Best of our wild blogs: 23 Jan 18

Personal Observations of the Plovers at Marina East Drive
Singapore Bird Group

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NParks to extend barricade to pathway where crocodile was spotted in Sungei Buloh

Lydia Lam Straits Times 22 Jan 18;

SINGAPORE - The National Parks Board (NParks) will be extending a barricade to a pedestrian pathway where a crocodile was spotted in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve over the weekend.

Mr How Choon Beng, director of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve at NParks, told The Straits Times that NParks monitors visitor trails daily and has been setting up barricades at sections where crocodiles were seen basking.

This is to prevent crocodiles from climbing onto the visitor trail. NParks will be extending a barricade to the affected pedestrian pathway after a viral video was posted online showing a reportedly 2m-long crocodile on the footpath at the reserve on Saturday (Jan 20),

NParks will also set up a motion-activated camera to help monitor the situation after crocodile sightings were reported on Saturday and Sunday.

Nature watchers were surprised at the sight of a crocodile right smack in the middle of the pathway and had to wait for up to half an hour before it crawled into the bushes.

One of them, Ms Judy Liew, posted a video of the encounter on Nature Society Singapore's Facebook page, creating a hubbub online.

Ms Liew, who works in customer service support, told The Straits Times on Monday that she had gone to Sungei Buloh on Saturday during high tide, at around 1.45pm.

"I didn't expect to see crocodiles around, as usually they will be feeding in the water during high tide," she said.

She had walked about 300m to 500m from the visitor centre into the reserve when she saw a crocodile lying across the footpath.

Ms Liew said the groups of people on either side of the 2m-long crocodile could not cross over, and waited for about half an hour before it darted into the bushes and into the water.

She said the crocodile had appeared in a gap in wooden planks that were put up to fence off the pathway.

"There are wooden planks put up, but there are no wooden planks after the 300m mark. Then after a distance, the planks appear again. Perhaps the National Parks Board (NParks) would like to seal off the gap," she said.

She said she has seen crocodiles before, as she is an avid nature watcher and has been doing nature photography for about two years.

"I went on Sunday again and saw another crocodile on the pathway, but I don't know whether it's the same one," said Ms Liew. "It was at a blind spot so I was worried that people coming from the other side would not see it."

She said she posted the video to raise public awareness.

"It's to let people know that when you walk into a nature reserve, you are walking into a shared space with nature (and wildlife)," she said. "We have to respect them, be careful, look out for them and watch from a distance."

According to NParks, estuarine or saltwater crocodiles occur naturally in the wild in Singapore, although they are not commonly sighted.

Saltwater crocodiles are one of the largest crocodile species in the world and can grow to more than 5m in length.

They live in brackish and freshwater areas such as coastal areas and wetlands, and are usually "found in the water or at the mudflats away from visitor routes", NParks said.

Those who encounter crocodiles should stay calm and back away, and should not approach, provoke or feed them.

Warning signs and advisory notices are posted at areas where crocodiles are most often seen. The signs advise the public to stay on visitor routes and not venture off the designated paths.

Those who need help should call the Wetland Reserve Information Counter on 6794-1401 immediately.


Barricades in Sungei Buloh to be extended to prevent crocs from climbing onto trail
Channel NewsAsia 22 Jan 18;

SINGAPORE: Barricades will be extended to a section of the visitor trail at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve after a crocodile was spotted on the path, said the National Parks Board (NParks) on Monday (Jan 22).

This comes after a video was posted on Facebook over the weekend, showing a crocodile lying across the designated trail, with a group of visitors standing close by. In the 20-second video, the reptile was seen lying very still before suddenly darting into the bushes.

Sungei Buloh said it is aware of crocodile sightings along a visitor trail on Saturday and Sunday.

"As a practice, we monitor visitor trails daily and have been erecting barricades at sections where crocodiles were seen to bask to prevent crocodiles from climbing onto the visitor trail, and will extend barricades to this section," said the director of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve How Choon Beng in an email to Channel NewsAsia.

He added that a motion-activated camera will also be set up to help monitor the situation, and that warning signs and advisory notices have been posted at areas where crocodiles are most often seen.

