Best of our wild blogs: 14 Nov 16

The Future of MacRitchie Concert
Love our MacRitchie Forest

“Let’s Talk Rubbish” – an experiential exhibition at Tanjong Pagar CC, 3rd & 4th Dec 2016
News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore

The race for giant clams
Neo Mei Lin

Male Indian Peafowl (Peacock) (Pavo cristatus) @ Sentosa
Monday Morgue

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Annual tree planting day breaks new ground with mangroves on platforms

SARA GROSSE Today Online 14 Nov 16;

SINGAPORE — To improve water quality, trees were planted in Punggol Reservoir yesterday — the first time in Singapore that trees have been placed directly in water during the annual tree planting activities.

A total of nine tropical mangrove trees were planted, and their roots will help to filter pollutants and absorb excess nutrients. This increases the clarity and quality of the water, similar to the Sengkang floating wetland. Mangroves also provide a habitat for wetland birds.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and several Members of Parliament helped to plant the trees on floating platforms in the reservoir. The idea was inspired by a floating forest in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Over time, the trees will be pruned so they do not exceed the floating platform’s capacity. And their current position will not be permanent. “This is a modular system where you can actually, like a jigsaw puzzle, put it in different configurations,” said MP (Sengkang West) Lam Pin Min.

“The intention is to put a three-by-three configuration and we’re actually discussing with PUB to see whether we can locate it near to the floating wetland, where people can actually view it as they walk across the bridge.” CHANNEL NEWSASIA


Tree Planting Day floats up a new idea
Chong Zi Liang, MyPaper AsiaOne 14 Nov 16;

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (centre), flanked by Sengkang West MP Dr Lam Pin Min (left) and Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Dr Koh Poh Koon (right) plants a series of Api-api Putih trees on floating modules along the Punggol Reservoir during the Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West SMC Tree Planting event on 13 November, 2016.

The time-honoured tradition of Tree Planting Day treaded new ground - or rather, water - yesterday, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong planting mangrove tree saplings in the Punggol Reservoir.

He and his fellow MPs for Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West planted tropical mangrove trees on specially designed floating turfs of soil, the first time trees are being planted here using this method.

The Avicennia alba trees, commonly known as api-api putih, will have roots suspended in the water that help absorb nutrients that algae depend upon, thereby reducing algae and improving water quality in the reservoir.

Lam Pin Min, MP for Sengkang West, told reporters after the event that he had read about an installation of floating trees in Rotterdam, Holland, and decided to try it out here.

Besides, the constituency is next to Punggol Reservoir that already houses the Sengkang Floating Wetland, he added.

"We're discussing with (national water agency) PUB to see whether we can locate it near to the floating wetland where people can view it when they walk across the bridge," he said.

The tree-planting campaign was launched in 1963 by founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

It has become an annual nationwide affair to highlight the importance of greening the city and keeping it clean.

Tree-planting activities have been held in various constituencies across the island this month, including in Sembawang GRC yesterday.

It was attended by Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan.


PM plants mangrove saplings in water at Punggol Reservoir
Chong Zi Liang, Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Nov 16;

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mingles with children and their families as they plant small plants at Punggol Reservoir during the Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West SMC Tree Planting event on 13 November, 2016.

Photo: The Straits Times

The time-honoured tradition of Tree Planting Day treaded new ground - or rather, water - yesterday, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong planting mangrove tree saplings at Punggol Reservoir.

Mr Lee and his fellow MPs for Ang Mo Kio GRC and Sengkang West planted tropical mangrove trees on specially designed floating turfs of soil, the first time trees are being planted in Singapore using this method.


The Avicennia alba trees, commonly known as api-api putih, will have roots suspended in the water to help absorb nutrients that algae depend upon, thereby reducing the algae and improving water quality in the reservoir.

"This is the first time I've planted a tree in the water!" Mr Lee said later in a Facebook post.

"The mangrove plant absorbs pollutants and will hopefully make the area greener and more scenic for residents," he added.

Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min, who is the MP for Sengkang West, told reporters after the event that he had read about an installation of floating trees in Rotterdam, Holland, and decided to try it out here.

Besides, the constituency is next to Punggol Reservoir, which already houses the Sengkang Floating Wetland, he said.

"We are discussing with (national water agency) PUB to see whether we can locate it near to the floating wetland where people can view it when they walk across the bridge," he added.

Residents from both constituencies attended the event, which also featured a carnival with booths on protecting and safeguarding the environment.

Many also participated in games that challenged players to clean up the surrounding areas.

As part of the day's activities, Secondary 3 student Syabil Qusyairi, 15, and his Bartley Secondary schoolmates rowed kayaks for half an hour, looking for litter on the surface of the reservoir.

Before setting off, they were given a quick lesson on why throwing trash into bodies of water is harmful. He said: "I learnt that rubbish thrown into the water may be eaten by fishes and they, in turn, are eaten by bigger fishes that may eventually be caught for human consumption."

