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Over 50 species of native coastal plants to be introduced at Coney Island Park

SINGAPORE — Over 50 species of native coastal plants, including critically endangered species, will be introduced to a four-hectare plot of land at Coney Island Park over the next five years.

L – R: Ong Soon Yan, Group Operations and Technology OCBC Bank, Ooi Sang Kuang, Chairman of OCBC Bank, Lim Khiang Tong, Group Operations and Technology OCBC Bank, Professor Leo Tan, Chairman of Garden City Fund, participating in the volunteer efforts to enhance habitat at Coney Island Park by planting over 50 species of native coastal plants on June 29, 2017. Photo: Esther Leong/TODAY

L – R: Ong Soon Yan, Group Operations and Technology OCBC Bank, Ooi Sang Kuang, Chairman of OCBC Bank, Lim Khiang Tong, Group Operations and Technology OCBC Bank, Professor Leo Tan, Chairman of Garden City Fund, participating in the volunteer efforts to enhance habitat at Coney Island Park by planting over 50 species of native coastal plants on June 29, 2017. Photo: Esther Leong/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — Over 50 species of native coastal plants, including critically endangered species, will be introduced to a four-hectare plot of land at Coney Island Park over the next five years.

The five-year habitat enhancement programme is a collaboration between the National Parks Board (NParks) and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited (OCBC Bank), which will see primarily OCBC Bank management and staff donating S$250,000 to the fund the programme.

Among the species to be planted include the Small-leaved Nutmeg (Knema globularia), Silver Bush (Sophora tormentosa), and the Damak-damak Tahun (Scolopia macrophylla), which was believed to be extinct until its rediscovery on Coney Island Park in 2014.

NParks CEO Kenneth Er said: “(The Scolopia macrophylla) was previously last seen in 1953, more than 60 years ago. We subsequently found more individuals in its vicinity and took great care to conserve this rare find.

“OCBC volunteers helped to propagate more Scolopia saplings last month, so that we can re-introduce more of the plants here,” he added.

(Coastal forest plot at habitat enhancement site. Photo: NParks)

From May 31, OCBC volunteers have been partnering NParks staff to Coney Island Park to locate and propagate several endangered plant species.

OCBC Group CEO Samuel Tsien, who requested interesting and attractive plants be introduced as part of the habitat enhancement programme, said: “I want (our families, friends, and beneficiaries from our charity partners) to experience the excitement, and, for the older people, the pleasant recall of their childhood days – when they don’t have interactive cyber games such as Counterstrike, or Candy Crush to engage in, but interacting with the nature at parks and gardens which was part of the (growing) up process.”

(Native flora of the coastal forest plot. Photo: Ang Wee Foong, NParks)

Under the programme, more Scolopia specimens will be introduced to help re-establish a population. This, together with the other species, will make it the most diverse habitat enhancement project planned for the 50-hectare Coney Island Park since its opening in 2015, NParks and OCBC said in a joint statement on Thursday (June 29).

In turn, the seeds from the initial batch will help to regenerate and natural ecosystem and build plant diversity in the area, which will provide habitat for fauna such as the Rusty-breasted Cuckoo, the Spotted Wood Owl and dragonflies like the Sultan and Lined Forest-Skimmer.

Donations from OCBC will also help to add additional features such as trails and benches to Coney Island Park in a sensitive manner.

“Conservation requires long-term effort from everyone, and such initiatives to enhance habitats are integral to our overall plan to conserve our native biodiversity,” said Mr Er.

“This project will go a long way in helping the natural ecosystem of Coney Island Park to recover and thrive.”

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