Green Trails

While Singapore is transforming into a City in Nature, natural habitats have been lost to development, leading to more human and animal clashes. How can wildlife and humans live in harmony?  Synopsis (headphones recommended): Green Trails is a four-part environment podcast special for 2024 where The Straits Times hits the ground with experts. In this fourth episode, our trails won’t be entirely green. Instead of a nature park or a green space, we head over to an urban place surrounded by buildings and construction noise.  The new neighbourhood of Punggol Northshore recently saw some monkey business, with troops of long-tailed macaques spotted at construction sites and even eating at a void deck of an HDB block.   To find out how residents can responsibly live in a macaque hotspot, ST journalist Shabana Begum speaks with co-chief executive of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) Anbarasi Boopal, and president of the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) Andie Ang.  Strolling along Punggol Settlement and the promenade opposite Coney Island, the conversation turns to other wildlife in our midst – from the common palm civets that tend to sneak into private houses, to the ever-present junglefowls. Animals in urban areas being culled is never a clear-cut decision, as Ms Anbarasi says: “Removal (of animals) is always not a solution. And where do we draw the line, right?  “We are okay with hornbills, but we're not okay with other birds.” Highlights (click/tap above): 2:10 Why is Punggol a monkey hotspot? 4:45 Monkey see, monkey don’t do 11:08 When otters and civets visit homes  14:30 Is culling the best way to reduce bird numbers? 17:08 What to do when you encounter a snake Read ST’s previous commentary about co-existing with wildlife: https://str.sg/tYpq Find out more about macaques in Punggol: https://str.sg/ephc Listen to other Green Trails episodes:  Ep 1: Visit to Sungei Buloh: How Singapore can better host migratory birds - https://str.sg/BrqS Ep 2: Visit to East Coast: How reclamation will shape up against rising sea levels - https://str.sg/mRG8 Ep 3: Visit to Windsor Park: Can insects in SG's backyard be foraged? - https://str.sg/4V6nQ Host: Shabana Begum (nshab@sph.com.sg) Trail producers: Hadyu Rahim, Fa‘izah Sani, Amirul Karim & Elsa Goh  Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Executive Producers: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) & Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg) Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #greenpulse #greentrailsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the future Long Island will guard against sea level rise, the trade-offs to marine life and the East Coast’s character must be addressed, stakeholders say. Synopsis (headphones recommended): Green Trails is a 4-part environment podcast special for 2024 where The Straits Times hits the ground with experts. The next episode drops in August. By end-century, Singapore’s mean sea level is expected to rise by up to 1.15m. Now a top attraction in the area, East Coast Park would be a place to avoid if nothing is done.  Frequent floods are likely to put the beach underwater in the future, as climate change continues to exacerbate rising sea levels. And if exceptionally high tides or storm surges were to hit, seawater levels could rise up to 5m, breaking through the coast. The entire park, East Coast Parkway, vehicles and void decks at housing estates like Marine Parade in the vicinity could be submerged in water.  To prevent this reality, there are plans to have a defence offshore. That is Long Island, twice the size of Marina Bay reclaimed off the east coast, with a reservoir in between. As the June 14 oil spill has shown, human activity - if not managed properly - can threaten coastal and marine habitats, including the biodiversity-rich Southern Islands.  In this second episode of Green Trails, our team heads to East Coast Park and a lesser known habitat near Marina Barrage - important to threatened species and likely to be threatened by reclamation - to find answers.  At the heart of East Coast Park, ST journalist Shabana Begum meets with representatives from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and National Water Agency PUB - Mr Lee Wai Kin and Mr Thoo Jung Chee. Both agencies are spearheading the Long Island project. At the little-known Marina East Drive habitat, Shabana uncovers the wildlife there when she takes a walk with Mr Lester Tan, who chairs Nature Society (Singapore)’s Marine Conservation Group. In the evening, Shabana returns to East Coast Park to speak with Mr Maximus Tan, 22 and Mr Crispus Tan, 27. These youths - who will live to see Long Island taking shape in the next few decades - voice their aspirations for Long Island.  Highlights (click/tap above): 2:43 What will happen to East Coast if nothing is done to protect the shoreline?  4:00 How will Long Island defend Singapore from rising sea levels? 11:07 How will the authorities minimise the impact of reclamation on marine life?  16:13 What are the lesser-known biodiversity havens of the East Coast? 22:04 Lester on whether marine life along East Coast will eventually return post-reclamation 26:22 Reactions from Crispus and Maximus on East Coast's changing landscape 32:53 Crispus and Maximus on life on Long Island, their hopes and ideas Read about Singapore's Long Island plan: https://str.sg/ixC7 More on the mega project here: https://str.sg/6zoP Listen to other Green Trails episodes:  Ep 1: Visit to Sungei Buloh: How Singapore can better host migratory birds - https://str.sg/BrqS Ep 3: Visit to Windsor Nature Park: Can insects in SG's backyard be foraged https://omny.fm/shows/green-pulse-1/visit-to-windsor-nature-park-how-big-of-a-role-can Host: Shabana Begum (nshab@sph.com.sg) Trail producers: Lynda Hong, Hadyu Rahim, Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) & Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg) Follow Shabana on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/FEid Read her articles: https://str.sg/5EGd Follow Green Pulse Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #greenpulse #greentrailsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why non-native species like the golden-backed weaver and monk parakeet need to be dealt with before they spread elsewhere. Synopsis (headphones recommended): In our first audio trail of Singapore’s nature spaces, The Straits Times explores the ins and outs of creatures in these places with those who know them well. Listen to birdsong at the Kranji Marshes with the president and vice-president of freshly hatched conservation group Bird Society of Singapore Keita Sin and Movin Nyanasengeran who take ST journalist Ang Qing around one of the largest freshwater marshes here. During a two-hour walk, they experience a morning at the remote park, which is home to more than 170 birds in north-western Singapore. They banter on all things bird-related, from ‘parrot politics’ to the mounting threat of invasive bird species to Singapore and South-east Asia. This comes as the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services reported in September that more than 3,500 harmful invasive species have cost the global economy at least US$423 billion (S$576 billion) a year. And the annual expense has quadrupled every decade since the 1970s. You can also read our accompanying ST podcast article to see pictures of the various bird species mentioned (link below).  Highlights (click/tap above): 1:49 The tale of the golden-backed weaver and what it means for Singapore 6:47 Parrot pet problems and ‘politics’ 8:55 What you need to know about Kranji Marshes 9:25 The origins and ambitions of Bird Society of Singapore 15:55 Debunking common myths about birds To see the various bird species named in this podcast, read our podcast article: https://str.sg/ichq Produced by: Ang Qing (aqing@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim, Teo Tong Kai & Paxton Pang Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Discover The Bird Society of Singapore: https://str.sg/ichc Follow Green Pulse Podcast channel here and rate us: Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Follow Ang Qing on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ichp Read her articles: https://str.sg/i5gT --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! #greenpulse #greentrailsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.