"Visitors should heed these signs and keep to designated paths," Mr How said. He explained that these estuarine crocodiles are usually found in the water or at the mudflats away from the visitor routes.

Should visitors encounter a crocodile on the path, they should stay calm and back away slowly, said Mr How. They should not approach, provoke, or feed the animal.

If members of the public need help, they should call the Wetland Reserve Information Counter immediately.

There were several crocodile sightings around Singapore last year, which included locations such as East Coast Park, Changi Beach and Pasir Ris Park.

Source: CNA/ad

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Coney Island to welcome student campers before new OBS campus opens there in 2020

Audrey Tan Straits Times 22 Jan 18;

SINGAPORE - Coney Island will welcome student campers well before the new Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) campus on the island is ready by 2020.

The Straits Times has learnt that a temporary campsite is currently being prepared there for student participants of a national outdoor adventure programme.

During a visit to Coney Island earlier in January, The Straits Times saw that a trail leading to a clearing in a vegetated area near the island's east entrance had been fenced up with an orange cordon. There were also work-in-progress signboards near the site.

In response to queries, OBS said the site will be temporarily used for camping activities under the Ministry of Education-OBS Secondary 3 programme, "as part of the progressive roll-out of activities for OBS participants on Coney Island".

It was earlier announced that OBS will be made compulsory for all Secondary 3 students from 2020 and held at a new $250 million Coney Island campus.

For the sake of the students' safety, some casuarina trees were removed in view of the strong wind season, said OBS.

But efforts were taken to protect the environment.

The campsite, for example, was chosen with the help of consultants and the National Parks Board, and is some distance away from high biodiversity areas such as mangroves, as well as from vegetation of high conservation value, said OBS.

Trees which host the nests of birds known as baya weavers were also retained.

But OBS clarified that works for the OBS campus on Coney Island have not started.

The Straits Times understands that an environmental study is being done to see how the impact of the development on the surrounding nature areas can be reduced.

Coney Island is home to at least 157 animal species, including nationally threatened ones such as the spotted wood owl and the rusty-breasted cuckoo.

National University of Singapore arborist Lahiru Wijedasa, who is not involved in the project, conceded that some trees within the temporary campsite may have had to be removed for the safety of participants.

Casuarina trees have features that enable them to withstand windy coastal conditions, but he added: "Any species, even if it grows up in windy conditions or are adapted to windy conditions, could fall under conditions beyond which they grew up with."

But Mr Lahiru said it would have been better to look at the results of the environmental impact study first before deciding whether to remove the trees.

Mr Loh Chee Hwa, co-founder of environmental and outdoor education company Better Trails, said it was encouraging to see more efforts to engage more young people in outdoor programmes.

But with the expected increase in human traffic, it was also important to preserve the landscape of Coney Island, he added.

He said: "For OBS to embark on this project to build a campus and temporary campsite, I believe a proper environmental study has been conducted and I am confident that they will manage the project in an eco way, and not the ego way."


Coney Island makes room for young campers
Temporary campsite for student programme coming up ahead of new OBS campus in 2020
Audrey Tan Straits Times 23 Jan 18;

Coney Island will welcome student campers well before the new Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) campus on the island is ready by 2020.

The Straits Times has learnt that a temporary campsite is being prepared there for student participants of a national outdoor adventure programme.

During a visit to Coney Island earlier this month, ST saw that a trail leading to a clearing in a vegetated area near the island's east entrance had been fenced up with an orange cordon. There were also work-in-progress signboards near the site.

In response to queries, OBS said the site will be temporarily used for camping activities under the Ministry of Education-OBS Secondary 3 programme, "as part of the progressive roll-out of activities for OBS participants on Coney Island".

It was earlier announced that an OBS camp will be made compulsory for all Secondary 3 students from 2020 and held at a new $250 million Coney Island campus.

For the sake of the students' safety, some casuarina trees were removed in view of the strong wind season, said OBS.

But efforts were taken to protect the environment. The campsite, for example, was chosen with the help of consultants and the National Parks Board, and is some distance away from high-biodiversity areas such as mangroves, as well as from vegetation of high conservation value, said OBS.

Temporary campsite on Coney Island for student campers

For the sake of the students' safety, some casuarina trees were removed in view of the strong wind season, said OBS. But efforts were taken to protect the environment...Trees which host the nests of birds known as baya weavers were... retained.