The tree-planting effort comes on the back of recent initiatives to improve the living environment in one of Singapore's newest estates. Last month, an 8.8km cycling network in Punggol linking homes to train stations, schools and other amenities was unveiled.

Mr Lee said the Sengkang-Punggol region has flourished over the past 10 years, and is home to many young families, with ample outdoor recreational options.

The tree-planting campaign was launched in 1963 by first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and has become an annual nationwide affair to highlight the importance of greening the city.

Tree-planting activities have been held across the island this month, including in Sembawang GRC yesterday which Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan attended.

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Nat Geo explorer finds rare and mysterious beetle in Singapore

AsiaOne 14 Nov 16;

Australia may be known for its poisonous and weird insects, but Singapore has its claim to fame with the rare trilobite beetle.

The bizarre-looking beetle is so rare - researchers have only observed them mating twice, in 1924 and 1993, National Geographic reported.

According to the magazine of the National Geographic Society, the "ancient-looking insect has kept scientists baffled for nearly two centuries".

A video of the beetle, contributed by a National Geographic Young Explorer Mark Wong, was posted on its Facebook page on Sunday (Nov 13), garnering over two million views in eight hours with over 20,000 shares.

Named after an extinct group of marine arthropods due to their similar features, it is only the female trilobite beetles that share the looks. Like many insects in the animal kingdom, the male beetles look like your everyday bug - and a tenth of the female's size.

The first sighting was by Swedish zoologist Eric Mjoberg, who landed in Borneo in 1922 with a singular focus to find a male trilobite beetle. That endeavour took his two years, after he dangled a monetary reward and enlisted local people to spot the elusive male beetles.

These insects are so rare that much of its characteristics and diet remain a mystery.

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Two schools pioneer initiative to reduce food waste

KELLY NG Today Online 14 Nov 16;

SINGAPORE — At St Anthony’s Primary School, unwanted fruit peels are regularly collected from the canteen and transformed into fertilisers and pesticide for the school’s garden.

Helmed by a group of students from the Science and Environment Club, this composting initiative is part of a school-wide effort to tackle food waste, which also sees upper primary students guiding their younger peers on the importance of not wasting food.

The school is one of two pioneer participants in a new labelling programme to recognise schools, hotels and food and beverage outlets in the South West District that have taken steps to cut down on food waste generated and discarded.

A joint effort between South West Community Development Council and the National Environment Agency, “Foodprints @ South West” awards points for waste reduction measures such as segregating food waste and non-food waste, distributing unsold bread or pastries to the needy, putting up food waste reduction posters and using food waste for composting or generating energy, among others.

Establishments with at least three “Foodprint” points qualify for the programme, and will receive a set of “Foodprints @ South West” wobblers, hanging mobiles and decals to be placed within their premises.

Successful establishments will be audited yearly to ensure that the waste reduction measures are still in place.

Launching the programme on Sunday, South West District mayor Low Yen Ling said organisers hope to see at least 20 establishments come on board the programme in the next year.

“As Asians, we want to be hospitable. There is a perception that to be a good host, we must provide more than enough food. But really, I think it is time for us to rethink this ... Last year, Singapore generated over 785,500 tonnes of food waste. This is equivalent to about two bowls of food per person each day ... It is really time that we harness our efforts, (put) all hands on deck and address this issue,” said Ms Low.

It is important to target food suppliers “upstream” to “inculcate the right habits at source”, she said.

Authorities and grassroot volunteers also plan to survey food outlets over the year to see how they can be better supported to implement waste reduction measures, said Ms Low, citing the possibility of co-funding efforts taken by micro-enterprises and hawker stalls.

Working with schools allow the youths to serve as “ambassadors” in reminding their own family members to be mindful in consuming what they need, she added.

St Anthony’s Primary School, for instance, plans to have students encourage their families to pledge to cut down on food waste.

“We don’t want them to just send a message, but to actually commit to the cause ...We see how much pride the students have in this effort, and this is something we can tap,” said Mrs Rosarita Teo, the school’s head of department for Character & Citizenship Education.

Currently, Primary 4 students in the school conduct classes and quizzes for their Primary 1 peers to convey the importance of minimising food waste.

The school, which recently harvested their second batch of compost made from fruit waste, black sugar, rain water and other components, also plans to boost the involvement of its canteen’s stallholders in its waste reduction efforts.

Apart from St Anthony’s, Qifa Primary School is the other school currently on board the programme. Students have designed posters and bookmarks, and held talks in the school and public libraries, to encourage the community to reduce food waste.

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Malaysia: Flood forecast now possible seven days in advance

The Star 14 Nov 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: It is now possible to forecast floods seven days before they happen, allowing alerts to be issued to the public two days in advance.

At present, floods can only be forecast six hours earlier.

The Drainage and Irrigation Department is working on upgrading the system.

DID director-general Datuk Seri Zulkefli Hassan said the Flood Forecast and Alert Programme (PRAB) issued early warnings that would make evacuation easier.

“This project will save lives and property, and lessen the damage on public infrastructure,” he said here yesterday.

Zulkefli said RM550mil had been set aside for the PRAB.

