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| Meet a natural Singaporean - the kiasu plant | |||
| More flora like this will be showcased when new trails are up next year at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, LI XUEYING learns | |||
IT MAY be called
'kiasu' ('afraid to lose' in Hokkien), but don't expect any queue-jumping
from the little kiasu plant. 'Cursed' with a spindly stem, it fights for
survival among bigger trees by trapping their dead leaves in its foliage,
and making its nutrients from them.
So named by Singaporeans, the plant, known originally as leaf litter plant, is part of the flora and wildlife that people can view when new attractions are ready at the Central Catchment Nature Reserve next year. They include boardwalks, trails, a treetop canopy walk and an observation tower. 'This is a new thrust towards getting Singaporeans to understand the beauty and richness of nature,' said Ms Sharon Chan, assistant director of the reserve, which is 2,800ha in size and showcases 50 species. An additional 50 species will be highlighted along the new routes, which will fringe the Upper and Lower Peirce and Upper Seletar reservoirs. The trails are being built by the National Parks Board. 'The new trails will help to divert visitors from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which is getting overcrowded with 380,000 visitors a year,' said Ms Chan. The Sunday Times toured the reserve and was showered by a confetti of leaves and berries thrown by monkeys in the treetops. Though other animals live in the area - the lesser mousedeer and flying lemur are two - they were too shy to show themselves. Still, there were plenty of insects and plants to observe, such as the golden web spider, which eats its mate after copulation, and trees named after Singapore. Besides the Central Catchment trails, new ones are also in the works at the Kranji marshes and Sungei China mangrove in Lim Chu Kang. They are among 22 nature areas highlighted in the URA Masterplan 2003. Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) deputy director Seow Kah Ping said: 'This is to give them a formal status as nature areas. It provides them with some degree of certainty that they won't be developed in the next 15 to 20 years.' Despite the promise of more close encounters with nature, the Nature Society's conservation committee chairman Ho Hua Chew is critical of the new trails planned. 'It's been known that much wildlife is sensitive to human-constructed features introduced into a natural habitat.' Moreover, he added, giving easier access to the reserve will encourage more poachers. But the URA's Dr Seow said: 'We will
strike a balance between allowing for access to nature, and protecting
it.' |
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Copyright © 2003 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved. |
