Station 1: The Fishing Jetty
We arrived at the Fishing Jetty at Lower Seletar Reservoir to conduct checks on the water quality. The smell, colour, turbidity, temperature, amount of dissolved oxygen and the pH of the water were all tested, and concluded that the water at the reservoir was clean enough for the survival of marine life and the water was slightly greenish due to the algae. We have learnt the fact that the reservoir was clean enough and easier to be purified for human consumption. At least we know that the Lower Seletar Reservoir is clean!
Station 2: The Litter Trap
Our next station was the litter trap. The litter trap was literally a trap for litter that was disposed into the reservoir. The litter trap was a V-shaped device and it was really huge so as to trap more litter and was not required to clear it that often. Pleasing to see, what was trapped there were not bottles and drink cans, instead, they were leaves that fell from the trees above, and there was not much of them anyway. This shows the consideration of the people there!
Station 3: Rain Garden
As we approached the station, we could spot the gorgeous sight of the beautiful plants there and in front of the plants was our station master, all so ready to explain the procedures to water conservation at the Rain Garden. I never knew that plants could help conserve water by planting them on an uphill slope and installing some pipes bellow so as to collect the rainwater that flows down from the plants in to the pipe. The water in the pipe is then cleaned further before proceding into the reservoir. From this, we can see that the water in the reservoir is really clean!
Station 4: The Heritage Panals
The journey to the heritage panals were short, but filled with curiousity as we made our way to the heritage panals. History of Lower Seletar Reservoir was printed clearly on the glass panals and what we found out there was really enriching due to the rapid changes in the current society. Lower Seletar Reservoir used to be a place for the public, for many people to organise their recreational activities, however, now they have other places that are more convenient than the Lower Seletar Reservoir, hence it has became into a water catchment area only, despite its mesmerising scenery.
Station 5: The English Station
Over here, I was given the task of composing a letter to one of my friend about my virgin trip to the Lower Seletar Reservoir. You bet I had all praises and no complains! Well, it sure was an enriching and interesting trail to be experiencing.
After a trip to the Lower Seletar Reservoir, I have learnt countless amount of things, one of them is to conserve water. Conservation of water is a lacking factor in Singapore as many people have moved on to the usage of water for personal enjoyments, such as the building of swimming pools to swim in, personal ones and public ones. The severe abuse of the abundance of fresh water in Singapore has led to the increasing constructions of water catchment areas, examples are Bedok Reservoir and Lower Seletar Resevoir. The increased amounts of reservoirs has led to the wastage of land, and it would not have happened if we conserved water. Also, I have learnt that Lower Seletar Reservoir used to be a place where people gather together for industrial activities, where many people have fun together and enjoy themselves. I have learnt not to commit any act of polluting again, as we many dirty the reservoirs and they are where we obtain our clean water, hence we should all do our part by not polluting the reservoir. In conclusion, I have realised that water is an indespensible resource and it is very important to us, therefore we should not waste it and should conserve it instead.
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Reflections- Hao Jun
The first station we went to was the rain garden station. The station master told us to observe the rain garden while explaining how this rain garden helps to filter the waste in the water. I was really surprised when I was told how much this small little rain garden can cut down the cost of purifying the water with chemicals.
The Rain Garden
canoes used today
Structure that represents a Fishing Net
The fourth station was the station where we did the water purity test and learn about the forming of algae. We were supposed to collect a bucket of water and the station master did the test with us.
The Fishing Jetty
Collecting water for the test
Chemicals used for the test
The rainy day view
Overall, I feel that this is a very meaningful trip. Although it was raining before the trip and drizzling during the trip, it made the place cooling and thus I could appreciate it better. The learning journey this time round was an "amazing race", where we went from station to station, one after another, where we tried our best at each station and earn stickers, which represents points. During this learning journey, I have learnt more about a reservoir and come to better appreciate it. I would bring my friends along with me the next time I go to reservoir and hope that they will see what I see and appreciate it too.
