Can You Sea Me?

Faith and the Environment

2009-11-08T11:58:00.004+08:00

The Gods must be smiling on us.

At about 6am, I got a text from P., who was wondering whether the event will proceed given that it was raining heavily (it was towards the monsoon season - what can one expect?). As tempting as it was to sleep in on a rainy Saturday morning, there was something more exciting to get up for - a guided walk cum interfaith dialogue, conducted in-situ at Chek Jawa.

When we all got together at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal, the rain had long pettered out and we couldn't have asked for better weather. The clouds shielded us from the scorching sun, and we were treated to a balmy breeze to boot.

There were 10 of us, some of whom were friends of P, some were friends of mine and some from the EiF group of facilitators. The conversations flowed easily on the journey to Chek Jawa, and we started the session by formally introducing ourselves and the faith that we practice. Among us were Hindus, Baha'is, Muslims and Christians. And oh, a Baha'i role-playing a Taoist (thanks P.!) to add diversity to the group.

Everyone knows that breakfast is an important meal to start the day. So, before we set off on the guided walk, we were treated to a breakfast of bread and sardines that one of the participants bought. Food's always a fantastic way to break the ice!

I was supposed to do the guiding that day, but as it turns out, two of the participants, Pu. and M. were avid botanists and I learnt so much from them! This was a different experience of guiding for me. Usually on my walks, I do most of the talking but in this case, the participants are already comfortable with one another and I did more listening instead.

After the walk, we went back to House No. 1 and found that our spot had been hijacked by a rambunctious bunch of schoolchildren so we retreated to the area in front of the rescue tank. The TV was not on, so it was not too distracting though we did get odd stares from people walking by.

I brought my talking object with me, but decided not to use it because I really wanted to find out what it would happen if conversations were allowed to flow freely. What if you had a thought that you want to contribute before the conversation flows another direction? What if some participants would just prefer to listen and not want to feel threatened by having to speak when it comes to their turn? In the end, I suppose it comes down to the facilitator, and at the end of the exercise, I know which one works better for me.

I was really so fortunate to be able to meet with such a learned and expressive bunch of people, who shared their views openly and candidly. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of people to share the day with. As it was my first time facilitating such a discussion, it was challenging to keep up with the range of views and the very quick twists in the conversations. Sometimes I felt the points raised were outside the topic we set out to explore, but it was difficult to interject when some participants clearly want to say something, and conversations were so animated. It was also difficult to truly listen deeply when replies come fast and furious. Free-flow conversations would probably work better for a brainstorm-type discussion rather than a dialogue-type setting.

In truth, we discussed about a wide range of topics, but for some reason, I came away thinking that religion holds valuable lessons in how to live one with nature, but until we learn that we really need to mend our ways, it seems our shabby treatment of our own living space is set to continue. Human beings seem to only respond when it is something urgent, not something slow like climate change. The participants are already environmentally-conscious, but do they represent the majority? I don't know. Can religion be the answer? Maybe. Would it morph into yet another tool of control in a new domain such as the environment? I don't know.

After the dialogue ended, the tide was at its lowest and we went back to see the orange fiddler crabs waving their oversized packages (their larger than life pincers) and even caught a heron on the dying tree. We then headed back towards the van where those in front caught sight of a family of wild boars.

It took me more than an hour to get home, and as soon as I stepped in, the heavens poured again. Almost as if the rains were held at bay just so we would all have a perfect Saturday afternoon. With great company, lovely environment, food for thought (and the tummy) - it really doesn't get any better than this.

Chasing the Blues away with the Sprout! workshop

2009-06-08T05:49:00.000+08:00

Right or wrong, "let sleeping dogs lie" is one of my mottos. Sometimes it works out because matters resolve itself through the passage of time. Sometimes the longer you ignore it, the more it perpetuates. Wise is the person who knows the difference when to take action (or inaction).

But surely, the attitude of "letting it be" wouldn't do justice to the team of people who made the Sprout! Workshop on Blogging and Photography so enriching for everyone that it left me so inspired to resurrect this blog.

