Pasir Ris Park
Introduction
Pasir Ris Park is located in the eastern part of Singapore, and occupies about
71 hectares of land. There are also mangrove swamps and reclaimed land,
which consists of about 6 hectares of the space.
Recreational activities
There are many recreational activities that people can enjoy at the park.
These activities include swimming, cycling, and there is also a horse stable in
the park, which allows people to ride horses around a track. Also, there are
various playground at different places for the children. There is a beach
located at the park too.
Mangrove Swamp
During our trip to Pasir Ris Park, we visited a swamp along Sungei Api Api,
which is located near the park. It was a walkway through the swamp, and it
was relatively unknown to most of the public. I have visited the swamp once
before, yet it was a long time ago when I was young. I went to visit this
swamp as I find these natural habitats are interesting yet difficult to find in
Singapore, where almost everywhere is industrialized.
At first, we were unable to find the swamp as it was not in the park, but
connected to the park at the end. Thus, we got a little lost, but managed to
get directions to the swamp.
Soon, we reached the area, and realized that the walkway was surrounded
by the mangrove trees and quite cramped. However, from the walkway, we
were able to see the mangrove trees clearly. Also, we were lucky that it was
low-tide that day, so we were able to see the muddy ground.
Firstly, we spotted a lizard on the ground, much bigger than the ones we
normally see. Then, we started to spot mudskippers on the ground, crawling
from a puddle of water to another. Mudskippers are animals we do not see
much in Singapore nowadays, and it was interesting to see them in their
natural habitats. However, I also spotted many clams with their shells open,
and I am not sure why. Perhaps it is due to the low-tide. We also spotted
other creatures such as king fishers, as well as other birds living in the swamp.
In certain higher places, there were many holes where the crabs were living
in, and this shows that the mangrove swamp is a home for many different
kinds of creatures.
Pollution
Sadly, there was a lot of litter present in the park and mangrove swamp. All
these litter were mainly plastic bottles and styrofoam boxes. The public should
know its harmful effects on the animals living in the mangrove swamp, and
yet they are still littering. Such places are rare in Singapore, a preserved
natural habitat for animals, yet people who visit are still littering without
thinking of the consequence. I hope that these places will be able to be
preserved and not be ruined by litter.
Reflection
I feel that places such as the mangrove swamp at Pasir Ris Park is one of the
places that is not so common in Singapore as Singapore has become more
urbanized. Mangrove swamps are places that is the natural habitat of many
animals, and dirtying these places would disturb the natural habitat of the
animals. Thus, it is important that we do not litter these places. This trip to Pasir
Ris Park and the swamp walk way at Sungei Api Api has let me experience
nature closer.