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.

Are we really serious in recycling?

Lipstick goes into burnables; lipstick tubes, ''after the contents have been used up,'' into ''small metals'' or plastics. Take out your tape measure before tossing a kettle: under 12 inches, it goes into small metals, but over that it goes into bulky refuse.
Socks? If only one, it is burnable; a pair goes into used cloth, though only if the socks ''are not torn, and the left and right sock match.'' Throw neckties into used cloth, but only after they have been ''washed and dried.'' 

Source:  How Do Japanese Dump Trash? Let Us Count the Myriad Ways

It may be an article written 3 years ago but I believed it is still in place now.  And reading it, I realised how tedious recycling is.  Anyway I was researching on how serious SG takes its recycling efforts... and after reading this article, I'm beginning to doubt if SG is just doing for display sake only.  Because our recycling bins are usually split into 2 categories, or 3 at most.  And does everybody really split their rubbish?  I know that no matter how many times I tell my mum that she shouldn't use plastic to hold the recycled paper if she is intending to throw into the mixed paper tin, she still feels that should be the way to bring down the paper.  If that is the case, then does the person collect the recylced materials really split the materials up or do they really just dump all these into one big rubbish truck and send for incineration?

Are we really serious in recycling?

SZ Tale 07 - Insect Preservation Workshop

Zoo started with booth training again as a recap in preparation for the test 2 weeks later. Then a debrief before we attended an insect preservation workshop. Lots of hands-on as my friends chose various types of insects to preserve.

This is a Jungle Nymph Walking Stick. It is one of the most troublesome to preserve insect because there is a lot of stuff you have to dig out (obvious from its size). After you clear out the intestine and eggs etc, you pad the insect with cotton and formulant before you are done.


(Psst, fyi, many phasmids - stick and leaf insects - are able to reproduce parthenogenetically if males are absent, producing all-female offspring and thus enabling the species to survive)

Other insects preserved include the horn beetles, hissing cockroaches and scorpion...

As well as butterflies. They are the least troublesome as you just need to pry open their wings if they are still "fresh" and do some arrangment.


(Psst... This is the beautiful Taiwanese Tree Nymph. The caterpillar has a marshmallow feel touch and is poisonous when eaten.)

Else if they have been kept too long and are too dried already, you can just pin them with their folded wings.


(Psst.. This is the Common Rose Butterfly... which is not at all common I think because you can't find it in the Zoo... sob sob...)

Oh and I chose to work on the butterflies hahaha..

SZ Tale 06

Zoo started late today... and it is the first FF training.

I was given a detailed procedure on how to set up the station. Had to take the stick insects and kingmeal worm. Quite a lot of hands on. The group was having fun taking photos too…

Then we had a biodome tour conducted by a keeper. The sun conures got attracted to the crickets that the keeper was holding (which he used to demo how the archerfish shoot their kill later) and came close to him haha.



Then we had some habitat talk and a frog talk by Dr. Leong Tze Ming because this is the year of the frogs. Had dinner and an evening walk to search for frogs and toads. They were so small and the toads were plentiful along the road. These two frog pictures were taken by one of my friend.



Some other pictures that she took can be found here.
Her photography skills is excellent.. and she is one patient photographer.

The day ended quite late and I was quite overloaded at the end but overall, it had been fun.

SZ Tale 05 - Keeper Attachment

I started off on the wrong foot with the keeper early in the morning because I got his name wrong and he is quite a fierce (maybe strict is a better word) keeper. But then I’m not complaining because he taught me a lot actually.

First task of the day was to sweep the floor, then wash the vegetables.


They were for the manatees which kept eating constantly (more about that later). Then we had a morning tea break. I found out that the central kitchen which is primarily in charge of preparing food for animals; is also in charge of the food for the keepers (at least the 2 tea breaks.. lunch was also provided but not sure who prepared).