At Sungei Buloh Welands reserve, participants got the chance to learn what the old days of pre-blogging was like as Mr Sivasothi set the Chek Jawa story as the context. Mr Kenneth Pinto then delved into how blogging can be used in more ways than just an online journal. These friendly people even shared with me more ways I can spice up and check up students' originality for my online assignments. Next Ms Ria shared the mammoth online resource for Singapore nature that is wildsingapore.

After lunch, Ms Colleen Goh and the Macromaniacs team shared some techniques of macrophotography and that blew me away too. Unfortunately, my point and shoot camera may not be able to achieve what she can, but at least the workshop taught me some helpful tips including one that I'll share here.

I have a repository of blur colour cast photos as I have little ideas about what white balance is, (until the Sprout! workshop that is!). So of course all my underwater photos turn out blue! I'll share a tip about how to correct it using GIMP, and would welcome any feedback on a better way to remove the blue colour cast.

Here's the original photo.

For Gimp users, go to Tools> Colour Tools > Levels.

Alternative #1

Drag the black triangle to where the start of the histogram is so that you are squeezing the range. And you are done after clicking "Ok".

Alternative #2

Or you could click on the black and white dropper, and click them on the picture where white and black are supposed to be, respectively, to give the picture a base point for what is supposed to be black and white.

The photo now with the blue colour cast removed. Not perfect, but a definite change.

I have not come across an explanation for "curves" command that I can understand adequately as a GIMP newbie, as I am still hazy about how to move the curve around and how much to move them (or even the rationale for it).

Can any GIMP user tell me a better way to do this? Or should I (sadly) let my photos lie undisturbed in my computer in its blue colour cast glory, and just bring a white slate the next time?

Natural Treasures

2008-08-20T12:50:00.001+08:00

Over the last week, I had gone museum hopping as part of the National Heritage Board’s 15th Year anniversary. What struck me at the National Museum of Singapore was that our colonial masters were very enamoured of our natural heritage. Raffles and Farquhar had an extensive collection of paintings depiction the region’s flora and fauna.

But there was still one that I had yet to see. The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity and Research (RMBR). And after Cyrene, Chee Kong and Si Jie turned guides for Jerald and I at the RMBR. The collection at the RMBR is only the tip of the iceberg compared to the actual amount of specimens that they have. Some of the specimens displayed dates back to the 1800s!

Okay, I couldn’t help myself. I was born in the Year of the Monkey after all.

As we left I couldn’t help resting my eyes on the Pentaceraster that was displayed at the corner near the exit. I hope the efforts that are being made would enable Cyrene to remain a reef that continues to be alive, and not just another name in the museum one day.

A Magical Journey to Cyrene

2008-08-20T12:46:00.000+08:00

What would it have been if not for Melvin’s magic? Ria believes he has the power to keep bad weather at bay. Yesterday, we had a couple of Cyrene newbies joining us from the Facebook group, as well as from BWV and Nparks. The weaving of Melvin’s magic, coupled with beginners’ luck of the newbies, certainly prevented the sumatras (I learnt something new!) from spilling a drop while we were on Cyrene.

We first landed on the sand bar where our visitors were first exposed to what lies beneath the sand. Sure looks like there is nothing that Ling Ling was pointing to in the sand, but wait...Sand dollars! Ooh! Common sand stars! Ooh ooh!

The Star Trackers were also out doing their project today, and some of us help plant the flags for easy spotting. Cyrene is like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, except that the visitors got to see these star celebrities up close and personal. Of course, they can’t resist taking pictures of these knobblies!

We saw plenty of crabs (soldier crabs, a brown egg crab and hairy crabs) and a moulting as well! As we humans get larger, we grow out of our clothes which can’t expand...and so do crabs! Here Gabriel is holding a moulting which was left behind. The crab is soft and vulnerable for a short period after moulting and begins to rebuild a new tougher shell.

See the storm brewing in the background? Melvin’s magic is still holding out.

Our final stop was in an area with an abundance of the leathery soft corals. We also spotted octopuses, crabs, brittle stars, sea squirts and a variety of other marine life. Jerald spotted this soft coral which was split in the middle revealing its stem.

Soon it became really clear that it was time to split as the heavens are threatening to pour. So, until the next time, when magic of Cyrene would again reveal its secrets. We’ll be back!

Team Seagrass Monitoring at Cyrene (4 August 2008)

2008-08-04T22:33:00.000+08:00

The last of the early morning low tides of the year! Today, some of the Teamgrassers went down to Cyrene Reef for a monitoring session.

