St John's Island launches first curated trail, guided tours

Deborah Wong Channel NewsAsia 2 Sep 17;

SINGAPORE: The first curated trail at St John's Island was officially launched on Saturday (Sep 2), along with free guided tours led by trained volunteers.

The 2.8km trail, which starts at the entrance of the main jetty, has 15 stations marked out with signboards. Visitors will see coastal forests and coral reefs, and may spot birds such as the great-billed heron, reptiles such as the gold-ringed cat snake and the critically endangered hawksbill turtle, according to the National Parks Board (NParks), which is organising the tours.

During low tide, visitors can walk along the intertidal flat at the lagoon and look out for sea stars, sea cucumbers, crabs and marine snails. The trail also brings visitors to the Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre, where visitors can learn about local marine life.

The free guided tour will cover 1.6km and take visitors to 14 stations on the trail. It takes around 90 minutes to complete, and up to 45 people can take part in each tour. A map is available on NParks' website for those who want to explore the trail on their own.

The tours will take place on the first weekend of every month starting in October. Registration begins this Sunday at 2pm via the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park website.

“The centre of gravity of our conservation approach cannot be to keep people away from nature,” said Mr Desmond Lee, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, at the event.

“Instead, we want to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation among Singaporeans for our blue and green areas.”

SISTERS' ISLAND MARINE PARK PUBLIC GALLERY EXPANDED

New exhibits were also launched on Saturday at the Sisters’ Island Marine Park Public Gallery on St John’s Island.

The new exhibits include live specimens in a viewing pool, a mangrove mesocosm to study ecosystem behaviours, as well as a virtual reality experience for an immersive "dive" tour around the marine park.

The Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Public Gallery first opened in 2015, while the marine park was designated in 2014. The marine park spans 40 hectares, encompassing Sisters' Islands, the western reefs of St John's Island and Pulau Tekukor.

The region was chosen for its rich biodiversity and conservation efforts aim to enhance the marine habitat there, NParks said.

More features are expected to be added in the next two years, such as a boardwalk on Big Sisters' Island, an intertidal walk as well as a floating pontoon.

Regular ferry services to St John’s Island departing from Marina South Pier are available twice a day on weekdays and up to five times a day on weekends and public holidays.
Source: CNA/cy


New trail on St John's island marking out its history and vast biodiversity
Kok Xing Hui Straits Times 2 Sep 17;
SINGAPORE - The National Parks Board (NParks) is beefing up offerings on idyllic St John's Island by launching a 2.8 km trail marking out its history, natural habitats and vast biodiversity.

On Saturday (Sept 2), Second Minister for National Development and Home Affairs Desmond Lee launched the new trail, along with other features, at St John's Island, which is located approximately 6.5 km to the south of the main island of Singapore.

The trail includes 15 stations and will take visitors through various eco-systems on the island, including mangroves, coastal forests and intertidal zones.

Wildlife in the area include hawksbill turtles, Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins, the Great-billed Heron, and many heritage trees.

"The centre of gravity of our conservation approach cannot be to keep people away from nature. Instead, we want to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation among Singaporeans for our blue and green areas," said Mr Lee.

Exhibits at the Sisters' Islands Marine Park Public Gallery on St John's Island - once a quarantine centre for new migrants with infectious diseases - have also been given a new lease of life.

The centre, which receives more than 100 visitors a month, now has a 5m-long mangrove mesocosm, a tank that holds wildlife known to mangroves and also mimics the actual tides in the mangrove.

There are also aquarium tanks showing corals and giant clams, and a 2m-long viewing pool with sea anemones, starfishes and clown fishes.

Mr Lee also announced the formation of the friends of the Marine Park community, comprising boaters, divers, scientists, fishermen and more, who will work on projects to conserve the island.

For example, the community will see dive professionals helping to maintain the dive trail and developing guidelines for kayakers entering the park.

Visitors to St John's Island can get there on a 30-minute ferry from Marina South Pier which departs every two hours from 9am-3pm on Saturdays, and from 9am-5pm on Sundays. On weekdays, the ferry runs at 10am and 2pm.


Wildlife, history part of new trail on St John's Island
2.8km trail has signboards and covers various ecosystems such as mangroves, coastal forests
Kok Xing Hui Straits Times 3 Sep 17;

Primary school pupil Leah Thorpe, 11, spent yesterday morning walking around St John's Island with her mother and sister, listening to stories about the island's history, habitats and wildlife.

The family was one of the first to walk along a new island trail curated by the National Parks Board (NParks).

Leah's mother, housewife Olivia Tay, 47, said the tour was very informative, while Leah piped up that her favourite part of the trail was the pufferfish in the mangrove exhibit.


"And the kapok trees, the bugs and the cats along the way," she said.

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NParks launched the island trail yesterday. It is 2.8km long with signboards along the trail to tell visitors about the island.

The trail's 15 stations take visitors through various ecosystems on the island, including mangroves, coastal forests and intertidal zones. Wildlife in the area include hawksbill turtles, Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins, great- billed herons and many heritage trees.


At the launch, Second Minister for National Development and Home Affairs Desmond Lee said he was happy about this development on St John's Island, which is located about 6.5km south of the main island of Singapore.

"The centre of gravity of our conservation approach cannot be to keep people away from nature. Instead, we want to instil a sense of wonder and appreciation among Singaporeans for our green and blue areas," he said.

Alongside the trail is a new volunteer-run guided walk that will take 45 guests around St John's Island on a 90-minute tour. This will be on the first weekend of every month, starting from next month.

Meanwhile, exhibits at the Sisters' Islands Marine Park Public Gallery on St John's Island - once a quarantine centre for new migrants with infectious diseases - have also been given a new lease of life.

The centre, which receives more than 100 visitors a month, now has a 5m-long mangrove mesocosm, a tank that holds wildlife found in mangroves. The tank can also mimic the actual tides in the mangroves.

There are also aquariums featuring corals and giant clams, a 2m-long viewing pool with sea anemones, starfish and clown fish, and a virtual-reality headset that takes viewers on a dive.

Aquariums at the Sisters' Islands Marine Park Public Gallery

Mr Lee also announced the formation of the Friends of the Marine Park community, which includes boaters, divers, scientists and fishermen, who will work on projects to conserve the island.

For example, dive professionals will help to maintain the dive trail and develop guidelines for kayakers entering the park.

Visitors to St John's Island can get there via a 30-minute ferry ride from Marina South Pier that departs every two hours from 9am to 3pm on Saturdays, and from 9am to 5pm on Sundays. On weekdays, the ferry departs at 10am and 2pm.