I was told much later on that I had to sweep the floor etc to make myself sweat. This will then open the pores to remove the perfume away and make me smell similar to the surroundings. Then when I interact with the animals, they will find me familiar. Interesting!

Anyway the animal I feed most is the manatees or sea cows or sea mermaids. They are herbivorous and use their large, prehensile upper lips to grasp the plants and guide them into the mouth. They can grazes for six to eight hours each day.



The zoo currently has 2.3 (2 males and 3 females). Eve (I hope I did not get the name wrong) is pregnant and should be giving birth anytime soon. Oh and she has been pregnant for about a year already (their gestation is about 12-14 months).



In the past, manatees were hunted for their meat, hide and oil. Today, they are threatened with habitat degradation from oil, chemical and toxic waste pollution.

Oh and the zoo has a special token feeding session where interested people can feed the manatees with carrots and potato. I had the chance to see one of the loyal feeders, a young girl. The mum told us that her daughter never fails to visit here if they visit the zoo. She did have a lovely time feeding the manatees.



Manatee Mania (Feeding session)

Venue: Splash Amphitheatre
Time: 2.00pm
Fee: S$5.00

Other than the manatees, I fed Randy the sea lion with fishes and fish heads. The other sea lions were fed by other zookeepers. The sea lions can be quite noisy, playful and extremely active.


I did not take picture of the sea lions though because they were in their holding dens. However I took some pictures of the African Penguin or Black-footed penguin or Jackass penguin as my friend likes penguins and had asked me to take some pictures for her. Not very well taken though because the penguins were pretty active too haha. Anyway I did not have a chance to feed them or look after them either.



The Jackass penguin is thus named because its call sounds like the braying of jackass or donkey.

It inhabits the coastal waters of Southern Africa and is the only penguin found on the African continent.


Foraging is done during the day, usually in small groups although as many as 3,000 penguins may congregate in one area.

Jackass penguins continue to face threats from oil pollution and introduced animals such as feral cats, which prey heavily on the chicks.



My last photo of the penguin before I ended my attachment..


I’m not sure what this bird is, forgot the name already.


These birds and the pelicans were sharing the same holding den


Then is home sweet home for me… amazingly I managed to survive my attachment and I actually left with a deeper understanding of certain things. One thing the keeper taught me was that other than the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), there is another R… he made me guessed first and I thought was Remember? Haha.. then he said Replant. Hmm now I feel so guilty because I did not think of it. He concentrated more on forestation and believed that so long we save the nature, the animals will save themselves. True because right now we are robbing them their natural habitats, that’s why they are in danger.

Anyway on the way back, the clouds and the trees ease my journey back…




Lastly I would like to share this movie with you. A kind soul uploaded it a year ago and while the video is not clear, the commentary is crystal clear and the message the commenter was trying to bring through to the audience is something I hope to share with you too.


Source: Youtube

Grass Preamble

Source: wiki

Zoo will take a hiatus this week thus Grass decided to give an introduction on itself instead.

Grass, the common word to describe monocotyledonous green plants. It came about in the early 15th century from the Old English græs, derived from the same root as “grow”.

Grass-like plants are the most versatile, existing for millions of years ago as food for the dinosaurs. Grasses adapted all kinds of conditions (rainforests, desserts, mountain steppes etc) and can be found almost anywhere in the world.

Most importantly, grasses are important to humans. They are food for the domesticated animals and humans as well as for aesthetic and sports uses. Recently there have been a lot of debates on the pros of being vegetarians. The argument is on the amount of grasses needed to be animal fodder could feed more human beings should these humans be vegetarians. This is because the animals feeding on the same amount of grasses might not be sufficient as food for the same amount of human beings. Guess is partly why the current economic problem emphasis on shortages e.g. food shortages.

Lastly, something interesting in wiki caught the author’s attention.