A Bird i saw
Of course, only having water catchment areas would not be enough. Singapore still has one more agreement with Malaysia, which expires in 2061, to buy water from Malaysia. Singapore also stared NEwater, where used water is recycled and can be used again. This way, it can help to solve the problem of water constraint, by having fresh water to meet the needs of people.
Lower Seletar Reservoir as a Recreational Area
Lower Seletar Reservoir is a place for many recreational activities! People can go jogging, fishing, sightseeing, canoeing and even play golf! It has a 1.3km jogging track, a fishing jetty, and a golf course.
The jogging track.
people fishing
The Scenery
Refelctions- Jia Ying
What is ABC Programme?
ABC Programme refers to Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme, natural features designed, such as rain gardens and bioretention swales aim to keep our waters clean. They help detain and treat rainwater on site before allowing it to flow into reservoirs. They also transformed our global hydrohub into a City of Gardens and Water. The water benifits our ecological habitats, creating vibrant parks and green space, and bringing people a step closer to nature and outdoor learning of our waters and the diversity of life there.
Station 1:
At this station was a Heritage Desk's structure shaped like a fishing net to resemble the past activity at Lower Seletar Reservoir and preserve the heritage.
We wrote a brief description of the beauty of Lower Seletar on a postcard to be posted to a friend overseas. Also, we brainstormed synonyms of the words "Active", "Beautiful" and "Clean". Inspired by nature, we expanded our vocabulary and learnt new words such as pristine and tranquil. The activities were pretty enriching and one-of-a-kind. We had much fun scratching our heads and racking our brains, most importantly, improving our English. (:
Station 2:
As time rewond, we travelled in a time machine, back to the past, learning about the history of Lower Seletar Reservoir. We completed speech bubbles in the comic strip, learning that people used to trade for tobacco kerosene down the straits, in malay, Selita, Sletar or Salaeta (now Lower Seletar Reservoir). People cultivated rubber and pineapple then, as well.
Similarities - Water had been a source of supply for the people and is still the case. Greenery was maintained from the past.
Difference: 1)Physical Environment.
2)Activities
3)Transportation
Past:1)Rural settlement (Kampongs).
2)Fishing & plantation for sustainance.
3)Boats
Present:1)Urban settlement (High-Rise buildings, satellite dish for telecommunication and MRT, our own transport system.).
2)Educational tours, recreational (windsurfing, dragon boating, canoeing, sailing).
3)MRT, motor boats, bus.
Station 3:
Testing of water quality by observation and analysis, showed clean water! Algae in the water, but no litter on the surface and no odour! Hence, water is clean, unpolluted and safe to drink. From this station, I learnt that algae meant no harm to the water and diversity of life. They suspend in the water, forming a greenish-yellow colour, indicating an algal bloom, usually caused by high nutrients in the water, fertilisers or organic matter. So, algae is good! (: also, the water is less turbid, of 40 JTU. The water is between 27 - 28 Degree Celsius, like room temperature. Amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, about 4ppm, is enough for marine life to survive. At a pH of 7 - 8, Lower Seletar is a healthy reservoir! (: in conclusion, overall quality of water is clean. However, water cannot be drunk from the reservoir. There is still bacteria in it.
Station 4:
At the exit of the canal near the wooden bridge, facing the jetty, we learnt that activities such as life baits contaminate the water because they decompose. The water exits from Yishun and Ang Mo Kio housing estates and there is a litter trap in the mouth of the canal to reduce pollution in the reservoir. We learnt, too, that trapped pollutants such as plastic bags from people may lead turtles to mistaking them as jellyfish, causing death. Cans release chemicals into the water while bottles suffocate fishes.
