Full of crabs at Punggol shore
from wonderful creation
Night Walk At Lower Pierce Reservoir (12 Sep 2014)
from Beetles@SG BLOG
Crazy Insect Challenge- Tiny grasshoppers everywhere!
from My Nature Experiences
Common Gliding Lizard (Draco sumatranus) @ Sungei Buloh
from Monday Morgue
Chitra Kumar Channel NewsAsia 14 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE: What if kindergarten lessons are conducted in a tree-house near the expressways? That could be possible in a preschool of the future, says Lien Foundation and Singapore-based architecture firm Lekker Architects.
“A Different Class: Preschool Spaces Redefined”, a project commissioned by Lien Foundation, looks at unusual and underused spots in land-scarce Singapore where preschools could potentially be located. Lekker Architects has identified 10 types of locations.
The project looks at converting under-utilised spaces at Lower Seletar Reservoir into a preschool, where classrooms are built on a floating platform, allowing children to have a better awareness of the river life.
The purpose is to integrate the outdoor and indoor environment to help with a child's learning.
Lee Poh Wah, CEO of Lien Foundation, says: "Imagine if you are in a preschool environment that is beautiful, soothing, full of wonder and discovery… You are eager to live, learn and work in that place.
“In my opinion, I find that preschool spaces in Singapore don't make the grade. Why are all our boisterous children in all these cramped, cluttered, cookie-cutter preschools that are devoid of nature itself? So 'A Different Class' is a bold exercise to envision the future of preschools spaces."
The project also urges policy-makers to think more creatively when considering new locations.
Building a preschool on a rooftop of a multi-storey car park in HDB estates may not be the norm, but the architects say it is safe.
Ong Ker-shing, director of Lekker Architects, says: "You might look at some of the schools, like the schools on top of the HDB car parks and say, ‘you are putting kids so high up in the air, and it doesn't look like there are any fences’.
“Well, there are fences. But we designed it in a way where there are methods of keeping the kids away from the edge, but they are not visible. Instead of putting up a giant barrier, and making it very obvious that there is a giant barrier, we thought about it in something very beautiful - we hide it behind greenery."
The Early Childhood Development Agency has described the project as "a useful contribution in providing design ideas for pre-school development in unique spaces”, and that it has been "working with various agencies to explore and incorporate innovative design features”.
- CNA/xq
Channel NewsAsia 14 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE: Air quality in Singapore moved into the "unhealthy" range on Monday (Sep 15), with the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) three-hour reading hitting 113 at 6am. As of 7am, the three-hour reading was 111.
The three-hour PSI reading was 64 at 6pm on Sunday and it climbed to 74 at 9pm Sunday. It has since remained in the 101-200 range.
A PSI reading of 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 is classified as "moderate", while 101-200 is in the "unhealthy" band.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has advised healthy people to reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion when the PSI is in the "unhealthy" range. The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise such activities, which should also be avoided by people with chronic lung disease or heart disease, NEA said on its website.
Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan wrote in a Facebook post on Monday morning that he was monitoring the air quality with "some concern".
His post said a change in wind direction brought with it haze that had been accumulating over Sumatra for the past few days, with the western parts of Singapore especially affected, he wrote.
"There has been an escalation in hot spots in Sumatra. NEA was in touch with the Indonesian authorities last week and has urged them to take action," he wrote, adding that Singapore "stands ready" to provide assistance if necessary.
- CNA/ir
Air quality hits unhealthy range
Today Online 15 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE — Air quality worsened late last night, with the three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) creeping into the unhealthy range.
The three-hour PSI reading hovered between 61 and 69 for most of the day, before rising to 74 at 9pm. It went up to 83 an hour later, and reached 96 at 11pm. The reading hit 100 at midnight. At 1am, it was 102.
A PSI reading of 0 to 50 is considered “good”, 51 to 100 is classified as “moderate”, while 101 to 200 is “unhealthy”.
The air quality reporting was tweaked in April to incorporate levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which were previously reported separately from the PSI.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said in an update on the haze situation that the total number of hot spots detected in Sumatra decreased yesterday to 82 from 194. The reduced hot-spot count was due to partial satellite coverage.
