Our Work
Camphora works with our partners to conduct biodiversity baseline studies within terrestrial, aquatic, mangrove and marine ecosystems to understand the impacts of future developments on these ecosystems. Our assessments help developers to refine development plans that reduce impacts on biodiversity and create new habitats wherever possible.
Biodiversity Impact Assessments
Collect & analyse baseline biodiversity data
By mapping the vegetation found onsite and conducting surveys to identify the fauna species present, we identify key habitats and sensitive floral and faunal receptors that would be affected by proposed construction works for development projects.
Predict & evaluate impact on biodiversity
By comparing project design to identified receptors, we evaluate the impact of specific construction works on important habitats as well as sensitive floral and faunal groups onsite. This is done in consideration of larger, long-term conservation efforts within the local context.
Propose mitigation measures
We work with clients, architects, landscape architects and engineers, technical agencies and representatives from nature groups, to recommend design solutions to conserve key important habitats identified onsite and to prescribe site specific measures necessary to safeguard biodiversity and enhance wildlife connectivity.
Notable Projects
Pulau Ubin Shoreline Works & Coastal Boardwalk
Thomson Nature Park
Cross Island Line Phase 2
Lim Chu Kang Region
Keppel &
Surrounding Areas
Camphora works with consultants and contractors to formulate adaptive Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans to reduce risk of excessive habitat loss, fauna mortality and human wildlife conflicts. In addition to setting up frameworks and conducting regular surveys throughout the duration of the construction works, our team is equipped to recommend specific solutions based on project conditions and situations.
Environmental Management & Monitoring
Reforestation & transplanting works
Where there are plants of conservation significance, we identify individuals for harvesting and transplant and prepare method statements inline with specific needs of different species. In larger forested sites, reforestation strategies may be developed in consultation with design teams and technical agencies to jump start the forest succession process, increase plant diversity, create habitats and improve fauna connectivity.
Fauna relocation
Where suitable and needed, we propose fauna relocation for species affected by construction in consultation with technical agencies. Feasibility studies prior to the relocation include the scouting of suitable host sites, and carrying out literature review on suitable host sites to ensure that as much as possible, affected individuals remain in similar environments.
Focal faunal species surveys
We help to monitor focal faunal species groups to assess and understand changes in species behaviour due to ongoing construction works. With the data collected, we provide recommendations on site- and species-specific wildlife management strategies.
Notable Projects
J107
Mandai West Arrival Node & Bird Park
Mandai Resort
Rifle Range Nature Park
Camphora works with master planners, architects and landscape architects to develop habitat enhancement and creation strategies to improve the quality of existing habitats within forests, freshwater water bodies, mangrove and marine ecosystems. Our habitat enhancement and design approaches prioritise increasing habitat, enhancing wildlife connectivity, improving ecological functions to try to achieve a net gain in biodiversity.
Habitat Enhancement, Creation & Design
Setting the objectives
Key to habitat enhancement and creation strategies is identifying the crucial ecological outcomes that are needed for the site. Camphora uses biodiversity baseline studies and literature reviews to identify gaps and understand the ecological potential of the prevailing site, including looking at Master Plans in adjacent sites and reviewing the need to future-proof green areas for connectivity.
Provide design consultancy
Camphora’s team of diverse flora, fauna and habitat specialists come together to provide rational, factual and science-based inputs to evolve ecological designs. Our team’s interdisciplinary experience and considerations in design, engineering, hydrology and construction allow us to contribute effectively to discussions and to derive practical and cost-efficient approaches to achieving the best ecological outcomes.
Monitoring
establishing habitats
Monitoring of establishing habitats is important to understand and gauge the effectiveness of the initial recommendations. Camphora has experience in devising scientific and robust processes to look at the growth or usage of floral or faunal species during the establishing periods. These monitoring regimes allow for real time observations to be integrated into ongoing deliberate measures to ensure the success of habitat enhancement initiatives.
Notable Projects
Yusof Ishak Secondary School
Jurong Lakeside Garden
Rifle Range Nature Park
Mangroves and intertidal shorelines are ecologically valuable habitats. The loss of mangroves has cascading impacts on ecological processes and diversity. Camphora’s range of competencies in mangrove habitats extends beyond identification of rare mangrove flora and fauna, to shoreline restoration works and collection and nursery propagation of mangrove propagules for installation on site.
Mangrove & Coastal Habitat Restoration
Assess habitat quality
Propose SPR measures
Large tree transplant
We bring our passion for mangrove plants into our work capturing detailed flora and fauna information onsite in order to establish a comprehensive baseline assessment of mangrove habitat quality. This information is then used to influence developments at proximity to mangroves and to inform shoreline protection and restoration (SPR) measures.
