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Vol 9 No 1 Apr 2002 a new beginning for sungei buloh wetland reserve! young naturalists of sungei buloh a new take on art bird ringing in 2001 the journey of a volunteer guide shorebird monitoring 2001 the day a hornbill flew over		the day a hornbill flew over joseph lai conservation officer Nick Baker, our volunteer, and I were talking outside the brilliant white marquee, when all of a sudden a hornbill came tlying overhead. It disappeared as fast as it came. But it not for the unmistakable "horn", we would not have been sure. What a wondertut start to a fine day, we thought, and none more important in the 9-year history of Sungei Buloh. 10 November 2001 will be remembered as the auspicious day on which Sungei Buloh was announced to be gazetted as a Nature Reserve. We applauded loud and hard. Some even had tears in their eyes when Mr. Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, announced the good news. For many, this has been a long love affair. They had literally grown up with Sungei Buloh. Becoming volunteers was second nature to them. They came to help without hesitation. Most of them took leave of absence from work and school to be guides on that day. Another fine example of dedication came from our former staff, Adeline and Colleen. Both came back on the eve of the event to volunteer help. We worked into the early hours of the morning together and got little sleep camping over at Sungei Buloh. Such was the dedication. The extra mile taken by these people and many others. For me, 10 November 2001 was memorable because of these humble and unassuming people. Here was a place of their hearts, and their hearts were in the right place. 10 November 2001 was likened to the homecoming of a big extended family. We wanted to be there for kinship, to go back to our point of origin. Nick and I will never forget the day a hornbill flew over. It came like a sign of hope from the sky. For Sungei Buloh, that hope became a reality on that day. We can now proudly call ourselves Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve!
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