Sungei Buloh Guided Tour

Followed wildshores guide for a guided trip. As I need to keep up with the pace, so I did not take much photos. Saw the usual sea almond fruits and sea holly which has no relation with the christmas holly. Sometimes it does look like the christmas holly with its jagged edges. Other times, it looks plain.


Also saw the sea hibiscus. In mangroves, it indicates the high water mark and the boundary between the end of salt water penetration and the beginning of freshwater swamp.

This plant secretes a substance that attracts ants, not in its flowers but through its leaves. Each of three leaf veins on the under surface near the stalk have a small slit. It is from here that the substance exudes, and ants of all sizes can be seen drinking from them. Among these, are the fierce Weaver Ants (Oecophylla smaragdina), which may help keep off insect pests. Some insects that feed on the plant include the Cotton Stainer Bug (Dysdercus decussatus) that feeds on its seeds.
Sources: naturia


Guess who made these holes? The Asian longhorn beetles!

Unfortunately, these Asian longhorn beetle can cause a lot of damage to trees. Its larvae dig deep into trunks in order to feed on the vessels that provide the tree with water and food. The larvae may spend up to nine months living off of the tree as they grow into adult beetles. As the bugs mature they start to burrow back out of the tree leaving noticeable holes in the trees. At this stage, there is not a lot that can be done for the tree. The damage is done..
Source: Ask The Exterminator

Oh and it was only today that I knew only the male fiddler crab has a bigger pincer mainly for attraction. Female fiddler crab pincers are of equal sizes.

Take a look at wildshores photo on the Nipah palm (Nypa fruticans) or Attap Chee as it was blooming! The ball-shaped thing is the female inflorescence, while the yellow sausage-shaped ones are the male. Nearby is a brown developing fruit ball.

Caught sight of the dog faced water snake sleeping too!


On the way back, my friend brought me to walk out to the nearest bus stop (quite far though). On the way, we caught sight of bag worm.

Bagworms are a group of highly specialized lepidopterans belonging to the family Psychidae and exhibit extreme development of sexual dimorphism. Males are winged whereas females lack functional appendages. Larvae of both males and females, soon after hatching from the eggs climb up to the top of their host plants in order to have an access to the soft and palatable tips of the growing shoots. They construct a small but tough bag of silk of either cylindrical or conical shape and glue small fragments of plant tissues around their cases. Larvae always keep their body inside the cases. While moving about, their head and thorax are protruded out so that they move forward on their thoracic legs dragging the case behind them, which is gripped by hooks on the abdominal prolegs. When taking rest, the rims of the cases remain attached to a twig by means of silken thread so that the cases hang vertically with both their openings remaining closed.

Sources: Clubsnap uforest

Related post:
Sungei Buloh

RMBR

A long awaited visit to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. Finally. Though I was upset I could not see the zoological reference collection as I forgot to sign up. But I guess seeing through the eyes of Tisugal is good enough thanks to her detailed post.

Raffles Museum is named after Singapore's founder Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. It houses a collection of dead and preserved biological specimens that are classified and catalogued just like books.

There were 2 guides this morning though I did not stick myself to either one as I was flitting around observing how they conduct the tour and bring forward the conservation message.

Interesting things I took note:

1) Snake
Probably because I recently read Tisugal post on it too so I listened more intently.
It was cute when she said snake don't bite for a reason. We are not their type of food. Besides after biting us, it will transferred all its poison to us, and leave itself vulnerable to another snake that comes along. Hmm somehow I wonder why vulnerable.. Unless it might be a potential source of food for the oncoming snake? Probably.


2) Horseshoe crab

I actually like the way the small horseshoe crabs are displayed. Must check out FF display and see how it can be improved further. It is said to be related to spider. That statement triggered my interest to do a little research on horseshoe crab:


The horseshoe crab belongs to the large group of invertebrates (animals without backbones) called Arthropods. This group also includes lobsters, crabs, insects, spiders, and scorpions. The horseshoe crab is not a crab at all, but is more closely related to sea spiders (not the land spiders).Sea spiders are not real spiders, or even arachnids.

Source:
History and Biology
Horseshoe-Crabs.com

And the amazing fact about these creatures is after over 500 millions years have passed, little evolution has happened to them. Thus it is very precious to the biomedical science research and utmost care must be given to these creatures especially since they are currently very threatened by the human.

3) Conservation message
Most repeated is the fact that these animals are facing extinct due to various external (human) threats. E.g. The sunbear whose bile was removed. Hmm I forgot about this when the guide asked me especially since the zoo did mention. Sigh memory bad, me bad too.

