Nature Appreciation Night, 24 Oct 2008

Short message from the guides:

The nature walk had been very enjoyable for all of us and so I hope everyone else had fun too! We are still working hard to find out more about our garden campus but I hope the walk had been both interesting and informative for all of you. There are actually more than 30 types of plants in Yunnan Garden itself and that day's walk covered only a fraction of them. The route that day had been designed such that it catered to the special seasons of the trees - eg flowering/fruiting. The next time you visit the garden again, it'll be another different sight.

So, we hope to see all of you again soon for our next walk! It'll be yet another experience - different trees, different Yunnan Garden.

Epiphytic Plants

There are always interesting plants and trees to be observed when you walk around the campus. But sometimes, the ecological interactions between them are just as interesting. Last week, I came across an interesting tree located around hall 1 block 12. What makes it very unique is that its whole trunk has been covered with many other kinds of plants, right to the extent that you can barely see the trunk itself!

I took this picture at night with my phone camera, so I hope you will excuse its poor quality.

These plants should not be confused with parasites. Despite growing on the tree, they do not steal the nutrition from it. This ecological interaction falls under the commensalism symbiotic relationship, to which the plants gain benefits of better sunlight exposure without having to harm the tree.

Similar plants interaction can also be spotted along the Student Walk to canteen 2, in case if you want to see them as well.

"Euphoric" Tree at Yunnan Garden

18th September 2008 marked my first formal encounter with Yunnan Garden, which was actually a prelude to what nature guiding is all about for a greenhorn like me. Previously, I have walked through Yunnan Garden once but I did not have the luxury of admiring the flora and fauna. Thus, the experience was truely an eye-opener of the diversity of organisms that the garden has to offer.

There was a particular tree that struck a deep impression on me. There was a strangler-like growth on the main trunk of the tree, though I am not very sure what it is supposed to be. I was fascinated with this artpiece of nature. What made this tree interesting was the pattern of the growth. Using some imagination, it reminded me of a happy man with outstretched hands and legs. Somehow, for some unknown reasons, whenever I look at this photo of the tree, I would feel a sense of euphoria.

Therefore, the next time you are at Yunnan Garden, do slow down your footsteps to take in the sights of nature. There might be some other masterpieces of nature along your way. Do enjoy!