Grass plays a central role in two important science fiction catastrophe novels from the 1940s and 1950s, Ward Moore's Greener Than You Think, in which the world is slowly taken over by unstoppable Bermuda Grass, John Christopher's The Death of Grass, in which a plague that kills off all forms of grass threatens the survival of the human species.
Source: wiki

While reading this, I suddenly remember an old post where I wrote about Grass waging a war... Maybe I have the making of a science fiction writer after all.. hahahha

SZ Tale 04

Zoo was slack today. Had a vet morning talk where the veterinarian shared a lot of interesting live stories. The most saddening and gratifying story is about an owl with a closed eye. Usually for such symptom, the vet has a standard treatment but for this case, the vet felt something amiss. He sensed the owl was unhappy and decided to bring it back to the clinic.

He found the closed eye was alright but it refused to open. On further examination, he found something black (which is a dead black ant) and removed it, only to find another of it. In total he removed about 300+ ants in that closed eye. As a precaution, he decided to check the other eye and removed another 300+ ants. Although the owl has been cured, the vet was puzzled how did so many ants get in.

The next day, the keeper found a dead deer at the same location they found the sick owl. The vet pieced up the information and realised the owl might have been startled by the dead deer and knocked itself unconscious. Thus allowing the ants to crawl into its eyes. When the owl woke up, the eye movement kind of cut the air supply for the ants causing them to die inside. This could have caused the owl some discomfort which explains its behaviour.

I have to admit it is an incredible story and one I hope will never happen. And after the talk, one does have the urge to be a veterinarian to help these animals. In the human world, there are many types of doctors, those who own private clinics and earn relatively higher as well as those who work for MSF. In the animal world, there are also many types of veterinarian, those who see cats and dogs daily (haha meaning they also own their own clinics and earn a lot) versus those who work in the zoo. I’m not saying the zoo pays low but it is a common knowledge that you set your own salary when you own the clinic.

So passion and the interest to treat a wider variety of animals (not many veterinarians will get to treat tigers and elephants) play a strong motivation role when one decides to be a vet in the zoo like the speaker. And for that, I have to salute him.

SZ Tale 03

Zoo started on a Saturday noon for this week. And the first item on list is a Neuro linguist lesson. To summarize, is to teach you how to interact with people via their body language.

Then is dinner and a Night Safari tour. Took the tram ride to the Leopard trail. A tram was specially booked for us and the guide was entertaining, providing us with a lot of information and the reasons that they were hunted. At the Leopard trail, NS guide brought us to visit the clouded leopard, a very lovely and elegant creature.

Saw the slow loris... they moved so slow and steady that you can't help but be mesmerised by them and to slow your pace down too. NS guide shared with us a lot of other facts and myths e.g. porcupine and their quills (porcupine cannot shoot quill - reminded me of a scene in Over the hedge)

At the Bat Mangrove Walk, the bats were free flying and hanging low. These fruit-eating bats were lovely creatures (Still remember writing an article on them in my first website.. wonder where the article is already...)

Sadly, it started to drizzle and we couldn't catch sight of the giant flying squirrels. Sighz and supposedly there was a new addition recently. After that we took the tram back and saw more animals e.g. the spotted deers (bambi?) before saying bye to NS's mascot - Chawang, the Bull Asian elephant.

Back to the zoo, we had supper before taking a night walk in the zoo. It was close to full moon and walking under bright moonlight was a treasured experience. At first I was told that one cannot see any animals because they will be caged up. Thus it was just a walk among the rainforest hearing the ghost stories that the keeper was sharing with us. Was quite upset though on the way back, my friend and I were wondering if the silhouette up on the branch belongs to an animal.

For FPL, decided to stay overnight in zoo, something which I was indecisive the whole day. But by morning, I did not regret my decision because we managed to ask for permission to take a morning walk round the zoo. So happy.. even though we missed the sunrise. And I did confirm that the silhouette I saw last night belonged to the gibbons. Haha, and the moment we passed by, the silhouettes woke up too and started jumping branches... so cute...

Anyway did not catch the sunrise but did took some landscape pictures... near the garden with a view, where Ah Meng was buried. Ah Meng has a good view...