Station 5:
Here, we came into contact with the rain garden also known as the bioretention basin where rainwater runoff that flows from the park is collected, detained and treated. It is then filtered and further treated before reusing in the water play area and wading stream. The rain garden not only enhances quality of rainwater runoff, but they also reduce flow velocities, encourage habitat creation, promote diversity, beautify surrounding landscape, and allowing water to be filtered and cleansed naturally without use of chemicals. Extimated 10 species of plants have been planted.
Last but not least, in my opinion, this learning journey at Lower Seletar was enriching and fun-filled. This once in a blue moon hands-on opportunity was an eye opening and I learnt too many things about our water, some points linking back to the chapters we study in our Geography textbook. It was different. It was unique. It was off-the-beaten-track. And I thoroughly enjoyed it! May we have more of such learning journeys in the future! (:
ABC Programme refers to Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme, natural features designed, such as rain gardens and bioretention swales aim to keep our waters clean. They help detain and treat rainwater on site before allowing it to flow into reservoirs. They also transformed our global hydrohub into a City of Gardens and Water. The water benifits our ecological habitats, creating vibrant parks and green space, and bringing people a step closer to nature and outdoor learning of our waters and the diversity of life there.
Station 1:
At this station was a Heritage Desk's structure shaped like a fishing net to resemble the past activity at Lower Seletar Reservoir and preserve the heritage.
We wrote a brief description of the beauty of Lower Seletar on a postcard to be posted to a friend overseas. Also, we brainstormed synonyms of the words "Active", "Beautiful" and "Clean". Inspired by nature, we expanded our vocabulary and learnt new words such as pristine and tranquil. The activities were pretty enriching and one-of-a-kind. We had much fun scratching our heads and racking our brains, most importantly, improving our English. (:
Station 2:
As time rewond, we travelled in a time machine, back to the past, learning about the history of Lower Seletar Reservoir. We completed speech bubbles in the comic strip, learning that people used to trade for tobacco kerosene down the straits, in malay, Selita, Sletar or Salaeta (now Lower Seletar Reservoir). People cultivated rubber and pineapple then, as well.
Similarities - Water had been a source of supply for the people and is still the case. Greenery was maintained from the past.
Difference: 1)Physical Environment.
2)Activities
3)Transportation
Past:1)Rural settlement (Kampongs).
2)Fishing & plantation for sustainance.
3)Boats
Present:1)Urban settlement (High-Rise buildings, satellite dish for telecommunication and MRT, our own transport system.).
2)Educational tours, recreational (windsurfing, dragon boating, canoeing, sailing).
3)MRT, motor boats, bus.
Station 3:
Testing of water quality by observation and analysis, showed clean water! Algae in the water, but no litter on the surface and no odour! Hence, water is clean, unpolluted and safe to drink. From this station, I learnt that algae meant no harm to the water and diversity of life. They suspend in the water, forming a greenish-yellow colour, indicating an algal bloom, usually caused by high nutrients in the water, fertilisers or organic matter. So, algae is good! (: also, the water is less turbid, of 40 JTU. The water is between 27 - 28 Degree Celsius, like room temperature. Amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, about 4ppm, is enough for marine life to survive. At a pH of 7 - 8, Lower Seletar is a healthy reservoir! (: in conclusion, overall quality of water is clean. However, water cannot be drunk from the reservoir. There is still bacteria in it.
Station 4:
At the exit of the canal near the wooden bridge, facing the jetty, we learnt that activities such as life baits contaminate the water because they decompose. The water exits from Yishun and Ang Mo Kio housing estates and there is a litter trap in the mouth of the canal to reduce pollution in the reservoir. We learnt, too, that trapped pollutants such as plastic bags from people may lead turtles to mistaking them as jellyfish, causing death. Cans release chemicals into the water while bottles suffocate fishes.
Station 5:
Here, we came into contact with the rain garden also known as the bioretention basin where rainwater runoff that flows from the park is collected, detained and treated. It is then filtered and further treated before reusing in the water play area and wading stream. The rain garden not only enhances quality of rainwater runoff, but they also reduce flow velocities, encourage habitat creation, promote diversity, beautify surrounding landscape, and allowing water to be filtered and cleansed naturally without use of chemicals. Extimated 10 species of plants have been planted.
