Planting Trees with Community Leadership Module

Article written by Melody Wee & David Ang

Mangrove forests are unique in that they can store three to four times more carbon than other types of forests on land. Given Singapore’s small size and its relatively high carbon footprint, mangroves play a vital role in keeping our air clean. Mangroves are also home to many unique species of flora and fauna. Did you know that in the 1820s, mangroves took up approximately 13 percent of Singapore’s total land area? However, through losses driven by reservoir construction, land reclamation and development, mangroves now take up less than 1% of Singapore’s current land area.

As part of an effort to restore this wonder of nature, a group of CAPTains from UTC2400 Community Leadership module went on a field trip to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) to plant trees in the back mangroves. Under the guidance of the staff at SBWR, each CAPTain planted at least one sapling. By the end of the trip, a total of 20 new saplings were successfully planted. This activity was part of the One Million Trees Movement by NParks, which aims to bring nature back into the city through the planting of a million trees over the next ten years.

During the activity, we were also able to observe many animals in their natural habitat, such as monitor lizards, migratory birds, frogs and insects. We even saw a pair of loving white-bellied eagles perged on the tree! Ms Grace Lim, a biologist, accompanied us on this trip and shared with us the parallels between mangrove ecosystems and the community and how the flora and fauna evolved over the past few years. Industrial development and preservation of the environment does not have to be mutually exclusive, as the latter is also important for the well-being of the community. Hopefully, this event marked CAPTains’ first step into establishing a symbiotic relationship with the mangroves and its inhabitants.