SINGAPORE, May 21 (Xinhua) -- As Singapore awakens each morning, dance teacher Jocelyn Chng often heads not to a studio, but to parks, wetlands and quiet corners of the city in search of birds.
What began as a way to pass time during the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a deep passion for birdwatching and wildlife photography -- one that now shapes how she sees nature, stress and even Singapore itself.
"I just feel like sometimes when I'm so stressed and buried in my work, I need to stop and go look at some birds," Chng told Xinhua on Wednesday, ahead of the International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22. She is one of the residents in this modern city who is increasingly connecting with biodiversity through citizen science and everyday encounters with wildlife.
Held annually since 1984, the Singapore Bird Race, organized by the Nature Society Singapore (NSS), is one of the longest-running citizen science events in Southeast Asia. Chng has participated in it for the past four years.
The race is designed to promote the appreciation, awareness, and conservation of wild birds in Singapore, as well as to raise awareness about local biodiversity among the general public. The data collected during this annual race has been used in guiding national conservation assessments and initiatives, according to NSS.
Participants spend about five hours traveling across Singapore trying to spot as many bird species as possible before submitting their observations to organizers as part of bird monitoring efforts, Chng said, "every year we try to do better than the previous year."
For Chng, birdwatching is not only a hobby but also a way to reconnect with nature in a fast-paced city.
"It's really interesting how birdwatching has changed my life. For me, it's a way to forget about work, have fun and relieve stress. When you're very stressed, going into nature really helps. Just walking around, seeing animals and birds going about their lives, and observing their behavior makes you realize there's something much bigger than yourself," Chng said.
Among her favorites are kingfishers, particularly the brightly colored black-backed dwarf kingfisher and ruddy kingfisher.
"They are very beautiful, but also very challenging to photograph because they are small and like to hide among branches and leaves," she said.
Beyond their beauty, Chng believes birds play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystems through pollination, seed dispersal and predator-prey relationships.
"For example, the Asian openbills," she said. "These birds can help control invasive apple snails in Singapore's waterways by feeding on their eggs."
As her passion for birdwatching grew, it also began influencing people around her -- including her mother.
"She started getting interested after seeing what I was doing," Chng said. "Now sometimes I bring her along and we go find birds together."
For Chng, biodiversity is not an abstract environmental concept but something deeply personal -- found in the rustling leaves of a park, the flash of orange feathers in the trees, and the quiet moments that nature offers amid urban life. ■