“It involves 40 major river basins where flood forecasts and alerts could be issued with support of data from the Meteorological Depart­ment.”

There was also a need, he said, to increase public awareness on the importance of following early disaster warnings so authorities can conduct more coordinated assistance and rescue efforts.

As a long-term measure, Zulkefli said serious attention should be given to a holistic approach to secure national water resources, including minimising the effects of climate change.

For this purpose, he said DID developed the National Water Balance System (Nawabs), a management tool to help make forecasts and alerts during water crisis or droughts. — Bernama

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Malaysia: 45,000 in Seremban, Port Dickson face water disruption

The Star 12 Nov 16;

SEREMBAN: Some 45,000 consumers in this district and parts of Port Dickson will face water supply disruption due to odour pollution in Sungai Linggi.

The Sungai Linggi water treatment plant in Kuala Sawah was shut down at 9am Sunday.

Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan Sdn Bhd (SAINS) public relations head Norzita Ismail said the situation was expected to return to normal in about 24 hours.

"Heavy rain over the last few days caused the water level in the river to rise which made it drag down foreign material like rubbish.

"Pursuant to this, we had to shut down the Sungai Linggi treatment plant immediately to ensure treated water does not smell," she said in a statement here.

Among the areas that will be affected in Port Dickson are Escort Estet, Kampung Sawah Sunggala, Bandar Sunggala, Taman Sirusa Jaya Batu 6, Jalan Pantai, Kawasan Batu 5 and Batu 4 Jalan Pantai, Kampung Baru Sirusa, Jalan Sua Betong, Taman Desa PD, Kampung Barisan and Air Kuning up to Tampin Linggi.

Other areas include Kampung Bagan Pinang, Taman PD Utama, Taman Raja Zainal, Taman Too Kee Kah, Transit Kuarters, Jalan Shell Refinery, Happy Garden, Batu 1 area, Jalan Lama, Kampung Chokra, Taman Muhibah, Taman Puteri, Kampung Arab, Taman PD Akasia, Kampung Air Meleleh, Kampung Gelam, Taman PD Tropika, Taman Sri Mawar, Bukit Pelandok, Chuah, Teluk Kemang, Jalan Pantai, PD Waterfront and Pekan Lukut till Spring Hill.

In Seremban, the areas affected are Taman Pinggiran Senawang, Kampung Ulu Rantau, Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak, RTM, Taman Permata, Ladang Batu 11, Ladang Kombok, Taman Ulu Lalang, Kampung Solok, Kampung Ribu, Kampung Sega Ulu, Kampung Sega Hilir, Jalan Kuala Sawah, Kampung Nyatoh, Rumah Rakyat Nyatoh, Kampung Belangkan, Industri Nilam Ribu and Taman Bandar Ekar.

Other areas include Pekan Rantau, Kampung Takau, Kampung Pening, Kampung Kancong, Taman Rantau, Jalan Air Kuning, Taman Permata, Kampung Siliau Hulu, Kampung Siliau Hilir, Ladang Siliau, Kampung Sungai Sendayan and Nusari Bayu.

SAINS apologised over the inconvenience caused and urged consumers to contact toll free number 1-800-88-6982 if they needed assistance. - Bernama


Water quality at Sg Linggi treatment plant improves, operations resume
ZAIDI ISHAM ISMAIL New Straits Times 14 Nov 16;

SEREMBAN: The Sungai Linggi water treatment plant, which was shut down for 24 hours on Sunday due to odour pollution, resumed operations at 9am this morning, restoring water supply to 44,828 households in mainly Port Dickson and Seremban.

Syarikat Air Selangor Negri Sembilan Sdn Bhd public relations head Norzita Ismail said the plant’s water quality improved significantly over the last 24 hours, but the company will continue to monitor the situation closely.

The Sg Linggi water treatment plant was shut down on Sunday between 9pm and 9am due to odour pollution, which was the result of heavy rains raising the water level and dragging foul-smelling rubbish and waste into the river.

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Malaysia, Johor: Second phase of Sungai Skudai clean-up underway

HALIM SAID New Straits Times 13 Nov 16;

JOHOR BARU: Efforts to clean up Sungai Skudai and raise its water quality level from Class III to Class II is underway, with the launch of the second phase of the Sungai Skudai Water Blueprint.

Johor committee chairman for health and environment Datuk Ayub Rahmat said although the first phase of the blueprint was successfully carried out from 2012 to 2015, the campaign did not achieve its target.

"More than 160 initiatives were laid out in the first blueprint, but only 57 per cent of them were achieved. For me, that is a failure," he said.

However, Ayub said the next phase of the blueprint, which will involve the Drainage and Irrigation Department, the Iskandar Regional Development Authority, and the local council, will ensure that the plan to restore Sungai Skudai to a Class II river will be a success.

He said the second phase of the blueprint is still being ironed out, and will be tabled after he receives the annual report.

Ayub said Sungai Skudai is one of the main water sources for city folk here, but it is constantly polluted, with up to 500 tonnes of rubbish collected from it yearly.

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