Nestled in the midst of Pasir Ris housing estate, the lush
greenery of Pasir Ris town park welcomed us on the morning of 1st
of July. While we waited for more members to join us at the starting
point, I marvelled at the location of the park that was accessible by public
transport and seemed to serve as a popular spot for social interactions for
nearby residents. At the park’s center is a large pond and one could
observe a number of fishing enthusiasts waiting for their catch.
Once all members were gathered
we commenced the walk by heading towards Pasir Ris Park via the Pasir Ris Park
connector. Along the way the group broke up with some preferring to take
a run while others a brisk walk.
At the end of the park connector
we headed to the west side of Pasir Ris Park and walked along the beach.
While the beach on the surface looked litter-free, the number of ships
that were anchored along the coast made me wonder whether the quality of the
water was fit to swim or even just wet your feet. Perhaps that is the reason we
saw families preferring to camp, jog, or cycle along the beach rather than take
a swim in the water.
There was a varied conversation
going around in the group. We spoke about the environment and the usage
of plastic in our daily life. With countries like New Zealand and even
India banning plastic, Singapore seemed way behind in implementing measures to
reduce the usage of plastic in our day-to-day activities. Another group
was reminiscing about a camping trip that had taken place a couple of years ago
at Pasir Ris as a part of the Integral Education Programme with children and
adults enjoying the activities despite the sudden downpour.
We slowed down a bit to spot
some of nature’s wonders around us like a unique flower that looked like a
Magnolia but had a smaller flower within. The trees were lined with some
mushrooms and
this made a good spot to take
some nature pictures.
Pasir Ris park has quite a few
observation points for nature enthusiasts to enjoy the flora and fauna.
We climbed the Look-out tower to spot some birds and spotted two yellow birds
that Kiruthika identified as Orioles.
No walk at Pasir Ris is complete
without seeing the Mangrove forest. The mangrove boardwalk leads off to a
small pier overlooking the mangrove-lined Sungei Tampines. Children tried to
identify some of the marine life and spotted a monitor lizard.
At the end of the walk, it was
ascertained that this walk had a record number of attendees of 35 members. We
then headed towards the hosts’- Ami, Sanjay, and Aakash’s - residence for
meditation and prayers. The prayer session was followed by a small birthday
celebration for all July-born members and we were all treated to a delicious
brunch prepared by the family which was much enjoyed by everyone present.
---- Swati Kiran
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