More mangroves at Kranji in the New Year

Our first trip for the New Year is of course back to Kranji to check out the mangroves there. It's high tide when we arrive!

So we explore the edges where it's drier and come across some surprising mangrove trees!

What's so marine about 2011 International Year of Forests?

2011 is designated International Year of Forests with the theme of “Forests for People”, celebrating the central role of people in our world’s forests.
The elements in the design depict some of the many values of forests and the need for a 360‐degree perspective. Forests provide shelter to people and biodiversity; provide food, medicine and clean water; and a vital role in global climate and environment.

At first glance, forests may seem to have nothing to do with seashores. But...

Homage to the hainesii

Mad Mangrove Maniacs have gathered this afternoon to pay homage to the gorgeous Bakau mata buaya (Bruguiera hainesii) at Kranji.

It was awesome to have Dr John Yong (left most) come to verify the identity of the tree. Dr Yong is the Mangrove Master who knows everything there is to know about mangroves. He wrote a paper about the Bruguiera species in Singapore (pdf) with lots of details and gorgeous photos. I have learnt so much from him about mangroves. I blame Dr Yong entirely for my getting bitten by the mangrove bug.

December wild facts updates: hermit crabs!

Thanks to kind comments by liwaliw on wildsingapore flickr, some of our hermit crabs have been named!

This very hairy hermit crab is probably Dardanus lagopodes.

Sundial snail wins!

Our beautiful sundial snail won in last week's EOL photo contest! Chay Hoon found this amazing snail at Sisters Islands.

The Encyclopedia of Life has a lively EOL flickr group with regular contests themed around various aspects of the Planet's amazing biodiversity. It was a great surprise that our humble but very handsome Sundial snail (Architectonica perspectiva) won the contest about 'spirals'. Other entries included an awesome purple spiraling young fern tip entitled Purple Viol (which was the runner up winner), a cute chameleon with a curled tail and other cool coiling stuff.

Rare mangroves at Kranji, with special find?

Could this be the very rare Bakau mata buaya (Bruguiera hainesii)?!

This tree is listed as Critically Endangered and as far as I know, there is only one mature tree on the mainland, and two on Pulau Ubin.