I got Site 2 again, though it was not as complicated as Semakau’s Site 2. The dominant species at Site 2 Transect 1 seems to be the Thalassia Hemprichii (TH). However, one or two transects also have the Enhalus Acoroides (EA) species as the dominant species. There was also the Halophila Ovalis (HO) species, which Jerald said was humongous over at his end.

Weiling taught me to use a GPS unit today since Helen and I finished early. I took some time to snap a picture of the sun’s reflection on the seagrass meadow.

Jerald and I walked across the coral rubble area and noticed that as with Semakau, the sargassum seaweed were out in full force!

We also saw this nudibranch. At first I thought it was a flatworm, until Jerald noticed its rhinophores.

Shufen called out to us, and Collin asked if we wanted some raisins. Ah, but there is a catch! In return for the raisins, Jerald and I were asked to help these sly Nparks officers dig out specimens for the International Year of the Reef Team Seagrass exhibits. It turned out that Collin has a special undiscovered talent for digging out good seagrass specimens (as QC-ed by Shufen)!

As we headed back, we spotted a Greenpeace boat at the docks! What exciting event could be happening here in Singapore?

False alarm. They were only docking here for repairs heading towards Israel.

Nevertheless, an exciting event is going to be happening in Singapore this coming weekend at the International Year of the Reef launch at the Botanic Gardens with exhibits, talks, naming of knobbly sea stars and other fun activities for the whole family.

Want to know more about the coming Reef Celebrations? More details found here.

Want to go Cyrene? Enter the Cyrene Blogging contest!

Seagrass Monitoring at Semakau (3 Aug 2008)

2008-08-04T22:32:00.001+08:00

At 430am in the morning, a group of Team Seagrassers met up at Marina South Pier to make a trip down to the Semakau monitoring site. We scratched ourselves down to the seagrass meadow through the forested area, unceremoniously accompanied by the constant buzz of the mosquitoes.

I teamed up with Hannah to do Site 2. Site 2 is a bit of a challenge as the seagrasses are almost knee-deep (bearing in mind we are talking about vertically challenged ol’ me) in water in some parts.

Some of the quadrats also have 4 types of seagrasses – the Enhalus Acoroides (EA), Cymodocea Serrulata (CS), Halodule Uninervis (HU) and the Thalassia Hemrichii (TH).

The TH species here are quite errant. Why? No. 1 – forget about their sickle-shaped characteristics. No. 2 - it’s so much fatter than the other TH that I come across on other sites. Another way Shufen taught me how to recognise CS through the long thin stem, whereas the TH leaves comes from a sheath.

After more than an hour of (meticulous) monitoring, it was time to do some hunting. For some reason, the sargassum seaweed is in full bloom and covered many parts of the shore.

I saw this species of nudibranch for the first time.

We were fortunate that after the monitoring, the driver uncle agreed to give a Semakau tour, with Ria doing the commentary. Pulau Semakau is Singapore’s only remaining landfill situated offshore among the southern islands of Singapore. The current island was formed by the amalgamation of the then much smaller Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng. It covers a total area of 3.5 square kilometres and has a capacity of 63 million m³. To create the required landfill space, a 7 km perimeter rock bund was built to enclose a part of the sea off between Pulau Semakau and Pulau Sakeng.

It is currently estimated that the landfill, which began operations on 1 Apr 1999, will last till 2040, as not all the cells are filled yet. The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, along with the National Environment Agency which manages the landfill, hopes this deadline will be extended through various waste minimisation and resource conservation initiatives.

Semakau Landfill is filled mainly with ash produced by Singapore's four incineration plants, which incinerate the country's waste, shipped there in a covered barge (to prevent the ash from get blown into the air) every night. Contrary to popular belief that Semakau Landfill would be another dirty and smelly landfill, the care put into the design and operational work at the landfill have ensured that the site is clean, free of smell and scenic. In fact, we ran into the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research guides who had a barbeque there the night before.

During construction, silt screens were installed to ensure that the corals were not affected during the reclamation works. The landfill is lined with an impermeable membrane, and clay and any leachate produced is processed at a leachate treatment plant. Regular water testing is carried out to ensure the integrity of the impermeable liners. (adapted from here.)