4) The preservation efforts.

This is a leather turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and is the largest of the living turtles. Leathery turtles live in open seas and apparently feed largely on jellyfish.  There is a nesting colony in Terengganu, along the north-eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. This particular exhibit was found in Singapore on the beach at Siglap on 14th December 1883, by some local people who tried to throw it back into the sea. Mr. A. M. Skinner, who happened to pass by, managed to persuade them to take it to the Museum instead.
Source: The signage beside the exhibit.

1883.. that means it has been preserved for more than a 100 years.  In fact the preservatives are poisonous (e.g. arsenic and formalin) and the guides repeatedly told us not to touch them (Signs were displayed as well).

p/s: for an explanation between turtles and tortoise, read Tisugal's post.

5)Oven bake specimen

I was asking the guide how did she managed to preserve the butterflies into such a pretty state and she told me they oven baked it. Shocked! Haha but now, I'm asking Tisugal if she is able to find out more information on it for our FF display exhibits.

6) Children corner

Purely because of today's open house that they had some children activities e.g. colouring and crafting. I must admit these activities looked interesting and is quite popular among the children. I was tempted to do the craft too haha.

Sadly, I did not get to see the zoological reference collection. 

The Zoological Reference Collection has one of the largest collection of Southeast Asian animals in the region, holding about 500,000 specimens. Normally only accessible by scientists, for IMD 2009, special tours for the ZRC will be available to the public.

Sighz...


Oh and if you want more information about the RMBR, do drop by Tisugal's post.

Fort Canning

Attended an interesting Fort Canning Guided tour.  Note there is a high possibility that you may be donating blood to the mosquitoes in Fort Canning, so bewarned! Oh but because of the mozzies, I learnt that lemon grass and water emulsion can mildly ward of these mozzies. Hmm..

Fort Canning hill was originally known as Bukit Larangan prior to the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. Bukit Larangan which means "Forbidden Hill" in Malay. was believed to be the site of palaces built by their ancestral kings. The Keramat Iskandar Shah at the foot of the hill was believed to be the resting place of the last Malay king of the island, and was venerated by Muslims.
Source: Wiki



You can find some interesting exhibits displayed in the Fort Canning Centre. An example is the Congkak game which I used to play in neopets. Geez I did not know it is a traditional game played in the island of Borneo, Singapore, and Peninsular Malaysia (cited in wiki). Neopets actually turned it into a flash version, cool right? Haha.

And did you know that saga seeds can be eaten? You can fry it like peanuts. Yummy?

The seeds were roasted before eating. Elsewhere they are boiled. In Java, they are roasted, shelled, then eaten with rice. They are said to taste like soy bean. The raw seeds are toxic and may cause intoxication. Studies show the cooked seed to be rich in oil and proteins and easily digested by both humans and livestock.
Source: http://www.4to40.com/encyclopedia/index.asp?id=407

Suddenly I felt it is such a waste to see these seeds littered on the roads.



At the start of the tour, a guide demonstrated how to make Bunga Rampai, before proceeding to give each of us a Bunga Rampai. It is actually potpourri made from shredded pandan leaves and flower, sprinkled with rosewater and wrapped up with a perfect betal leaf using either bamboo stick (olden times) or staple (modern technology). Surprised to hear betal leaf can be perfect? It meant the veins must match. With all due respect, I wonder if this is human's doing to seek perfection in all things. Afterall giving a bunga rampai signifies that all things beautiful and desirable will be showered upon the couple.


Pretty and nice smelling :) Oh and thanks for my friend's pose.

We started the tour in the 14th century walk. There is also a 19th century walk which I planned to visit the next round. While walking, the tour guide heard the white belly sea eagle call. I'm always impressed with how people can distinguish all these when I'm already having problem remembering names.



Petai (Parkia speciosa) also known as stink beans, is often eaten raw or blanched and almost always eaten with sambal (chili paste). It is believed to whet one's appetite. Blanching it removes the poisonous substances in addition to removing the smell.



Banana is a shrub! Just reminding myself.
And did you know the squirrels here will eat durians haha.


Kacip fatimah (Labisia pumila)
A popular traditional medicine used for women at childbirth, to help expedite labour and during confinement.  A decoction is used to treate flatulence, dysentery and rheumatism.

This is a gender specific plant with the female having 3 black dots (as shown in photo) and the male 2 dots.



If I did not remember wrongly, these are wild cinnamon or cassia. Closely related to the cinnamon, cassia is the cheaper version.