The NEA said occasional slight haze may be experienced in Singapore if the winds blow from the south-west. It expects the overall air quality for today to be in the moderate range.
Singapore's air pollution index rises to unhealthy level
Reuters AsiaOne 15 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE - Singapore's air pollution rose to unhealthy levels on Monday, the National Environment Agency said, as winds changed direction and brought in light smoke from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
Singapore is in the middle of its "haze" season, when smoke from forest clearing in Indonesia traditionally chokes the air, but this year has been practically haze free, despite warnings in May it was going to be worse than 2013's record pollution.
The three-hour Pollution Standards Index broke above 100, the level beyond which the air is considered unhealthy, at 1 a.m. and remained above that level into the daylight hours, the government agency said on its website.
The NEA warned on Sunday that if the wind blew from the southwest, Singapore could experience occasional haze from fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island.
The smoke blanketed Singapore last June, pushing the air pollution index to a record 401.
In August, Singapore's parliament passed a bill proposing fines for companies that cause pollution regardless of whether the companies operate on the island, though it remains to be seen how the law can be enforced.
Singapore air pollution soars due to Indonesian forest fires
AFP AsiaOne 15 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE - Air pollution in Singapore rose to unhealthy levels Monday, blanketing the city-state's skyline with clouds of smog from fires raging across giant rainforests in the neighbouring Indonesian island of Sumatra, officials said.
Singapore's National Environment Agency said the pollutant standards index (PSI) reached a high of 111 at 7:00 am (2300 GMT) before easing to 80 a few hours later.
A reading between 101-200 is considered "unhealthy", with people with existing heart or respiratory ailments advised to reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity.
Singapore and neighbouring Malaysia are smothered annually in varying degrees by smog from forest fires in Indonesia during the summer months from June to September.
Last year's smog was the worst since 1997-1998, when the smoke caused an estimated $9 billion in losses in economic activity across Southeast Asia.
The NEA said in a statement that the current smog is "most likely due to the hotspots (forest fires) in South Sumatra detected over the past three to four days".
"Given the continued dry weather in southern Sumatra, we can expect the hotspots to persist and the 24-hour PSI for Singapore to fluctuate between the high-end of the moderate range and the low-end of the unhealthy range for the rest of the day." White smog shrouded the city-state's skyline, with smoke wafting into the business district.
But the smog was thickest in western part of Singapore, which is nearest to Sumatra, where residents said they could smell a light acrid smell of burning foliage.
In an annual occurence, westerly monsoon winds blow smoke from the fires caused by slash-and-burn land-clearing by individuals and plantations on Sumatra, which lies across the Malacca Strait.
Last year, the PSI hit record levels in Singapore and Malaysia forcing people to wear face masks and stay indoors and prompting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to apologise to both neighbours.
Singapore last month passed a bill that gives the government powers to fine companies that cause or contribute to the annual smog up to S$2 million, regardless of whether they have offices in the city-state.
While the new law is designed to target companies both based in Singapore and outside, observers have said enforcement will be difficult.
New Straits Times 15 Sep 14;
KUANTAN: Recent checks on shellfish collected from Kuantan port waters showed reduced levels of paralytic shellfish poison (PSP), as compared with when it was first detected in the seafood last month.
State Rural Development, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Committee chairman Datuk Shafik Fauzan Sharif said the latest samples of shellfish taken from the affected areas showed PSP readings of 1,700 microgram (μg) per 100gram of shellfish.
The level of contamination is still higher than the permissible level of about 80 μg per 100g of PSP, or red tide toxin, which could lead to symptoms leading to death.
Shafik said the Fisheries Deparment and other agencies continued to collect and test samples of shellfish from the affected area every week.
“Based on tests made by the Fisheries Department, only the flat oysters are affected by the PSP.
“But we are advising the public not to consume all types of shellfish in the area as a precautionary measure,” he told the New Straits Times when met at Kuala Penor here yesterday.