SZ Tale 02

Grass was quite happy last week because she saw lots of her friends. There were the stick insect, the caterpillar, the millipede and centipede, and many more… The zoo had shown her what was brewing behind the fragile forest. This week, the zoo even brought her to the vet area. Coincidentally, a kangaroo had been warded in due to a limp in the leg. Grass saw the x-ray of the kangaroo’s leg even…

Even more interestingly, Grass learnt that TCM can be applied on animals too and saw a particular famous doctor that advocates TCM on animals. Unfortunately (or fortunately) Grass did not see the doctor in action, though she saw the long acupuncture needle. Freaky!

Grass also had a workout racing round the zoo. Got lost a few times… but there will be a day where Grass will know this place like the back of her hand. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the safari though Grass is highly excited to be introduced to the safari next week. (Please note that the zoo and the safari are 2 different places which houses different animals. It was quite humorous to hear the speaker saying “No, we do not move our animals every day after 6pm from the zoo to the safari”.)

Lastly, share with you a TV commercial of the zoo. Like what the girl says,
"Lots of people like tiger fur, but I think it looks better on the tiger"...



Alternative source here.

SZ Tale 01

Reviving “Grass Tales” by introducing a new series. For the next few posts, the Grass will introduce the zoo and share interesting mini snippets and short tales.

The zoo has come a long way from what it used to be when it first opened its gates in 1973. The main reason is a shift in focus in the recent years. In the past, the zoo concentrated only on the animals. However admission rates keep falling and the government was removing support. That’s when the advertising strategy decided to focus on people instead, attracting the locals and foreigners to visit the zoo.

The zoo also had a facelift. It is now a model of the ‘open zoo’ concept where animals are kept in environments similar to their natural habitat. Most importantly, the zoo tries to make itself seen and heard in various ways e.g. bus stop shelters (my personal favourite haha)


Source: A slide from "The Colour of Zoo Marketing is Green"

In addition, the zoo advocates on conservation. To them, the colour of the zoo marketing is green as “Conservation without money is conversation only.” So the zoo must make an effort to generate revenue. One aspect is the revamp of the map.


Source: A slide from "The Colour of Zoo Marketing is Green"

To quote what the speaker say, to learn from the best and the best is none other than Disneyland. Thus the map became more colourful and graphical. I think I like the new zoo too…

Lastly, I fully agree with the speaker on this:

You must know them to love them.
You must love them to protect them.

Thus begin my adventure of knowing the animals better, to love them and to protect them…

Green Carnival

Link: Green Carnival

A website by NUSSU Save. How I wish I can participate its activities... argh the movies are those I want to watch. I must really sit down one day to watch Inconvenient Truth. Resolved!

Seeing how unkempt and neglected Grass Tales is, I have decided to "borrow" that site's global warming tips and spruce things here.

Saving Fuel

* Try car-pooling with your friends and neighbours
* Take public transport or better, walk if the travel distance is short

Recycling

Help save the energy needed to make products from raw materials.

* Support recycling projects in your neighbourhood
* Deposit plastic bottles, aluminum cans and used magazines in the recycling bins on our school campus

Reduce & Reuse

* Print double-sided documents and multiple slides on each side for your class notes. Papers used for printing can be salvaged for additional purposes e.g. drafts and calculations.
* Collect washing machine water to flush the toilet
* Watch the amount of disposables you use. At fast food and takeaway counters, ask for less cup-holders, straws, plastic utensils, sugar and creamer packets
* Keep plastic grocery bags for future use. Or better, bring your own grocery bag instead of using plastic disposables

Saving Electricity

* Use energy-efficient home appliances e.g. light bulbs, air-conditioner, fridge etc.
* Switch off the main electric power when devices are not in use. Don’t leave them on standby and let electricity leak. Take the plug out of the socket when not charging your phone and laptop
* A study in Australia estimated that almost 12% of the electrical bill for a typical home was wasted on standby power
* Clean your air-con filters regularly to ensure that the air con keeps you cool without drawing unnecessary power
* Use less of your dryer and hang clothes out to dry

Arctic Tale

Links :
Singapore Zoo
Arctic Tale Movie



Singapore Zoo will be organising an outdoor movie screening – the first for 2007.