Can you see the cocoa being eaten hollow? Haha



The saviour - lemon grass. It contains citral, which also provides the dominant flavour in lemon peel. Citral has mild insect-repellent properties. Lemon grass is also believed to relieve flatulence.



Did you know that Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is edible too.  It is able to cure internal wound if you take it 7 days. However for consumption, the method of preparation is extremely important. Also, the fragrant white flowers can allay fever and dull alertness while the leaves are used to colour medicine.

For me, I only know henna is best known for the dye derived from ground leaves and young shoots. You probably need to ask the Jamu experts on the topic of consumption to know more.



Rice - a type of grass grows best when submerged in water. Seeing this reminds me of my childhood song...
Planting rice is never fun.
Bent from morning till the set of sun.
Can not stand and can not sit.
Can not rest for a little bit.



Nutmeg!




Jamu is an ancient art of healing with the use of concoction of herbs. Traditionally, this art was passed down from mothers to daughters and now, jamu can be found in drinks, pills, capsules and powders.
Jamu encourages the body to produce its own antibodies rather than killing the infection and can be used on its own or in conjunction with other healing techniques such as massage.
The numerous ingredients in a jamu consists of three categories: the main ingredients, supporting ingredients and those added to improve taste.

Hmm the only concoction I took note of is this: egg yolk + honey + turmeric
Tumeric (one of the main ingredients of jamu) extract mixed with egg yolk and honey makes a simple homemade remedy for clearing chest inflammations and phlegm. 

And I repeat that I am not taking any responsibility for the consumption and the practise of jamu.  If you really want to know more about Jamu, it is best to find an expert who has been practising it for years.

NLB Garden Walk

I love the library...
I love the nature..
Thus I cannot ... miss this NLB garden walk at all

NLB Garden walk tours are conducted every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month (except Public Holidays) from 4 pm to 5.30 pm in the National Library (near Bugis MRT).

I was there at the 1st Saturday of Sept mugging my zoo test when the guide came and advertise the tour. Thus I made up my mind to come back 2 weeks later to join the tour.

On that day, I thought it started at 4.30 pm and was taking my own sweet time to reach there. Luckily the moment I stepped into the library, they were just gathering. And they even gave some souvenirs to us, the participants. Considering the tour is free, it came as a shock to me. What impressed me more is the guide (I followed the English guide), because of how well prepared she is. I went to this walk partly to see how other guides conduct their tour (having been so impressed by the botanical garden tour guide) and I learnt a lot from her.

She started the tour by giving us each a list of the plants we can find in NLB and some books we can reference from. Afterall we are in the library so of course must publicise the books and encourage us to borrow haha. Then she started the touring around level 1.

Peacock Plant, Prayer Plant

I like this plant for its unique feature of being in a prayer position when the sun sets due to a knot in its stem, allowing it to "open" and "close". It is sensitive to sunlight, and its pattern is quite special. Oh and one can see such plant in the zoo too haha...

Young Frond

New leaves typically expand by the unrolling of a tight spiral called a crozier or fiddlehead. This uncurling of the leaf is termed circinate vernation. (Source: Wiki)

Giant Fish Tail Palm

I like this palm alot. Looks like fish tail right?

Taking a look at the view from the top... about the 5th level of NLB.. supposedly it should be a nice view but guess my camera was unable to capture it...


Umbrella Tree, Octopus Tree

Another cute plant ... seems like you can hide from the rain with this tree.

Bamboo

I always like the view at B1 with the bamboo trees outside. Now that I'm taking it top down, it looks just as lovely. At this point, the guys were all sharing the uses of bamboo... Oh ya they mentioned about bamboo flowers every 35-50 years and the flowers will attract the rats. This will cause the rat population to rise and rat infestation to happen where there might be a shortage in food after all the flowers are eaten. One of nature at work's phenomenon. Hmm you can read more about it here.

Sweet Paddle Plan, Sweet Prayer Plant

Similar to the prayer plant, it will "open" and "close" by the availability of light.

Peppermint

Always like peppermint plant... that minty feel...

Windowleaf Plant, Swiss Cheese Plant

Another plant that left a deep impression on me. Such holes allowed sunlight and rainwater through which will help those plants below it. And these natural holes are supposed to keep insects from eating it. The mentality is that when the insects see holes, they will feel that someone has eaten it and will not want to feast on it. Haha good disguise. More about it here.