Last but not least, in my opinion, this learning journey at Lower Seletar was enriching and fun-filled. This once in a blue moon hands-on opportunity was an eye opening and I learnt too many things about our water, some points linking back to the chapters we study in our Geography textbook. It was different. It was unique. It was off-the-beaten-track. And I thoroughly enjoyed it! May we have more of such learning journeys in the future! (:
Reflections- Teresa
I felt that the learning journey was really useful 8D
1st station: we tested the water on whether it was suitable for consumption. our group scooped up a bucket of reservoir water and the station master showed us a pill used to test on oxygen and the pH of the water. It turned out to be pH 8 which was the average pH for the survival of fishes. we also smelled the water for any weird smells and looked at the water which was clear.
2nd station: we talked about the different recreational activities and talked about how they could affect the quality of the water by pollution. there was a litter trap at the exit of the canal near the wooden bridge. The litter trap retains litter from waterways and remove it before water enters the reservoir. It was amazing that such a small trap could trap so much litter. The litter was also placed specially at the mouth of the canal so that litter will not be widespread. Some of the pollutants consists of drink packets, sweet wrapper and plastic bottles.
3rd station: the rain garden. we walked around the rain garden trying to search for the drain that treats the water. we learnt that the
4th station: we went to the panel and learnt about the history of lower seletar reservoir and we listed the differences between the past and present. did you know that lower seletar reservoir was once called selta, sketar, salaeta which meant straits in malay. we also learnt about the purpose of lower seletar reservoir from the past till now.
5th station: we learn about the ABC water programme. The ABC programme aims to integrate Singapore's praks, reservoirs, waterways and the community.
Overall: This trip to lower seletar reservoir was really useful to me as i learnt how to appreciate our precious water and it is important for us to save water.
1st station: we tested the water on whether it was suitable for consumption. our group scooped up a bucket of reservoir water and the station master showed us a pill used to test on oxygen and the pH of the water. It turned out to be pH 8 which was the average pH for the survival of fishes. we also smelled the water for any weird smells and looked at the water which was clear.
2nd station: we talked about the different recreational activities and talked about how they could affect the quality of the water by pollution. there was a litter trap at the exit of the canal near the wooden bridge. The litter trap retains litter from waterways and remove it before water enters the reservoir. It was amazing that such a small trap could trap so much litter. The litter was also placed specially at the mouth of the canal so that litter will not be widespread. Some of the pollutants consists of drink packets, sweet wrapper and plastic bottles.
3rd station: the rain garden. we walked around the rain garden trying to search for the drain that treats the water. we learnt that the
4th station: we went to the panel and learnt about the history of lower seletar reservoir and we listed the differences between the past and present. did you know that lower seletar reservoir was once called selta, sketar, salaeta which meant straits in malay. we also learnt about the purpose of lower seletar reservoir from the past till now.
5th station: we learn about the ABC water programme. The ABC programme aims to integrate Singapore's praks, reservoirs, waterways and the community.
Overall: This trip to lower seletar reservoir was really useful to me as i learnt how to appreciate our precious water and it is important for us to save water.
Reflections - Elvina
I think that the lower seletar was fun. At the first station, we tested the water and know how acidic or alkalinity the water is. WE have tested that the water is suitable for fishes to survive and it is indeed drinkable. As the water is green, wh have deduced that the water is clean and from our observation, we have see that there is algae in the water. Next we went to the second statio which taught us what activity can be carried out in water and the activities that cause the reservoir to be polluted. It was amazing that that small machine can stop all the litter. It can prevent the rubish from going in any further to ensure that clean water is transferred to houshold and safe for cosumption. The water there was from rain, household and canal. It is placed at the mouth of the caal so that litter might not be widespread. We have also learnt the history of water ad the lower seletar reservoir. I like the third station most as the scenery is very eautiful. The plants cultivated made the scenery so beautiful. The raigarden can prevent these environmental issues as the plants take up excess nutrients from fertilisers and filters off the water before enterig the reservoir therefore preventig algae bloom.The fourth and fifth station, we learnt the history pf the lower seletar reservoir and what the reservoir was used for activities like fishing and trading in the past. WE also learnt the differences between th past and present. The Heritage deck structure remids e of the fishig et and it is built to resemle it so as to preserve our heritage. WE also learnt the synonyms of beautiful and clean and the activity carried out there.