The movie entitled ‘Arctic Tale’, is an epic adventure that explores the vast world of the Great North. The film follows the two giants of the icy North Pole – Seela, the walrus and Nanu, the polar bear on their journey from birth to adolescence to maturity as they learn about life from their mothers and have to deal with the catastrophic changes in the arctic weather caused by global warming. The film helps people sympathise with the plight of the arctic wildlife.

Narrated by Queen Latifah, the film features music from Cat Stevens, Ben Harper, Aimee Mann, and The Shins.

Details of the screening at Singapore Zoo are as follows:

Venue:
Pavilion by the Lake
Singapore Zoo

Day/ Date:
Saturday, 8 September 2007

Time:
7.30pm to 9.30pm

All donations will go to Wildlife Conservation Singapore Fund (an institute of public character and registered charity).

S$8 per movie pass (minimum contribution).
S$6 per movie pass for 20 or more movie passes purchased in a single transaction.

A tax deductible receipt will be issued for donations over $50.00.
No returns or refunds will be entertained.

Author's comments : I wanna watch... but can I reach the zoo in time???

GAIA cries for help

Site : SAVING GAIA

“The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take their revenge; for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future.” ~ Marya Mannes, More in Anger, 1958

Gaia in Greek means "Earth" and is synonymous with "Mother Earth".

MediaCorp is going green this month in an effort to make Singaporeans more aware of environmental issues. In an effort to save the Gaia.

A simple change can create a huge impact to the environment. A little effort from you can slow down climate change and conserve our natural resources.

There are many things we can do by practicing the 3Rs:-
1. Reduce. Just use less!
2. Reuse. Don't just bin it!
3. Recycle. Make it useful again!

And if you don't know where are the Recycling Bins / Collection Centre, here is a map for your perusal.




In fact, the number of such bins position in Singapore seems to have risen over the years. Lately, I keep seeing them around at certain areas of my neighbourhood. And I'm truly glad that efforts had been made to increase the number of such bins. I remember I used to recycle only in NUS premise. Now I hear my mum regularly throwing the recyclable stuff into the respective bins and commenting that sometimes the bins actually got full. Of course I hope the bins had been used properly unlike those I see in Orchard Road. Actually these bins are also bigger than what you find in Orchard Road. I guess they decided to enlarge the bins.

GAIA is crying for help, and I hope we will do our utmost to save her. Ganbatte!

Miss Earth Singapore

Source : Miss Earth Singapore



I never knew there was a Miss Earth, or a Miss Earth Singapore. Well I guess my lack of interest is due to the fact that I probably fail their requirement. Joking! Honestly, I really did not know about it.

And when I saw that mail, I was pretty much amused. I really pondered if these ladies are really saving the Earth. Skimming through the blog of Miss Earth Singapore 2006, I was not disappointed. I saw pictures of her and others supporting the various environment efforts to the extent that they don't mind the "dirty" work. Kudos to that. And maybe is because of her interests in criminology AND psychology that I like her more. Haha.. 2 of my love interests.. plus the fact I had thoughts of joining the Police.. either in forensic science or technology division but these thoughts are still fuzzy out there.

I guess it really is comforting to know this Miss Earth Singapore did fulfil her mission in helping the Earth and not just act pretty. And I sincerely hope the next one do a better job.

Saving Earth is a long and tedious efforts, and knowing that there are so many lovely ladies who are willing to save the Earth, I'm comforted.

Hmm.. and ashamed of my miserable efforts as compared to them haha. I hope to revive Grass Tales soon.. Ganbatte to my next mission of story telling...