And oh, this structure is a reminder of the good intentions of men thwarted by opportunistic behaviour of others. Before it was abandoned, it was used by Shell to guide their vessels and powered by solar battery...which keeps on getting stolen.

As we left to go back to the pier on the bus, there were some excited shouts of black tip sharks sighting. Which just turned out to be stationary black rocks.

Before I headed back, I had lunch at Labrador Park food centre which was slated to be torn down next month.

I’m not sure if the food centre had any fans who had clamoured for it to remain, but I am so glad to be with fellow friends who are fans of nature, and who will clamour for its conservation when the time comes for it.

Shore Trip at St. John's Island (2 Aug 2008)

2008-08-04T22:04:00.000+08:00

It was a quiet morning at St. John's Island, so it was actually a good time to figure out how to use my camera during night time.

Still, it was an early morning shore trip that did not disappoint. Among the special finds is this baby blue spotted fantail ray.

A phymanthus species that I have never seen before.

A black-and-white striped feather star. I'm going to dub it the Bandit Crinoid!

And this school of juvenile catfishes. Such cuties!

Next 2 mornings will be spent on seagrass monitoring. Don't fancy the early mornings much, but the marine animals are definitely worth waking up to!

ASEAN + 3 Youth Festival (28 July - 3 August 2008)

2008-08-04T20:18:00.000+08:00

The ASEAN + 3 Youth Festival (AYF) started off with a high (both literally and figuratively). The opening ceremony was held at the Jewel Box, at Mount Faber and in style, we took a cable car ride up there.

The delegates and staff were put up at Novotel Clarke Quay, which is the perfect place to accommodate youths. What’s more hip and happening than the revitalised Clarke Quay, with bars, pubs, restaurants, a shopping mall and even a reverse bungee amusement ride? Our rooms weren’t half bad either and for the event, I bunked in with the rest of the facilitators.

The view from the room is fantastic.

The next day we got down to business, starting with an introductory lecture to get the juices flowing on the topic for the Forum part of the AYF, which focuses on sustainable development. The theme was Growing ASEAN: At What Expense?

As I had just returned from the Korea IYF as a delegate, I borrowed a few elements and incorporated it into our breakout sessions when we led the discussions for the delegates. I was a facilitator for the “Environment” group along with Sha, Zheng Rong and Ling. These delegates were really an enthusiastic bunch! Here they are doing the ice-breakers sharing their thoughts on their dream city of the future.

Groups were tasked to come up with ideas for a green leaf (factors that facilitates sustainable development) and a brown leaf (factors that hinders sustainable development). Here they are sharing their thoughts on the issue in their sub-groups before presenting it to the rest of the delegates.

After the sharing, we had the exciting forum theatre performance and debrief before heading to The Arena, touted to be Singapore's largest international live music venue, for dinner.

After The Arena, some of the facilitators and I headed to Cineleisure to catch the Dark Knight. Those involved in the AYF had the privilege of free entrance to Butter Factory, but ol’ fuddy duddy me passed it over. All I wanted to do, and did so at 2am, was have a good uninterrupted soak in the tub and wake up to this.

The next day, the Environmental group headed to the NEWater plant, Singapore WaterWatch Society and the Marina Barrage to learn more about what has been done to promote sustainable development.

Err...no. The delegates were not at another night club – they were toasting with bottles of NEWater at the NEWater plant, where the guide brought us through the process of reverse osmosis (RO). As Singapore is a water-scarce country, NEWater was touted as one of our National Taps for our water needs. The quality of NEWater consistently exceeds the requirements set by USEPA and WHO guidelines and is, in fact, cleaner than the other sources of Singapore's water. While I have no doubts about PUB’s integrity, it would be great as well if the public is educated about the debate surrounding RO water. Though I can’t verify this, it was brought up during the Korea IYF discussions that RO is acidic, which is a problem since there has been supporting evidence that people who live the longest and have the least diseases live in areas where the water has more of an alkaline pH, in other words, a higher mineral content.