Trees which host the nests of birds known as baya weavers were also retained.

But OBS clarified that works for the OBS campus on Coney Island have not started.

ST understands that an environmental study is being done to see how the impact of the development on the surrounding nature areas can be reduced. Coney Island is home to at least 157 animal species, including nationally threatened ones such as the spotted wood owl and the rusty-breasted cuckoo.

National University of Singapore arborist Lahiru Wijedasa, who is not involved in the project, conceded that some trees within the temporary campsite may have had to be removed for the safety of participants.

Casuarina trees have features that enable them to withstand windy coastal conditions, but he added: "Any species, even if it grows up in windy conditions or are adapted to windy conditions, could fall under conditions beyond which they grew up with."

But Mr Lahiru said it would have been better to look at the results of the environmental impact study first before deciding whether to remove the trees.

Mr Loh Chee Hwa, co-founder of environmental and outdoor education company Better Trails, said it was encouraging to see more efforts to engage more young people in outdoor programmes. But with the expected increase in human traffic, it was also important to preserve the Coney Island landscape, he added.

He said: "For OBS to embark on this project to build a campus and temporary campsite, I believe a proper environmental study has been conducted and I am confident that they will manage the project in an eco way, and not the ego way."

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NTU, BlueSG trial ultra-fast charging electric shuttle

Gwyneth Teo Channel NewsAsia 22 Jan 18;

SINGAPORE: An electric tram that requires just 20 seconds to recharge - while passengers board or alight at stations - will be trialled at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) campus for the next six months.

The trial was launched on Monday (Jan 22) by NTU and BlueSG, the same company that started an electric car-sharing scheme last year.

Dubbed Singapore's first flash-charging electric shuttle, the Bluetram can travel 2km on a single charge, with backup power that provides for an additional 30km.

The 22-seater tram will run between JTC's CleanTech One and NTU's North Hill area, a distance of close to 1km.

As the vehicle stops along each station along the route, a robotic arm will emerge from the station, insert itself into the charging port and charge the super-capacitor in the vehicle.

NTU and BlueSG said the super-capacitor is 10 times more efficient than lithium-ion batteries in discharging power, but holds power for a proportionally shorter length of time.

It is thus ideal for vehicles that do short sprints with lots of starts and stops.

Dr Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director of Energy Research Institute @ NTU, said: "We look at vehicles like these for first- and last-mile transportation, such as feeder bus services."

He added that the vehicles may be a game-changer in transportation here. "These can go indoors. These can go into the foyer of a building, the lobby of hospitals, into the airport. It brings up new possibilities in public transportation."

The vehicles had previously been trialled at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, where six trams ran across seven stations up and down the Champs-Élysées.

As the NTU campus has more hilly terrains compared to the relatively flatter Champs-Élysées, the trial will allow the tram's makers to test its performance on various terrains.

Additionally, the data collected will let scientists understand how the super-capacitors might react to different climate conditions, and what impact a larger roll-out of these vehicles will have on power grid infrastructure.

"For example, if there are hundreds of buses and taxis charging in a small area, we need to understand what impact it will have on the grid. The grid stability and reliability are things we cannot compromise," said Dr Subodh.

Source: CNA/ng


Ultra-fast charging electric shuttle bus service launched by NTU and BlueSG
TOH EE MING Today Online 22 Jan 18;

SINGAPORE — Singapore will soon see an ultra-fast charging electric shuttle bus service operating between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and JTC’s CleanTech One.

With the help of a robotic arm that connects the top of the 22-seater shuttle bus to a charging station, the vehicle will require only 20 seconds to be recharged at stations while passengers board and alight.

The shuttle can travel two kilometres on a single charge, with backup power that can allow it to run for an additional 30 kilometres.

Named the NTU-Blue Solutions Flash Shuttle and using Bolloré’s Bluetram vehicle, the shuttle was launched on Monday (Jan 22) by NTU and BlueSG.

The latter is a subsidiary of Blue Solutions owned by the Bolloré Group. BlueSG is also the operator of the first large-scale electric car-sharing service here that was launched last month.

