Sensory Trail of Pulau Ubin
Background of Trail
In 1995, the SAVE (Students Against Violating the Environment) club of Singapore American School (SAS) and the Nature Society of Singapore (NSS) got together to develop a trail which would allow the visually handicapped a chance to experience Ubin using their senses of touch and smell. Essentially, the trail allows its participants to experience some of the landscapes of Ubin without having to travel far.
In 2000, the trail was formally adopted by the SAS (Singapore American School) and SAVH (Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped) under the National Parks Board's Adopt-a-Park Scheme. A small garden was also added to allow visitors to touch and feel the vegetables being grown. The trail is about 1.5 km long and takes about 60 to 90 minutes to complete.
THE SENSORY EXPERIENCE
Walk slowly and you may hear the calls of many resident birds. The calls of the Magpie Robbin and Straw-headed Bulbul are music to the ears. Take a whiff at the aromatic plants like lemon grass and pandan. Caress the banana "stem" or the trunk of the guava tree and you may wonder they are so smooth. Discover the secrets of fine cooking at the "Secret Garden". Learn about the mangrove forest and its denizens and the cavernous tombs of the mud-lobsters and termites. Surely, your senses will be activated and heightened after the tour.
A sprinkling of salt spray, the aromatic lure of lemon grass, he sensual smoothness of the bark of Guava, the tentalizing fragrance of Pandan, the spices of life, the Secret Garden - more than meets the eye
All images by Chua Ee Kiam

1. NParks Info Kiosk 2. Guess who was here... 3. wild Yam 4. Bakery or storage dump? 5. Pandan Valley

6. sea Almond 7. Melastoma 8. White variety Melastoma 9. Sensory path 10. Ubin's best kept secret

11. Scare who? 12. Water Lemon 13. Winged bean 14. Job's Tears 15. Ciku fruit

16. Ficus grossularioides 17. Pinang Palm 18. Betel Nut 19. Tapioca 20. Nam-nam fruit

21. Dragon Scales 22. Termite Nest 23. Golden Web Spider 24. Stick insect 25. Praying Mantis

26. Changeable Lizard 27. Sea Hibiscus 28. Ixorra lobbii 29. Great Morinda 30. Root fern

See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me
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