Shafik assured seafood lovers could continue enjoying shellfish sold in Pahang as these were brought in from other states in the west coast.
“Pahang is not a supplier of shellfish, such as cockles, kepah (mussels) and lala (baby clams),” he said adding that department would make an announcement when the PSP level in the flat oysters returned to safe levels.
Those who consume the affected oysters could experience symptoms, such as numbness in the neck and lips, vomiting, dizziness and shortness of breath.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Engineering Technology Faculty dean Professor Dr Zularisam Abd Wahid said high nitrogen levels in the water, caused by untreated sewage, had been identified as the cause of the contamination.
He said studies showed that the high nitrogen concentrations could trigger the blooming of poisonous microscopic algae, such as dinoflagellates, which are the main natural toxin producers
found in shellfish in tropical Asian waters.
stephanie lee The Star 15 Sep 14;
KOTA KINABALU: Climate change is causing a rise in temperature and the gradual destruction of plants, which are food sources to the orangutan, said Sabah Wildlife Department director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu.
“When food becomes scarce, the orangutan will move to higher areas,” he said, adding that this would make it harder for them as forests were becoming more isolated and fragmented due to development.
Dr Laurentius said Sabah was home to 80% of the Malaysian orangutan population, making the department custodians of the large majority of the nation’s orangutan.
“Therefore, we have to find ways to ensure the survival of the orangutan,” he said, in a study co-authored by Dr Benoit Goosens of the Danau Girang Field Centre, a research and training facility managed by Cardiff University and Sabah Wildlife Department.
Dr Benoit said although lowland forests were the favoured orangutan habitat, higher locations in the western side of Sabah would be more favourable to these species.
“Researches show that they (the lowland forests) will be less and less productive as the plant biodiversity changes and their suitability to sustain the orangutan decreases,” he said.
“Forests in higher locations in western Sabah that are not prime orangutan habitat today will become more hospitable to the orangutan.
“They will offer a refuge to the orangutan when climate changes affect the lowland forests,” he explained.
“Unfortunately, it is difficult and, in some cases, impossible, for wildlife to move from lowlands to higher ground in the present situation of having fragmented and isolated forest patches,” Dr Benoit said.
“Hence, there is a need for careful spatial planning now to ensure corridors and forest patches are established as a land bridge which will allow wildlife to move in order to survive.”
Bats in my porch: 14. When is the bat’s head pointing up?
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Lacy Encounters
from Butterflies of Singapore
Leong Wai Kit Channel NewsAsia 13 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve will be closed from Monday (Sep 15) for restoration works, and will reopen partially during weekends in April next year. Repairs will only be completed at the end of 2016, but nature lovers can still visit the adjacent park.
The reserve will undergo repair and restoration works to its slopes, trails and forests. NParks will also upgrade its visitor centre - which is more than 20 years old - during this period.
The closure of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve from Monday does not mean it is the end of the road for nature lovers, hikers, runners and bikers. The adjacent Hindhede Nature Park and the mountain bike trail will still be open to members of public.
Visitors may also choose to explore routes less travelled. The three-kilometre Kampong Trail and the Rail Corridor - which ends at the old Tanjong Pagar Railway Station - are nearby.
NParks has started holding tours for the public twice a month on Saturday mornings. The tours explore Kampong Trail - where squirrels, monkeys and rambutan and durian trees are among the highlights. Another highlight of the trail is the Singapore Quarry.
The free tours can be booked on NParks' website.
- CNA/xq
Nature reserve closing? Try other trails
Jalelah Abu Baker The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Sep 14;
From elderly joggers to young nature lovers, they came yesterday to bid a temporary goodbye to the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which will be closed for a two-year renovation starting tomorrow.
But lesser-known sites around the reserve will still be accessible during the makeover to firm up the soil on trails, plant more trees and install more toilets.
The Hindhede Nature Park, Kampong Trail, Rail Corridor and mountain bike trail will remain open to the public till works end in 2016.
The 164m-high summit of Bukit Timah Hill will be accessible through the reserve's tarmac road on weekends from April next year.