We then headed to the Singapore WaterWatch Society, a non-governmental organisation which conducts the patrolling rivers and their catchments, and reports to the relevant authorities if any kind of pollution is found in those areas. Singapore has always prided itself on its cleanliness, and it is such societies which exposes the underbelly of such myths and aims to raise awareness to prevent complacency from setting in. Its office was located below the bridge, which is rather apt when you think about it, because like a support structure for the bridge which is a connection for roads, the society similarly acts as a support system for the health of the connecting rivers.

Here’s what you see outside the office.

We are lucky to be able to take the Duck Tours bridge to get to the Marina Barrage. On the way to the Marina Barrage, we saw a lot of construction, all part of a grand masterplan. Here we pass by the construction area for Gardens by the Bay.

Upon completion, this is what Gardens by the Bay is slated to look like.

We also passed by the site for the Formula One race track which is furiously being constructed.

We had a good view of the Singapore Flyer.

And soon arrived at the Marina Barrage. We are lucky – it has not even officially opened yet!

Here’s the danger area to warn boats away in case the pressure sweeps them in when the gates open.

Shots of the interior of the barrage.

On the rooftop where the solar panels are.

The point of the barrage was to function as flood control (no more high and low tides), a reservoir (water is expected to be freshwater due to continual dilution) and for recreational activities (water is calmer with the barrage so water sports activities can be held). Again, I wish the authorities would give a more balanced perspective of the barrage (then again, of course it’s not their job to do so). What he did not say was that the barrage will lead to massive die-offs of the biodiversity of marine life as the salinity of the water changes.

In fact after the news of the Marina barrage broke, some citizens wrote in suggesting the construction of a Ubin-Tekong reservoir. Here’s Ivan’s reply in the Straits Times citing unjustified costs, cross country boundaries, possible contamination and of course its effect on marine life.

The next day came time to wrap up the Forum, and the delegates did up the green and brown leaves and well as the fruits. The end product was the ASEAN + 3 Tree, which the facilitators are posing with.

Hopefully the seeds are sown, and one day, the fruits from the practice of a greater emphasis on sustainable development will be seen.

Chek Jawa Boardwalk (27 July 2008)

2008-08-04T19:17:00.000+08:00

The Naked Hermit Crabs’ free Chek Jawa Boardwalk are proving to be such a hit! While I was initially slated to be a guide-in-training shadowing Marcus, I had to be a guide that day due to the good response from the public!

I took my usual route of going through the coastal forest, to the tower and back to the boardwalk and out to House No. 1. This was the first time that my group spotted the cotton stainer bugs on the sea hibiscus. The cover of the young bug looks like a face, while the older bugs have a clear white cross on their black wing covers. Cotton-stainer bugs are harmless insects that eat the seeds of the sea hibiscus.

After passing through the mangroves, we went up to the Jejawi tower where we admired the expansive view, and of course, posed for pictures!

From the boardwalk, we could see the Frog Island (Pulau Sekudu). These cute kids were doing their best to spot the frog rock!

I had to hurry off to catch the Asean + 3 Film Day 2 shorts with Hannah, so I left early. One more thing - when the ‘uncles’ say that it would be no problem walking from the wetlands to the jetty, you can trust him if you think a 45 minute walk is a piece of cake!

But what a good day I had guiding! Especially when I get an added bonus of being sustained with snacks by the kids throughout the tour! :)

International Youth Forum in Korea 15-22 July 2008

2008-08-04T18:48:00.000+08:00

Not only do (naked) hermit crabs roam around the shores of Singapore, they also get to travel to Korea! From 15-22nd July 2008, I had the opportunity to attend the 19th International Youth Forum (IYF) as a Singapore delegate. As one of the sub-topics discussed was "Environmental Protection and Climate Change", the National Youth Council approached the Naked Hermit Crabs for a volunteer to attend this event. And yours truly got to go (thanks, Ria!).

Over 8 days, 118 delegates from Asia and Europe interacted with one another, sharing ideas on current global issues as well as our own unique cultures. From Austria to Vietnam, delegates bonded over kimchee and sometimes, soju.

The 19th International Youth Forum (IYF) took place in Seoul and Goesan in Korea. Seoul was where we had our opening and closing ceremonies, orientation and lectures. At Goesan amongst the backdrop of the woods and the river, the real work of coming up with the Declaration was done.

