A few of the remaining residents at Seletar Camp appear to be suffering from a mystery illness not unlike chikungunya. Sussex Gardens has been boarded up at one end, and that JTC has organised fogging. Here’s to a speedy recovery for all those impacted by this difficult virus. Continue reading Chikungunya in Seletar Camp?
A big thanks to Suresh who was at Seletar Camp over the weekend. Roads will no longer be ‘expunged’, but closed. And the dry spell has added to the air of neglect. Otherwise, this part of the camp is much the same. Has the global financial crisis sabo-ed EDB/JTC’s grand plans? Continue reading New words and dry grass, not much else changes
Tree felling at the former gold course has created a wave of birds migrating to the residential areas, at least for the next 6 months before this area is also flattened to create a longer runway and adjacent hangars. Join one of the guided tours by residents and enjoy these exceptional creatures and their antics. Sunday July 6th and Saturday July 12th 4 to 530 … Continue reading Nature walks: Sunday July 6th and Saturday July 12th
With less than 10 months remaining before the majority of houses are either demolished or re-zoned for business, many residents are moving out as leases expire. Passing on pre-loved items has been a long tradition, and we expect garage sale activity will pick up as we get closer to December. Here is one: Saturday 15.3.0810 am – 5 pm 22 Hyde Park Gate, Seletar Airbase … Continue reading Garage sale: Saturday, 15 March
Thank you, Peter and Michelle for catching these treasures nestled in a bamboo cluster off Edgeware Road. Continue reading Bobby and Babe
Three more attractions at Seletar Airbase during the long Easter weekend 🙂 Re-Cycle I ! A workshop about giving your old stuff a new twist. Bring along old tins (e.g. Milo tins), CDs and bottle caps (e.g. from jam jars). You can also bring along other small objects such as old screws, buttons… that can be used for decorating our one-of a kind objects. In … Continue reading Art from recycling
The Nature Society Singapore will once again be leading a tour to spot as many of the 80 species that reside at Seletar. As their habitat and food chain disappear, so will they, so make the most of the opportunity while it is still available. More details at the Events listing. Continue reading Bird Trail on 16th Dec, 8 to 11 am
11,000 entries have been whittled down to 30 possible whale names – have your say, cast your vote here – and view results to date. Continue reading Cast your vote!
It was an elated bunch that strolled in to the garden party last night – our nature walkers enjoyed exceptional sightings, and in Willie’s words, the birds ‘co-operated’ and posed like pros for the telescopes and cameras 🙂 Plans are now being hatched for the next trail, and also for a more reliable way of gathering data on how our diverse eco-system is being impacted … Continue reading The birds ‘co-operated’
In November 2002, property management company DTZ Debenham Tie Leung illegally felled a rare tree reputed to have given Changi its name. The 3.4 meter girth tree was standing in a conservation area, where felling of a tree with a girth above 1 metre is forbidden. Habitatnews has a detailed timeline of events. The courts imposed a mere S$8,000 fine on the company for the … Continue reading Sad loss
Late last week, the view from our kitchen window was tranquil, until we spotted a kingfisher diving to pick up its lunch – a garden lizard. Unfortunately the videocam was not to hand. This clip is not quite from Seletar, but a familiar hunting sight at our neck of the woods nevertheless… The kingfisher made it into our first volume of Postcards from Seletar 🙂 Continue reading Kingfisher habits
The sheer spectrum of flora and fauna in Seletar is simply breathtaking. Butterflies and birds are just the more obvious groups. It got us thinking about the status of biodiversity in this island. EarthTrends publishes an Environmental Information Portal and has comparative data for many countries. According to its profile of Singapore, protected areas as a percent of total land in Singapore is 5.5% versus … Continue reading Biodiversity in Singapore
We are seeing a rise in the level of activity by poachers. Despite calling the police, for the second weekend in a row, birds have been trapped. Here is a photo taken by one of the residents. Wild birds being snatched in Seletar Camp It could be due to the news that many residents will be moving out of the camp, and therefore less vigilant … Continue reading Poachers in the Camp
This is the ultra-short conclusion of the findings in a study by Dennis Hansen, Heine Kiesbüy, and Christine Müller from Zurich University, and Carl Jones from the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, who found that an endangered plant in Mauritius depends on a neighboring plant to provide a safe home for its pollinator, a day-active gecko. The admirable efforts to keep human residents up to date on … Continue reading Neighbors gone, sex gone, fruits gone, species gone
On 12 April 2006, Singapore acceded to the Kyoto protocol. The National Environment Agency has been designated as National Authority to deliver on this commitment. It’s website lists several campaigns to arrest greenhouse gas emissions. For many inhabitants at the camp, working from home is a choice we make, to reduce our individual carbon footprints. Many parents co-ordinate with each other to car-pool on school … Continue reading What does the Kyoto protocol mean to you?
Did you know that Singapore’s National Parks Board has listed 7 trees in Seletar Airbase in its Heritage Tree Register? They are all broad leafed mahoganies, entry numbers 143 through 150. When space was cleared for creation of an RAF base, some trees were obviously spared. Continue reading Heritage Trees
During 2006, a team from Really Architecture collated an online scrapbook, and a video analysis of life at the Airbase. Extract from culturepush: When it was announced that Clifford Pier would cease operations in March 2006 with plans to develop the landmark into the inevitable mall complex, there was public outcry against Singapore’s rapidly disappearing heritage. In a constant struggle between tradition and progress, iconic … Continue reading Singapore’s Secret Garden
He may have lost his tail, but he seems to have all his spunk intact. Sunbathing on our pool deck. Sep 07 update – Isabelle has been indulgent, and fulfilled my wish to include a monitor lizard in our postcard series. They seem so self contained. And Mansoor was not the only one who fancied teak decking 😉 Continue reading Mansoor, our domesticated monitor lizard
Building an authoritative taxonomy of the Camp’s ecology will require many hands. We were fortunate to have the support of The Nature Society (NSS), a non-government, non-profit organisation dedicated to the appreciation, conservation, study and enjoyment of the natural heritage in Singapore and the surrounding region. Run by volunteers, the Society depends financially on contributions from its members as well as companies, institutions and individuals. … Continue reading Birds of Seletar Camp
This checklist is based on the results of bird surveys carried by the Nature Society’s Bird Group on 28 May, 16 November, 28 and 29 December 2006 in several areas including the Seletar East Camp — with contributions of sightings from other birdwatchers outside the surveys dates. Legend Conservation Status # Nationally Near-threatened Species ## Nationally Threatened Species * Globally Near-threatened Species ** Globally Threatened … Continue reading Birds of Seletar Airbase
Postcards from Seletar 