Explaining the need for the repair works, Ms Sharon Chan, deputy director of the Central Nature Reserve, told The Sunday Times: "Slope failures and landslips are happening all the time. If we don't do anything, in the end, visitors won't even have the main road to walk on."
She explained that the works will take two years because they need to be done in stages so as not to disturb the ecological balance in the area and drive the animals out.
Mr Wong Tuan Wah, director of conservation at the National Parks Board, said visitorship has increased from 80,000 a year in 1992 to 400,000 now. The changes will help the reserve cope with a rise in human traffic.
In the meantime, visitors will get the chance to discover three walking trails they may otherwise have ignored. Along the way to the nature reserve along Hindhede Drive is a dirt slope that leads to the scenic 24km Rail Corridor.
Further up is the Kampong Trail, which is still rife with fruit trees. There will be guided tours for this trail on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month till November.
Retired public relations veteran Goh Shih Yong has turned up at the reserve for his hike at 11am every Saturday for the past eight years with a group of seven to 10 friends.
He is excited at the possibility of starting his hike at the Kampong Trail, which leads to MacRitchie Reservoir Park.
"We will try it out first. We have to see if the trail suits our age. We are all in our 60s," he said.
It's time for a big facelift
Darishini Thiyagarajan The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Sep 14;
He last visited the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve 10 years ago..
When he learnt it would be closed for about two years to undergo major renovation works, he decided to visit it one last time.
The 163ha reserve will be closed from Monday, the first time in its 22-year history.
Heavy rainfall and the increase in the number of visitors over the years have taken its toll on the reserve.
Half of its 9km trail will be repaired.
A visitor who wanted to be known only as Johnny, 73, said he last visited it a decade ago with his friends.
He went yesterday with a neighbour.
He said: "We both wanted to see this place before they close it down. Two years is a very long time to wait, and we didn't want to wait."
When The New Paper visited the nature reserve yesterday morning, nature enthusiasts had flocked there to spend time at the only hill dipterocarp (a family of hardwood trees) forest in Singapore.
A group of women aged between 50 and 65 were practising yoga as early as 7am at the Kruing Hut, which faces the Hindhede quarry.
They said they were sad about the closure.
The yoga instructor, Madam Joo Nguee, 50, said: "We met through yoga, and we've been coming here four times a week for four years now.
"But with the closing of the reserve, we might have to meet somewhere else."
On the other hand, Mr Mike Rehu, who was walking up the trek with two of his children, said the closure would not be affecting him as much.
Having made it a point to visit the reserve thrice a week for the past four years, Mr Rehu, in his 50s, said: "I will still be able to walk the dogs around the reserve, and my kids like going to the West Coast Park.
"Maybe we'll spend more time there before it (the reserve) reopens."
Three main areas will be repaired - from Simpang Hut to Police Repeater Station; from Quarry Road to TAS Station; and the main road between Kruing Hut and Simpang Hut.
VISITOR CENTRE UPGRADE
In addition to the upgrading of the visitor centre, a 1.3 km-long raised boardwalk at Dairy Farm Loop and Summit Path will be built for visitors.
At the summit, many nature lovers were seen taking a rest with their loved ones before heading down.
Mr Alan Chan, 56, was greeting everyone with a smile. The retiree has been visiting the nature reserve every Monday for the past two years, and would like the restoration works to be finished as soon as possible.
He will be going to Jurong Lake for walks in the meantime.
The trails will be open to the public during the weekends after six months.
Mr Chan said: "It gets too crowded on weekends, and I would like some peace after I reach the top of the hill.
"But I can't wait to see the reserve after its restoration works."
Melody Zaccheus The Straits Times AsiaOne 13 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE - Cyclists here could one day start their ride along the scenic 24km Rail Corridor from 50 different entry points.
This would involve building pavements, staircases and bridges that connect to nearby office compounds, housing estates and train and bus stations along the Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands corridor.