Right on the first day of the forum, the ice was quickly thawed between the delegates. No, not due to global warming, but the delegates’ friendliness and warm Korean hospitality. The ice-breakers and orientation facilitated by the Korean delegates also added to the atmosphere of camaraderie.

The theme of the forum was “The Role of Asian and European Youths in Tackling Global Issues through Intercultural Dialogue”. Delegates were grouped according to sub topics such as

1. Environmental Protection and Climate Change
2. Education to Eradicate Poverty
3. Decent Work and Unemployment
4. Public Health Policy and HIV/AIDS
5. Gender Equality

As the delegates were from different walks of life, some already working or volunteering in the respective sectors while some are just university students with no prior knowledge of the issues, special lectures and documentary screenings were held to provide more information on the subject.

Still, due to the fact that the IYF acted as a platform for delegates from all over the world to meet, it meant that even those who professed that they have ‘no prior knowledge’ in a given sub-topic were privy to the situation faced by their own countries, providing a fertile ground for sharing of the ideas.

I joined in the discussion group for 'Environmental Protection and Climate Change'. A lot of the delegates shared their concerns about the environmental situation in their countries, ranging from deforestation, pollution and pertinently, solid waste management.

The environment was also conducive for the sharing of feedback.

The purpose of the workshops was to come up with the Seoul Declaration which was to be presented to the ASEM governments to urge them to do more to solve the problems, and well as signal a commitment that we, as youths, will also undertake action to complement the government’s actions.

The wide smile hid the butterflies fluttering in my stomach, being the first presenter for the plenary session.

The plenary sessions, involving sharing of each subtopic group’s discussion with all the delegates, was held after a whole day marathon of workshops and discussions within the group.

But it was not all work and no play. There were plenty of opportunities to revel in the hotchpotch of the different cultures of our counterparts.

The Koreans introduced us to their traditional musical instruments.

Traditional drinks.

The way to make rice cakes in the olden days. From something rough and outdoors...

To something more refined, the traditional tea ceremony where each step from lifting the lid to pouring the tea is an act of gracefulness.

And who can forget taekwondo, the Korean martial arts. The performance drew gasps and applause from the audience and it is not hard to see why.

On cultural night, we were all treated to various performances by the delegates.

From Austria...

From Korea...

From Indonesia...

From Japan...

And from Thailand...

Among many others.

I even had a chance to try on a yutaka that night!

Each delegation group also got to get down and dirty with painting a mini-mural!

On our final day, the Singaporean delegates were fortunate to meet our country ambassador to South Korea (before a 2.5 hour mad dash for souvenier shopping for folks back home!).

It had been a great honour and privilege being part of the Singapore delegation for this trip. All of us had the chance to speak and be heard, to lead and to play an integral role in the trip - especially during the discussions and plenary session.

No doubt the forum has exceeded my expectations, not least of them is the chance to meet new friends and benefit from understanding a greater part of the mosaic of what makes up this world.

Seeking What Lies Beneath

2008-07-09T11:21:00.000+08:00

Perhaps the picture below personified how some of us view Singapore’s marine life – dull, uninteresting, and non-existent!

But peer more closely, open your eyes and you will realise how truly alive our shores are! In fact, here’s what you can see –

...A red egg crab hiding in the crevices.

...The sargassum seaweed, which have little air-filled balloons to help it stay afloat.

... A sea anemone that has branched tentacles called the Phymanthus, found at the base of the rubble.

...A retracted fan worm.

(A fan worm, when exposed in the water looks like this)

... The mermaid’s fan seaweed.

...The hairy crab peeking out.

And all from the same single piece of rubble!

Not all the marine life play hide and seek. You can see plenty of sponges, sea stars, sea cucumbers, anemones, corals, urchins and so many more around Cyrene Reef – but even they deserve more than a cursory glance, just look what they are hiding!

...Brittle stars in the sponge.

...The anemoneshrimp in the carpet anemone.

...A hairy crab at the top of the hard coral.

Just for kicks, I peered into another rubble while waiting for the boat to come in. And Cyrene once again obliged in showcasing the beauty of its residents, and here’s a pair of mosaic crabs.

With open eyes, all of us can enjoy the richness offered by the shores of Singapore. And with open minds, we can preserve it so it can be enjoyed by our future generations.

Want to go Cyrene? Enter the Cyrene Blogging contest!