Coastal forest trail, hilltop views and lagoon tidal pool: Big Sister’s Island to reopen in 2024
SINGAPORE — Big Sister’s Island will reopen to visitors next year with new features including a 230m coastal forest trail that leads to a hilltop view deck, which also serves as a prime spot for birdwatching.
Artist impression of the 230m Ocean Network Express Coastal Forest Trail on Big Sister's Island.
About Sisters' Islands Marine Park
The marine park spans about 40ha around Big Sister’s Island and Small Sister’s Island, and along the western reefs of both St John's Island and Pulau Tekukor.
A feasibility study was initiated in 2015 to explore sustainable ways to conserve the habitats at the park while providing a range of outreach and educational activities for the public, said NParks.
After the conclusion of environmental impact assessments, enhancement works started in 2021 and are expected to be completed by the first half of 2024.
Big Sister’s Island will serve as a platform for conservation, outreach, education and recreation. Small Sister’s Island, which is closed to the public, is zoned for conservation and research.
According to the NParks website, camping, barbecuing and fishing are prohibited at the park.
NParks also announced new partnerships with Ocean Network Express (One) and Singtel to support enhancement works at the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park.
“These will enhance visitors’ experience and enable them to learn about the importance of conserving coastal and marine biodiversity,” it said.
Here are what visitors can look forward to:
COASTAL FOREST TRAIL
The Ocean Network Express Coastal Forest Trail will run through the centre of Big Sister’s Island, allowing visitors to learn more about the island’s coastal habitats.
NParks said habitat enhancement will also be carried out for the area bordering the trail through the planting of critically endangered coastal species such as putat laut and penaga laut.
The 230m trail will culminate in a hilltop view deck with panoramic views of other offshore islands.
The deck will also serve as a birdwatching vantage point. Eagle-eyed visitors may be able to catch a glimpse of the spotted wood owl, white-bellied sea eagle and the critically endangered great-billed heron.
The development of the trail is supported by a donation of S$1 million from One, through NParks’ registered charity and IPC, the Garden City Fund.
“The contribution from One will also support marine education programmes and learning resources at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, which will enable visitors to learn about the importance of habitat conservation and foster a greater appreciation for our natural heritage,” said NParks.
LAGOON TIDAL POOL
An existing lagoon at Big Sister’s Island will be developed into a tidal pool to retain seawater during low tides.
“This will create a sheltered water body that in turn can help to encourage mangrove propagules and seagrass to establish inside the lagoon. It will also protect the lagoon beach from wave-induced erosion,” said NParks.
The lagoon will mature over time into a multihabitat ecosystem, supporting a wide range of marine biodiversity, it added.
This may include marine flora such as the spoon seagrass and api-api jambu, as well as fauna such as the common sea star.
The development of the tidal pool is supported by a donation of S$1 million from Singtel, through NParks’ registered charity and IPC, the Garden City Fund.
A marine classroom will be created so people can learn more about the biodiversity at the marine park.
“Through the creation of an immersive and engaging 5G-powered marine classroom, we hope to foster greater awareness and appreciation of our remarkable local biodiversity and empower every generation to enjoy the unspoilt beauty and rich biodiversity of the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park,” said Singtel's Group Chief People and Sustainability Officer Aileen Tan.
PLANT CORAL, SEED A REEF
Organisations and individuals who are interested in habitat enhancement efforts at Sisters’ Islands Marine Park can support marine conservation under the Garden City Fund’s Plant-A-Coral Seed-A-Reef programme.
Those who want to support the transplantation of one coral nubbin may do so with a donation of S$200 under the Plant-A-Coral initiative.
Coral nubbins, which are small coral fragments, will be attached to wall plugs and allowed to grow to suitable sizes within nurseries and on the reef before being transplanted to a reef enhancement unit.
Those who want to support the installation of a reef enhancement unit can make a donation of S$20,000 under the Seed-A-Reef initiative. These units are artificial structures placed within suitable reef zones to enhance bare areas for marine organisms to grow and reef fish to seek refuge.
Donors under this programme will be entitled to a private guided walk at St John’s Island. They can also attend a coral workshop that includes a brief presentation on coral biology, threats and conservation efforts.
More information can be found on the Garden City Fund's website.
OTHER CONSERVATION EFFORTS
A new initiative to plant 100,000 corals in Singapore’s waters was also announced at the symposium.
NParks said this will scale up existing coral restoration efforts, to substantially improve the resilience of coral communities and reefs.
The initiative will see corals grown and nurtured from small nubbins in coral nurseries until they are large enough to be transplanted. They will then be transplanted onto degraded reefs for restoration purposes or be inserted into other areas to establish new coral communities.
NParks is working on the programme, together with academic partners such as the St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory, and with the support of the Friends of Marine Park community. The new initiative will be launched next year.
NParks also announced two projects that have been awarded grants under the first grant call of the S$25 million multi-stakeholder Marine Climate Change Science Programme to advance climate change and marine conservation research.
These projects, led by researchers from NUS, will go towards developing new knowledge and solutions to strengthen the resilience of natural ecosystems to climate change. CNA
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