Unlike other electric vehicles that function solely on batteries and need a greater time to be charged, the Bluetram is equipped with supercapacitors and a lithium-metal-polymer (LMP) battery developed by Blue Solutions. Supercapacitors are electrical storage components that are characterised by high power density which can be charged very quickly.

This allows the Bluetram to replicate the efficiency of trams by operating continuously without the need for offline charging.

Compared to tram systems, an electric shuttle bus network does not need costly infrastructure such as rails or cabling. The operating costs are therefore five to ten times lower.

BlueSG declined to compare the operating costs for the shuttle with that of a typical electric vehicle – which would take four to eight hours to charge – but said the shuttle costs 1 to 2 million euros (S$1.6 million to S$3.2 million) per kilometer to operate.

NTU President Subra Suresh said the move towards such “cutting-edge transportation technologies” is in line with its vision of being a smart campus.

“The use of electric vehicles in public transportation is growing across the world, as it shows promise of being a more efficient transportation system and in curbing greenhouse emissions,” said Prof Suresh.

“Testing it on campus, we expect that the insights and innovations developed from this research programme will benefit Singapore eventually by enhancing the first mile-last mile transportation options for everyone.”

It took two weeks to set up the trial route, which now has two stations.

For now, the shuttle will run at about 30 to 40 kmh between the two stations at NTU’s residential halls at the North Hill cluster and JTC’s CleanTech One, which is part of the Jurong Innovation District where special charging stations have been built. Both stops are about 1km apart.

After trials by the research team, NTU students will be able to ride the shuttle from July, though the route details and operational hours are yet to be worked out.

The joint research team – which comprises scientists from NTU’s Energy Research Institute and BlueSG - will study the shuttle’s on-road performance in Singapore’s tropical climate, including users’ behaviour, as well as how energy-saving it is on NTU’s hilly terrain.

The two-year trial with BlueSG is supported by the Economic Development Board. The collaboration is also one of the key initiatives under the France-Singapore Year of Innovation, which aims to intensify cooperation on innovation between the two countries this year.

NTU said it is in talks with BlueSG to install more electric vehicle charging stations on campus.

Students, staff and faculty will be able to rent BlueSG vehicles and drive them around Singapore, before returning the vehicle to any BlueSG charging station. The public will also be allowed to drive into NTU’s campus with these vehicles.

BlueSG previously said it targets to roll out 1,000 electric vehicles and 2,000 charging points by 2020.

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Australia: Barrier Reef funding boost to tackle predatory starfish

AFP Yahoo News 22 Jan 18;

Sydney (AFP) - A multimillion-dollar campaign to stop the predatory crown-of-thorns starfish devouring the Great Barrier Reef was announced by the Australian government Monday in a push to preserve the World Heritage-listed ecosystem.

The coral-eating starfish are naturally occurring but have proliferated due to pollution and agricultural run-off at the struggling reef.

Their impact has been profound -- a major study of the 2,300-kilometre (1,400-mile) long reef's health in 2012 showed coral cover has halved over the past 27 years, with 42 percent of the damage attributed to the pest.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Aud$60 million (US$48 million) would go into the new drive, with just over half to be spent on incentives for farmers to prevent agricultural pollutants from running into the reef.

Funds will also go towards increasing the number of patrol vessels and divers targeting the starfish, he said.

"It is a vibrant, resilient ecosystem and one of the best-managed coral reef ecosystems in the world," Turnbull said in a statement.

"While it is facing increasing threats, we intend to remain leaders in reef management," he said, adding the fund would support the development of new technology to help protect the reef.

The reef is also reeling from significant coral bleaching due to warming sea temperatures linked to climate change.

Canberra in 2015 narrowly avoided UNESCO putting the site on its endangered list, and has committed more than Aus$2.0 billion to preserve it over the next decade.

But it has been criticised for backing a huge US$16 billion coal project by Indian mining giant Adani near the reef, which environmentalists warned would harm the natural wonder.

Conservationists said Monday the government's latest funding announcement did not go far enough and action is needed to slash greenhouse gas emissions to prevent warming sea temperatures.

"It will be a classic case of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic unless the federal government moves quickly away from coal and other fossil fuels," Imogen Zethoven from the Australian marine conservation society said in a statement.

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