SeaPRwire
Read More

New nursery for coastal trees launched on Pulau Ubin to help restore island’s shores

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - A one-hectare grove on Pulau Ubin dedicated to planting and growing coastal trees for rejuvenating the island's coasts was launched on Saturday (Sept 11). The new coastal arboretum - which is a little more than the size of a football field - will act as a nursery for about 500 trees, spanning around 70 native species, by the end of the year. These trees will be later replanted at the island's coasts to help restore Pulau Ubin's coastal habitat, which experts have said has been partially lost over the years to urban development. To kick off planting work on the arboretum, 50 coastal trees comprising nine species will be grown there this month. The new grove is nestled in the Ubin Living Lab, which is located south-west of the island. The laboratory is a facility for field studies and environmental education. To launch the site on Saturday, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu planted saplings of the critically endangered seashore nutmeg - a native coastal tree previously believed to be extinct - at the nursery. Saturday also marked Ubin Day, first held in 2002, which aims to celebrate the rich natural ...

SeaPRwire

Two new species of flies discovered in Pulau Ubin mangroves

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Two new species of flies with quirky characteristics were discovered in the mangroves of Pulau Ubin in 2018 and 2019. While one's offspring dwells in dung, the other feeds on sandflies - a known pest and bane of many beach-goers. The insect-gobbling fly, found in May 2018, is called the long-legged fly, and its scientific name - Trigonocera ubinensis - was inspired by the island. For the April 2019 discovery of the new sepsid fly, or black scavenger fly, that has a faecal connection, it was a double victory. Not only is the insect a new species, its discovery also saw the creation of an insect category, or genus, new to science. This is notable because a genus ranks above a species in the hierarchy of biological classification, said the National Parks Board (NParks). The agency announced the twin discoveries on Ubin Day, which fell on Saturday (Sept 11). First held in 2002, Ubin Day celebrates the natural and cultural heritage of the northern island. Both flies were found by Dr Patrick Grootaert - an NParks research fellow and head of entomology at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science - while he was doing fieldwork on Pulau Ubin. The findings underscore the ri...