Plants in your purse

The tour guide ended the tour by saying we carry plants in our purse too. I'm impressed by the laminated notes she made and the "props" (e.g. a bottle of figs - oh and she also mentioned the story of the wasp and fig which I heard in botanical garden then) she brought. She was also very nice.. came and tell me I can take a photo of this.. and was patiently holding it still for me to capture the shot. Really thank you so much. Unfortunately I did not catch her name then.

(Extra info about the National Library from the souvenir given)

The journey begins with Sir Stamford Raffles (1823), who had a vision to instill a library within the Singapore Institution so as to "collect the scattered literature and traditions of the country". The vision became a reality in 1844 with the establishment of a private library called the Singapore Library. The institution eventually evolved to an icon Singapore fondly remembered as the Stamford Road "red brick" building.

SZ Tale 08 - Botanic Garden

Today's focus is not Zoo but Botanic Garden.  Got a bit lost before I finally realised one should have alighted at the NUS bus stop...

Ta-da... and this is not the main NUS.. but the Law Faculty.  I got that blur too when Senior told me is near NUS previously...


As I got lost for half an hour, I left 15 minutes to be at the visitor centre... but while rushing, I can't help but admire at the grace of the black swans.  By the way at the end of the walk, I saw the white swans too but did not managed to take pics.


And I made it to the Visitor Centre on time.  Was the earliest in fact haha.

Thus begin our guided tour (15 bucks per pax - pricey one would say BUT that guide is really good.  Learnt alot)

First he told us that when we visit someone's house, we will first preview the outward appearance before exploring the insides... Likewise you should first appreciate the rainforest outward view... The emergents, the canopy, the epiphytes, the climbers, the understory and the forest floor.  Hmm of course the outward view can only see the emergents and canopy bah... I was just recalling my 6 levels of rainforst "p


I love the sigh of this... These are called common red stem fig.

"The figs grow on the trunk, often in prolific masses. Each fig contains hundreds of tiny flowers that are pollinated by minute wasps living in association with the flowers."
Source: The sign erected beside the tree

Open up view of the fig.. where you may find a wasp.. hee hee


This is an African Oil Palm.. I remember the fruits have an oily feel...


And lots of rattan.  Guide says in the past you can find lots of cheap rattan furnitues in neighbourhood shops.  Now you can only purchase rattan furnitures in upscale Orchard road.. Sighz human are so wasteful...


I did not know these are Pandan leaves... They are so big and thick.. and probably sharp too.. beware!


Because there wasn't a structured path in the rainforest thus some rampant walkings had damaged this precious rainforest that "Do not enter" sighs had to be adapted to protect it from further damages.  (I forgot to mention that you can only find rainforest in SG in Botanic Gardens and Bukit Timah only.. and of course a replicate biodome in the SG Zoo - Fragile Forest!)



Rainforst has lots of tall trees...


And to protect them from being struck by lightning, a conductor was attached to earthed the electric charges.. Mind you, these conductors don't come cheap... I forgot the price already but I remembered we were considering changing job to attaching conductor for tall trees haha..


How do one know the age of the tree?  They used to say count the rings.. but that applies only in the temperate countries because trees "hibernate" during winter and stop growing rings... but in the tropics, it is forever summer and forever growing rings.. Thus you have to measure the circumference to know the age.  Hmm I'm suddenly thinking if humans age can be measured by waistline too?  hmmmm

Stars flower... such pretty sight.  But have you ever consider these stars are the fruits to grow the trees and how many actually succeeded?  The rainforest may seem sturdy and tough on the outside but it is actually very fragile with shallow top soil and intricate web and complex interdependence... In short, the relationships in the rainforest are complicated too =D.


Ferns.. used to love them in primary schools.  I love to see their undersides for their spores... which helps to continue their existence...


Tree Vandalism.. I really wonder what is so interesting about carving... but I do know that some love stories the protagonists will return back to the tree to see their carvings and it will send some warm fuzzy feeling.. I suppose that is call romantic.. but this?


This is call a leaf litter plant because it collects all the leaves and nutrients to sustain itself... Interesting!


Longest Palm leave...


Coke secret ingredient - The Giant Cola.  It is said that coke no longer uses this secret ingredient though...


After we bid the guide goodbye and thank him for his vast and interesting guide... we took a walk towards the food court.  On the way I caught sight of this box of dog poo bags... While I like the idea of Botanic garden providing bags for dog owners, I would much appreciate if the owners bring their own bags, that is their responsibility... Of course such box is useful should owner use up their own bags due to certain reasons...


Had a fruitful day... would I come back again? Hmm to discuss in my personal blog...

One last question though, how do bananas grow? Answer can be found here.