Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at 30th Anniversary of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Nov 25, 2023
Introduction
A very good morning to everybody. I am very delighted to join all of you today, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Many of you may remember that five years ago we came for the 25th anniversary, time flies us by, and here we are, on the 30th birthday.
Establishment of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Community Stewardship
We can trace the beginnings of this Reserve back to the 1980s, when a group of avid and passionate birdwatchers discovered that this area’s tranquil ponds and mudflats served as a key resting and feeding site for migratory shorebirds. This group, the forerunner to the Nature Society (Singapore), then initiated a collaborative community effort to conserve the area, culminating in the opening of Sungei Buloh Nature Park back in 1993.
The initial efforts of the birdwatchers served as a catalyst for community stewardship, inspiring many individuals to contribute to the conservation of this natural oasis. Many volunteers quickly stepped forward to ring migratory birds, to lead guided walks, and conduct nature photography sessions, and this giving spirit blossomed into NParks’ first volunteer programme in 1997.
In 2002, we gazetted Sungei Buloh as a Nature Reserve, in recognition of its important ecological significance. Since then, volunteers have continued to play a crucial role in our conservation efforts here and in the surrounding areas. I am glad to see many of our dedicated volunteers here today, and certainly many of our veterans, without whom, all you see around here, would not have been possible. Our emcee for today, Mr Bernard Seah, will be taking over as Chairman of the Friends of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve from Mr Tham Pui San. I am sure Mr Seah will carry on the very good work.
In 2018, we established the Bird Census Monitoring Volunteers Network. Since then, its members have contributed to over 500 bird census sessions, recording 7,600 birds across 217 species. This includes rare species such as the Ruby-cheeked Sunbird and the Black-and-red Broadbill. The valuable data collected has guided our conservation strategies for the Wetland Reserve and its surrounding buffer areas.
The generous support of our corporate partners has allowed us to extend the reach of many of the Wetland Reserve’s community programmes, to cultivate a deeper appreciation of nature among more children and young people. For example, HSBC was one of the earliest donors to support Sungei Buloh. Subsequently, HSBC launched the Young Naturalist Programme, which is a day camp at the Wetland Reserve for budding nature lovers.
Beyond the Wetland Reserve, our community partners also play an important part in transforming Singapore into a City in Nature. Today, we are dedicating Heritage Trees to several donors of the Garden City Fund, NParks’ registered charity. These are AIA Singapore, Lu Foundation, Ocean Network Express, Singtel, and Vincent and Amanda Toh-Steckler through the Magical Bridge Foundation.
Thank you to everyone who has stepped forward to steward our wonderful biodiversity.
Conservation Journey of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Over the years, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve has grown in significance on the global stage. It is Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park, and a founding member site of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) Partnership.
We have continued to study the movement and migration patterns of the area’s shorebirds, progressing from the use of simple leg rings to solar-powered satellite tracking devices. A few years ago, these efforts led to the discovery that the Wetland Reserve is not only a wintering ground for shorebirds migrating along the EAAF, but also the Central Asian Flyway, over the Himalayas. This really underscores the importance of Sungei Buloh as an intersection of two important migratory flyways.
In parallel, we have strengthened the Wetland Reserve’s ecological resilience, by establishing a network of ecological buffers around the Wetland Reserve. Spanning over 400 hectares, the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network is more than triple the size of the Wetland Reserve itself. It includes Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat, which we designated as a Nature Park due to its close ecological connection with the Wetland Reserve. Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat was not originally intended for nature, there were other uses for it. But because of science, data and a close partnership with the community, we decided that we would take the site and convert its use to a nature park. Without this, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve would not have that symbiotic relationship.
Curated Programmes at Cashin House and Habitat Restoration at Lim Chu Kang Nature Park
As part of this network, the 18-hectare extension to the west of the Wetland Reserve has also been protected as Lim Chu Kang Nature Park. This encompasses intertidal mangroves and mudflats, as well as Cashin House, a colonial-era bungalow.
We are continuing to restore and enhance the habitats of the Nature Park. For now, it will be accessible only via specially curated programmes, such as citizen science and tree planting initiatives. Please consider registering for these, attend the programmes, visit Cashin House, and see the amazing work that our community has done together with my colleagues at NParks and URA. I recall back then, a couple of years ago, I visited the site, and the question was, how do we protect this – and because of the very poor state of the building, we wrangled with how to go about doing this. We tussled with the idea of whether to try to conserve in-situ, or to sensitively rebuild. Unfortunately, given the state of the building, the difficult decision was made to rebuild it. But today, looking at how sensitively we recreated the building, bringing in the memories of the family and of the community, we have something to be proud of.
We will also be arranging some programmes at Cashin House, which is steeped in history. Let me tell you a little bit more about Cashin House. It dates back to 1906, when Irish merchant Alexander William Cashin built a pier to transport rubber from his estate. Since 2014, NParks has been engaging heritage stakeholders on possible enhancements to Cashin House, to showcase both its built heritage and the rich natural heritage of its setting. Today, the sensitively reconstructed Cashin House retains elements of its original architecture, such as the metal gate, clay roof, and terrazzo tiles. It houses a gallery, a space for workshops, and a terrace overlooking the area’s mangroves and mudflats. To visit Cashin House, do sign up for NParks’ programmes, which will include guided tours and nature photography workshops.
Curated Programmes for SBWR’s 30th Anniversary
In conjunction with the Wetland Reserve’s 30th anniversary, we will also be offering a slew of programmes across the rest of the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network.
Some of you may already have taken part in the array of activities on offer. From wildlife surveys for citizen scientists, to nature photography for shutterbugs, to day camps for our children, I believe there is something for everyone here. This year, you can also look forward to a specially curated exhibition at the Wetland Reserve, that features splendid wildlife photographs contributed by the community, as well as archival photos, and even decommissioned bird-ringing paraphernalia.
Do join us in the celebrations and check out these activities.
Conclusion
In closing, it is only through the strong, steady support of the community that we have been able to transform Sungei Buloh into one of our region’s most important and premier wetland reserves.
I invite everyone to join us in shaping the next chapter of the Wetland Reserve, whether it’s rolling up our sleeves to contribute to habitat enhancement, supporting NParks’ outreach efforts as a volunteer, or even more. In this way, we will be able to celebrate the Wetland Reserve for many more generations to come. In closing once again, to all of you, thank you very much for your strong partnership, thank you for working closely with my colleagues at NParks, as well as many of our nature groups, thank you for embracing the heritage community as well, and for making Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the Nature Park Network so beautiful and rich in biodiversity and heritage.
Happy 30th anniversary and thank you everyone for being part of this journey.