Preserving the tales and sounds of Singapore's nature spaces

The Straits Times' outdoor podcast series documents them before they are lost

- Ang Qing and Shabana Begum

Surrounded by the symphony of Singapore's wildlife, a growing group of nature guides are bringing people closer to the island's rich biodiversity, which can often go unnoticed to the untrained eye or ear.

This comes as more spaces in the land-scarce island-state are expected to be developed for housing and other needs.

Before these spaces fall silent and their tales told by conservationists are lost, The Straits Times documented these sounds and stories with a four-part outdoor podcast Green Trails, in 2024.

Throughout the year, the podcast team hit the trail with environmental experts, lugging audio equipment through Singapore's many parks, from the mainland's largest mangrove forest in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, to Punggol, one of its youngest towns.

The episodes, released every three months, tackled environmental issues facing the island state, which ranged from those faced by migratory birds here to how the future Long Island could impact local marine life.

This special-edition series was hosted by ST correspondents Ang Qing and Shabana Begum, and edited by podcast producer Hadyu Rahim.

ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis said: "The topics covered in this series are also very hyperlocal, and we set out to make it relatable and appealing to the Singapore audience."

For instance, cheeky long-tailed macaques have made headlines in recent years due to their clashes with humans, which include ransacking housing estates for food.