2019

On Saturday, 31 st August 2019, Cicada Tree Eco-Place supported the ‘Connecting Communities Through Rail Corridor’ event as part of the Friends of Rail Corridor group.

The event announced plans for a connected Rail Corridor stretching from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands and enhancements works to the former Bukit Timah Railway Station.

Volunteers from Cicada Tree Eco-Place led a nature walk for the community. The rustic nature surrounding the old Bukit Timah Railway Station contains many familiar kampong plants such as banana, brinjal, and rambutan, amidst the tall mature trees.

This provides a habitat for wildlife, especially birds. Some of the birds spotted at the walk include the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Pied Fantail, and Blue-Crowned Hanging Parrot.

The melodious calls of the critically endangered Straw-headed Bulbul can be heard as well. We are glad that participants of the walk appreciated the flora and fauna that often go unnoticed.

Indeed, the Rail Corridor boasts rich heritage and biodiversity that enthrals all visitors and we will definitely be back again!

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