Pasir Ris

By Dolores Parker

Photos: Dolores Parker & Ester Tay

Crabs that climb trees!  Poison pong pongs!  Roots that grow up from the ground and fish that breathe air!   We saw these amazing things and more at Pasir Ris Park.  Although the area feels very remote from Orchard Rd, it is easy to get there by transit.  After a short walk from the Pasir Ris MRT station we met up with our National Park guides. 

Mr. Yusoff and Yvonne led us through the fascinating Mangrove forest.   As we strolled along the shady boardwalk we learned about this important ecosystem and what is being done to protect and propagate it.  The guides pointed out plants such as the nipah  palms, cabbage trees, pong pong trees and the mangrove trees.  They explained the uses and dangers of some of these plants as well as the creative ways they have evolved to propagate themselves. 

The animals were also really interesting. we saw mud skippers, mud crabs, a mangrove eel and grey herons. The guides answered all of our questions about these creatures and even provided several buckets with examples of molluscs for us to examine and handle. after our tour, we had just enough time for a quick tour, we had just enough time for a quick walk toward the sea to have a look at the Kalongs before heading back to the white sands mall for a very welcome air-conditioned lunch. Many of us are planning to return with our families to explore more of Pasir Ris Park and to share what we learned about its unusual plants and animals.