In all, it was like a amazing race, competing with another to finish the race and get as many stickers as possible. Fortunately, we were the second team to arive:) It was a meanigful journey where we learnt the history of water . It was something that I did not experience before
In all, it was like a amazing race, competing with another to finish the race and get as many stickers as possible. Fortunately, we were the second team to arive:) It was a meanigful journey where we learnt the history of water . It was something that I did not experience before
Reflections- Ng Yong Kang
At the first station i went to, i learnt that the water there is not polluted and can be drunk. It has a pH of 9 which is neutral and can support marine life.
Two thirds of Singapore are water catchment areas. I learnt from station two that this water comes from housing estates and rainwater in drains. Water skiing, canoeing and fishing can affect the water quality of the reservoir as waste products will dirty the water and the bait used for fishing will pollute the water.There was also a little trap in the canal which is used to prevent litter from entering the reservoir to minimize the area of litter collected in the resevoir. Pollutants like plastic bottles, leaves, branches and plastic bags also pollute the water and can endanger the survival of marine life.
The third station I went to was the rain garden which helps to prevent algae bloom. It is also a habitat for insects and bird. The rain garden contains phosphorus and nitrates. Plants there take up nutrients from fertilisers and filters water before it enters the reservoir, thus preventing algae bloom.
At the fourth station, i also learnt about the history of Seletar reservoir. One of the earlier names of Seletar resevoir is Selita Reservoir which means Straits in Malay. The people there trade for tobacco and kerosene and grow crops like pineapple and rubber.
Lastly, I learnt about the similarities and differences of the past and present of seletar reservoir. The similarities are that is still used as a water catchment area and physical activities are still conducted here. The differences are the Seletar reservoir was small, held industrial activities and used to have transport like canoes. Now, it is big, there are water activities and use of boats.
In all , I ejoyed the trip to Seletar Reservoir and have learnt a lot about it. I will also tell others not to pollute the waters in Singapore.
Two thirds of Singapore are water catchment areas. I learnt from station two that this water comes from housing estates and rainwater in drains. Water skiing, canoeing and fishing can affect the water quality of the reservoir as waste products will dirty the water and the bait used for fishing will pollute the water.There was also a little trap in the canal which is used to prevent litter from entering the reservoir to minimize the area of litter collected in the resevoir. Pollutants like plastic bottles, leaves, branches and plastic bags also pollute the water and can endanger the survival of marine life.
The third station I went to was the rain garden which helps to prevent algae bloom. It is also a habitat for insects and bird. The rain garden contains phosphorus and nitrates. Plants there take up nutrients from fertilisers and filters water before it enters the reservoir, thus preventing algae bloom.
At the fourth station, i also learnt about the history of Seletar reservoir. One of the earlier names of Seletar resevoir is Selita Reservoir which means Straits in Malay. The people there trade for tobacco and kerosene and grow crops like pineapple and rubber.
Lastly, I learnt about the similarities and differences of the past and present of seletar reservoir. The similarities are that is still used as a water catchment area and physical activities are still conducted here. The differences are the Seletar reservoir was small, held industrial activities and used to have transport like canoes. Now, it is big, there are water activities and use of boats.
In all , I ejoyed the trip to Seletar Reservoir and have learnt a lot about it. I will also tell others not to pollute the waters in Singapore.
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