Lim Zong Yi
Firstly, the courses at Sungei Buloh have exposed me to the diverse biodiversity that we have in Singapore. I have learnt about bird counting techniques, tree and plant identification methods and many other things. I have realized the wonderous beauty that nature holds and understand the importance of why we should conserve such nature reserves.
Although our project has not been completed due to technical problems in the labaratory, we have, from our samplings at Changi Beach and Sungei Buloh and study of barnacles, expanded our knowledge. We developed our method of collecting barnacles and also learnt why barnacles are good biomonitors as the heavy metal concentration in the barnacles is proportionate to the bioavailability of metals in that area. In conclusion, the SWAP programme has definitely benefited me very much.
Aaron Ng Qiyuan
Although our project has yet to pull through, I think that we can still benefit a lot from the experience gained along the way. I have gained more insights into the physiology of barnacles, as well as the importance of nature conservation. All animals are intricately linked in the web of life, and removal of one of the species would result in the endangering or possible extinction of other species. It is therefore very important that we conserve what we have now and not take the environment and Mother Nature for granted.
Attending courses at Sungei Buloh has also proved fun and enriching for me as there are many new things that I did not know before. Exposure to such new and foreign topics has left me with much experience in the field of biodiversity, and I hope that the SWAP program would continue on for more years to come.
Jerald Han
This project has allowed me to learn about and appreciate the great biodiversity of the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Little did I know that Sungei Buloh was home to so many magnificent creatures and that it was part of such a huge network of migratory paths. As often mentioned, species loss is a timed bomb, if we do not do what we can to protect such rich ecosystems, then there would be serious implications.
Working with barnacles have been an enlightening journey thus far, who knew that so much beauty could lie in a relatively small organism and that how useful such a dull looking organism can be. The process had only made me love Mother Nature even more.
Aaron Tiong
Before our group entered into the SWAP Programme, we did not have too much knowledge about Sungei Buloh, as well as the barnacles we would come to research on intensively during the course of our project. However, that soon changed, as we went for the courses organised by SWAP. Sungei Buloh is a beautiful reserve with a rich biodiversity, and there is much more value in its boundaries than meets the eye. Through courses such as the introduction to Sungei Buloh’s flora and fauna, the Wader census as well as replanting of plants, its has certainly been a highly informative yet hands-on approach to learning which I have certainly enjoyed.
The barnacles we are studying are also highly interesting organisms. Being good biomarkers for pollution, our aim in studying them was ultimately to compare the pollution levels at Sungei Buloh with that at Changi. Through this project, we have found out more about the barnacles’ physiology and living environment, and we certainly hope that the results we eventually get will help efforts to make polluted areas more environment-friendly. Although our project is not completed, we still see the value which it has, which has spurred us on to complete it, and certainly there is still much to learn from the remainder of this project.