Little Bodhi Outing to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

As part of our holiday programmes and in conjunction with World Environment Day, a trip to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve(SBWR) has been arranged for our Little Bodhi students on 15 June 2022. One of the objectives of the SBWR outing is for our students to foster an appreciation and respect for nature and to bring students closer to the wetlands and enhance their understanding of its rich flora and fauna.

The trip was one of the two Little Bodhi Outings (LBO) that the centre arranges for our students during the June and December school holidays. 45 students along with Little Bodhi staff and volunteers from NTU Buddhist Society (NTUBS) left the centre at 9.00 a.m., arriving at SBWR at 9.20 a.m. We started out at SBWR Visitor Centre, the new extension to the original SBWR.

The highly-spirited students were appropriately attired to explore the trails at SBWR. All were excited to spot the wildlife and identify the flora at the wetland reserve. For the P1s and P2s, this outing was their first ever field trip since outdoor learning journeys were put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, due to the safe management measures imposed by National Parks Board, the students had to be divided into different groups, not exceeding 30 in number, and the different groups will be starting at different points in the reserve.

At the Visitor Centre which houses the Mangrove Gallery, the students found interesting exhibits and information that introduces them to the unique environment of the mangroves. As the students had to complete the LBO worksheet, most were engrossed reading through the information that the teachers had trouble moving them along to their next destination.

Next to the Visitor Centre was the Junior Adventure Trail. Here, the students had fun going through two obstacles : Firstly, the students imagined themselves as crabs or mudskippers in the mangroves as they took on a stepping stone challenge that was designed to look like pencil roots of the mangrove trees. Next, the “Up and Down” challenge comprises of a series of obstacles that looked like mangrove roots where the students had to duck under as they walked along the boardwalk. However, halfway through the obstacle course, heaven poured and the students had to take refuge at the Mangrove Gallery until the rain let up.

Heaven favoured us as soon after the sun shone and the students were able to resume their journey. At the Little Heron Deck, the students were excited as they saw the snout of a crocodile in the distant and their eyes shifted following the splashes of water caused by the swishing of schools of fishes trying to get away from the fearsome predator. Seeing the elusive SBWR crocodiles made us feel that our day was made. But the day only got better as we trekked the different trails. At the end of the day, we saw a pair of white-bellied sea eagles soaring majestically high up in the sky, mudskippers, otters, monitor lizards and many more.

No trip to SBWR would be complete without stopping at the IG-worthy photo taking spots such as at the Eagle Point and the onion-shaped pods that dotted along the Coastal Trail. The students found these pods, which are actually hideouts for bird-watchers, interesting structures to climb into and explore. All in all, the students had an enjoyable learning experience discovering Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park.