According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, there are four access points today. These are the southern end of Rail Mall; the slope near Hindhede Road; the slope near Rifle Range Road and from the railway bridge on Bukit Timah Road. It is one of several ideas to "enhance liveability in Singapore" which are now on show at the URA Centre's Singapore City Gallery.
The exhibition called Re:Imagining Cities - Urban Design Research in Singapore features ideas from the Singapore University of Technology and Design's (SUTD) City Form Lab and Singapore-ETH Centre's Future Cities Laboratory.
Some of the proposed access points by the SUTD team include the intersections between Henderson Road and the Ayer Rajah Expressway; Commonwealth Avenue West and North Buona Vista Road; and Upper Bukit Timah Road and Petir Road.
These nodes were selected based on the number of residents and office workers they can serve, said Dr Andres Sevtsuk, the director of City Form Lab.
Said Dr Sevtsuk: "There are around 8,000 businesses found within a 1km buffer around the Rail Corridor. Their employees could benefit from the Rail Corridor by biking or walking to work."
The URA has been seeking ideas and suggestions from the public and interest groups since 2012 on how the former Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway land can be best used.
Other ideas on show at the exhibition, which will run till Oct 8, include plans to rejuvenate Singapore's historic districts, such as the densely packed Rochor district.
One suggestion is to replace the individual air-conditioning units along the backlanes of shophouses between Serangoon Road and Lembu Road in Little India with a central system.
This could help free up space for commercial activities such as alfresco dining while being more energy efficient, said Professor Kees Christiaanse of the Future Cities Laboratory.
Another idea is to build a community centre in Farrer Park that can serve as a space for the area's two "intersecting populations" - the thousands of foreign workers who are there on weekends and the expected influx of medical tourists who are set to throng Connexion, an upcoming hospital and hotel complex.
Danson Cheong The Straits Times AsiaOne 14 Sep 14;
SINAGPORE - Marbles, Raptor, Tree Hugger - these are pet names of parts of the Tampines Bike Park that cyclists have grown to love.
But, by Monday, they will be just memories.
After more than a decade, the much-loved park will close to make way for the new Tampines North housing estate.
"It's a real loss," said Tampines resident Azman Omar, 45. "All of us are sad to see it go."
The avid cyclist has been a regular rider there since 1999, when it was an unofficial bike park consisting of 60ha of open space with a rough dirt track which cyclists maintained in their free time.
"Because of this place, I've not moved out of Tampines since 1994. I told my wife, I don't want to go anywhere, this is my playground," said Mr Azman, who works in logistics.
The Tampines Avenue 9 park has the only BMX track in Singapore and a 13km-long mountain bike trail.
Managed by Sport Singapore (SportSG), it is used by about 2,600 riders a month - a healthy number for a park of this size, according to the Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF).
Its BMX track was built specially for the Youth Olympic Games in 2010, when it was officially opened, and is the only one in South-east Asia certified by the International Cycling Union.
The park was supposed to close last year. The Government agreed to postpone the closure so that SportSG could find a new venue.
When The Straits Times visited on Wednesday morning, there was a sign put up by SportSG announcing the impending closure.
Coaches told The Straits Times they have already stopped holding cycling classes there.
"Tampines was great, it was very accessible and you could teach all levels of riders," said mountain bike skills instructor Wilson Low, 31. But while he holds his classes at three other mountain bike trails, BMX riders will have nowhere to go.
"The future of BMX depends largely on whether a new track is built," said Mr Kenneth Wee, 43, founder of Singapore Bike School. "The closest BMX track to us is in Malacca."
SportSG issued a tender to design and build a new BMX track in June but withdrew it soon after, without explanation.
SCF's vice-president for BMX Abdul Rahman Ibrahim said he had contacted SportSG three times since then, but has not received an answer. "It's very frustrating. Without a BMX track we cannot take the sport forward."
SportSG told The Straits Times it has been working with various agencies to find a possible site for a new BMX track. "We will give an update in due course," said the spokesman, who declined to comment on the tender's cancellation.
