Group photo session, 11th Hole New Course Wetland as the backdrop
A briefing was given before the tour started to discuss the necessities for the wetland and the preserved forest for this Sanctuary project to succeed. There were four stations highlighted on the tour starting with the Wetland of the 18th Hole New Course, followed by the Wetland of the 17th Hole New Course, the Wetland of the 11th Hole New Course, and finally the Reserved Nature Area of the 11th Hole New Course. To get to the first species, the cat tail plant, we crossed the 18th hole fairway on foot from the golfer’s terrace.
Nymphea nouchali bunn – pink water lily flower
The purple water lily’s petals are pointed and form a star-like bloom
Among the emergent plants introduced were the deep marsh like cat tail, Typha angustiloba Linn and the shallow marsh; Knotgrass, Polygonum barbatum and Hanguana ; Hanguana Malayana.
The floating water lily scattered on the lake of 18th Hole New Course
Wetland, 18th Hole New Course
The cat tail flower has a hot doglike appearance. Knowing that the plants are native is crucial since native and non-native plants differ. Inflorescences of females are always found beneath those of males. The native cat tail plant typically has a gap between the male and female flowers.
Pacific swallow, the common swallow often in cities perching on the hazard stick
Breaking up cat tail female inflorescence into pollens
The white flowers of Knotgrass
These cat tail pollen can be used in its natural form as a diuretic to treat urinary issues or can be roasted and used as a coagulant to stop bleeding. The rhizomes, which are high in starch and somewhat edible, was also pointed out to the participants. Decorative dried flowers can also be derived from the plants. Additionally, they serve the biological purpose of purifying the lake’s water by lowering chemical pollutants and suspended solids. In addition, it biodegrades organic pollutants in water.
Pineapple-like of Hanguana leaves
The water lily, Nymphea nouchali bunn, the only floating species, which is also found near the 18th Hole Lake was introduced next. Participants were instructed on how to distinguish between lotuses and water lilies. While lotus leaves emerge and develop out of the water, water lily leaves have a heart-shaped appearance and just float on the water. Their blossoms have greater diversity and water lily petals are pointed and form a star-like bloom. Lotus petals, on the other hand, are more rounded and occasionally ruffled.
During the walk, it was mentioned that the water lily seed was used to harvest fox nuts. Foxnut can be costly, with prices as high as $175 per kilogramme. This is principally due to the challenging nature of harvesting the seed given the high sensitivity of timing the harvest. It may also be possible to treat sexually transmitted infections and gonorrhoea with the water lily’s juice. A participant enquired about how to establish water lilies. Water lilies are best planted from seed. After soaking in the water for 15 days, the roots emerge and new shoots would elongate.
The yellow flower of Dillenia suffruticosa, Simpoh Air
Wetland, 17th Hole New Course
We continue the walk along the fairway and stop at a cluster of knotgrass species, also known as Smart grass, at the 17th hole of the New Course Lake. Knotgrass, also known as Polygonum barbatum, protects the bank and helps regulate the lake’s sediment. It has been used as a traditional cure to treat smallpox in the past. The two varieties of knotgrass that were discussed had red and white flowers. It’s said that the red variety tastes hotter than the white one.
The next species introduced was Bakong, often called Hanguana. The big leaf that resembles a pineapple is said to be called ‘The Fibre for the Future’ in the Philippines. It grows aggressively at depths of up to 24 feet in the sea. Additionally, Hanguana protects banks, lowers chemical and suspended solids contaminants, and breaks down organic pollutants in water. It also provides arboreal birds with food and refuge in the form of its fruits. It can be grown using a sucker or a seed.
A cluster of Polygonum barbatum, Knotgrass
Wetland, 11th Hole New Course
The Simpoh Air, Dillenia suffruticosa, a wetland species found at the lake’s edge on the 11th Hole New Course, was introduced. The lovely thing about the flowers is that they only bloom around three in the morning. The sepal and its seeds will be left out when the petals fall. The establishment of a functional wetland that can draw wildlife depends on allowing the shallow wetland zone to remain at the ideal water level to increase productivity in this area. Even if the lakes would need to be artificially replenished during the drought season, the swamp species are important since they can help to protect the wetland.
A solution to ensure that optimal water levels are maintained is to place exit pipe above the base of the shelf in the shallow wet zone. It was proposed that the exit pipes should be placed at least 50 cm above the floor of the shelf. It was mentioned that the wetland needs to achieve water retention by ensuring that the natural undersoil layer is impervious, typically achieved through a layering of clay soil. The periodicity of water recharge into the lakes may be an issue during particularly dry periods and it may be necessary to artificially recharge through the use of an irrigation system.
The group photo was taken and the 11th Hole New Couse Wetland as the backdrop before we moved to the next station.
Simpoh air attract ants due to its sweetness
Reserved Nature Area 11th Hole New Course
The participants were subsequently guided towards a reserved nature area at the 11th hole of the New Course. The features of the habitat including the structural complexity of tree density play a role in providing shelter for wildlife. Other than that, the diversity of species selected may provide food for birds, mammals and insects. The tree and shrub selection are based on what can be beneficial to different groups of birds. Four different groups of birds are attracted to their source of food and trees selection will be crucial.
Nectavirous birds are attracted to plants here such as the Pagoda and Helicornia, that bear flowers. Insectivorous birds, the Ixora can attract insects to sweet-smelling birds. The frugivorous bird bulbul and green pigeon are attracted to fruiting plants like Senduduk, Cermai and other Ficus sp. Marsh species like Fimbristyllis sp, produce small nuts of inflorescence and provide food for munias and the other graminivorous birds. The good ground cover and low vegetation like the long grass and the other herbaceous plants are also important in providing shelter for the wildlife.
The reserve area is planned to become protected area for wildlife. The wetland creates the connecting corridor from the forest to the aquatic lake system to serve both the forest birds and water birds.
Quiz and Light Refreshment
At 11th Hole New Course, our walk came to its end and we returned to the hall for some light refreshments. Members watched a brief video and prepared for the test. Every participant was able to provide excellent answers to the quiz.
Learning about the Sanctuary’s composition, the development of the terrestrial ecosystem, and the enhancement of the wetland environment are the goals of the nature walk. As we know, the wetland is a refuge for water birds and a feeding ground for woodland birds. Within the terrestrial environment, trees serve as a reserved and protected area due to their structural and complicated diversity of trees.
Participants gave us compliments at the end of the session, stating that the information about the plants in wetlands and wildlife-designated forests was well-informed and fascinating.