Meanwhile, Tampines MP and SCF patron Irene Ng said her GRC is organising a bike carnival tomorrowto mark the park's last hurrah. "We encourage those who haven't done so to come and enjoy (the park) one last time," she said. The carnival will host game booths, cycling clinics and the venue's last race.
Ms Ng added: "I expect a lot of photo-taking to capture the final days of the (venue) and to preserve memories of Singapore's first world-class bike park."
Channel NewsAsia 13 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE: The dengue virus surveillance joint effort between Malaysia and Singapore under the UNITEDengue (UNited In Tackling Epidemic Dengue) has shown that the 2013 outbreaks in Malaysia and Singapore were associated with a switch in the predominant virus serotypes.
A joint statement by the Singapore's National Environment Agency and Malaysia's Health Ministry said in Singapore on Saturday (Sep 13) that the predominantly circulating virus serotype switched from DENV-2 to DENV-1 at the beginning of 2013. Malaysia, however, saw an increase in the dominance of DENV-2 in its dengue cases.
In 2013, Malaysia recorded over 43,000 cases with 92 deaths, while Singapore reported over 22,000 cases with seven deaths. In Singapore, the DENV-1 remains the predominant dengue virus.
But the number of dengue cases carrying the second most common strain DENV-2 in Singapore has been on the rise since July 2014. The statement said the authorities are watching this development closely, as the spread of the DENV-2 virus may result in a serotype switch here. This could potentially lead to a new wave of infections.
The DENV-2 virus strain is predominant in Malaysia especially in the southern states of Johor and Malacca. It has also been associated with higher reported fatality cases in the two states.
- CNA/al
Olivia Siong Channel NewsAsia 13 Sep 14;
SINGAPORE: Close to 40 MediaCorp staff rolled up their sleeves on Saturday morning to take part in this year's International Coastal Cleanup. It is an annual event conducted in about 100 countries around the world, coordinated by US-based non-profit organisation The Ocean Conservancy.
This is the first time MediaCorp is supporting the programme as part of its Saving Gaia Initiative - a month-long campaign promoting environmental awareness and going green.
Volunteers picked up around 330 kilogrammes of trash - including items like glassware, plastic bags, styrofoam and food wrappers - from Selimang Beach in Sembawang on Saturday.
The trash was itemised and weighed, with the information submitted to governmental and international organisations. It is hoped that the information will help the organisations educate the public on marine debris issues.
- CNA/al
Audrey Tan The Straits Times AsiaOne 13 Sep 14;
A research team led by scientists from Singapore is embarking on an ambitious project to find out more about the Earth's oceans - on the cheap.
Instead of sending out scientific vessels on expensive voyages, the team of 23 is hoping to collect oceanographic data by tapping a network of travellers who are already plying the more than 15 major sailing routes worldwide.
The aim of the project is to find out more about the health of the oceans, said Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Associate Professor Federico Lauro, who is leading the effort.
"Some of the things we can do include assessing the environmental impact of ships in the shipping lanes, how climate change affects the ocean, and how bacteria and viruses get transported from one part of the world to another," added Prof Lauro, a microbiologist from the Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering.
He and his team estimate that compared to the US$300 million (S$378 million) cost of sending out 20 scientific vessels, it will cost them only about US$200,000 by using crowd-sourcing to get information such as water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels, and to collect seawater samples containing microorganisms.
With the data already collected for them, scientists can devote more time to data analysis, said Prof Lauro.
Researchers and funds are also freed up to send scientific vessels out to less popular parts of the ocean - typically near the poles, where waters are choppier and colder.
The project, which was outlined in international scientific journal Public Library of Science Biology on Tuesday, is still at a preliminary stage.
For instance, researchers are in the midst of developing a prototype device equipped with sensors that can be installed on the decks of vessels such as sailboats and yachts to collect samples and data. This is expected to be ready by mid-2015.
Prof Lauro said he hopes the project will be an ongoing one, with the potential to tap the 5,000 yachts that sail annually on popular routes.
Data collected will be uploaded onto an online platform and will be freely accessible.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/checking-oceans-health-bargain-price#sthash.n8VpuSAS.dpuf
Posts
visitors since Nov 07