Mangrove and shoreline protection and restoration works are complicated and require assimilation of layers of information from a multitude of specialists including coastal engineers, hydrologists and modellers. Camphora gels this information with our broad understanding of mangrove plant characteristics (growth rates, propagation and establishment requirements) in order to achieve the best protection and restoration outcomes.
Our recommendations follow core principles of learning and working from nature and nature-based designs and solutions to address site-specific challenges of protecting mangroves and shorelines. Our baseline assessments help the incorporation of habitat enhancement strategies into the design of hard structures.
Notable Projects
Pulau Tekong Mangrove Restoration
Pulau Ubin Shoreline Works & Coastal Boardwalk
Tree conservation is at the core of Camphora’s conservation ideology. Although arboriculture is an urban discipline, arboriculture principles are relevant and essential for developments near or within forests. To date, Camphora has worked on more than 500 arboriculture projects locally and overseas ranging in complexity from master planning to conservation of large tembusu trees within developments facing land use constraints. In addition, we have the capabilities to formulate transplanting strategies for very large trees.
Arboriculture
Tree Conservation
& Design
The arborist team is proficient in hazard tree evaluation and construction impact assessment for trees affected by development. We deploy scientific equipment like IML Resistographs and PICUS tomography to understand the retention value of trees. We provide tree consultation services for master plans, new developments and established landscapes and work with design team and builders to recommend construction solutions at proximity to conserved trees and to guide submissions for authority clearances.
Transplanting
large trees
Large tree transplants are technically challenging to execute due to the tedious coordination of the transplant process and the complex science behind ensuring that the transplant survives and is structurally stable post-transplant. Camphora has a standing professional team that can be called upon to plan and execute large transplants. This team includes professional engineers, competent arboriculture tree-climbing teams and large crane operators that have years of experience on similar projects.
Notable Projects
St Andrew's Cathedral
Terminal 4 Rain Tree Transplant
BASF Learning Campus
Photo Credits: COEN Design Pte Ltd
Baseline & Impact Assessment
CROSS ISLAND LINE PHASE 2 (On-going)
Client: Land Transport Authority
ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE STUDY AT THE
LIM CHU KANG REGION (On-going)
Client: Singapore Food Agency
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AT
KEPPEL & SURROUNDING AREAS (2022)
Client: Housing and Development Board &
Urban Redevelopment Authority
SOUTHERN TENGAH/TENGAH TOWN (2021)
Client: Housing and Development Board
SENTOSA DEEP GRAVITY SEWER (2020)
Client: Sentosa Development Corporation
NANYANG PIPELINE (2020)
Client: Public Utilities Board
NEO TIEW LAND PREPARATION WORKS (2020)
Client: National Environment Agency
YISHUN NEIGHBOURHOOD 5 (2020)
Client: Housing and Development Board
MOUNT PLEASANT MASTER PLAN (2019)
Client: Housing and Development Board
MOUNT FABER FUNICULAR SYSTEM AND MASTER PLAN (2019)
Client: Mount Faber Leisure Group
SENTOSA ALPINE COASTER (2019)
Client: Sentosa Development Corporation
WOODLANDS NORTH COAST (2019)
Client: Housing and Development Board
BAHAR/ CLEANTECH PARK MASTER PLAN (2018)
Client: JTC Corporation
BROOKVALE FOREST (2018)
Client: Hoi Hup Realty
BULIM PHASE 2 MASTER PLAN (2018)
Client: JTC Corporation
PULAU SEMAKAU (2018)
Client: National Environment Agency
PULAU UBIN SHORELINE WORKS &
COASTAL BOARDWALK (2018)
Client: National Parks Board
SISTERS’ ISLAND MARINE PARK (2018)
Client: National Parks Board
SPRINGLEAF FOREST CONSERVATION PLANNING (2018)
Client: National Parks Board, Urban Redevelopment Authority
SUNGEI BULOH WETLAND RESERVE (2018)
Client: Singapore Police Force
JURONG ECO GARDEN (2017)
Client: JTC Corporation
THOMSON, BUKIT BATOK NATURE PARKS (2016)
Client: National Parks Board
RAPID TRANSPORT SYSTEM (2015)
Client: Land Transport Authority
Mangrove & Coastal Habitat Restoration
PULAU UBIN SHORELINE WORKS & COASTAL BOARDWALK (2018)
Client: National Parks Board
PULAU TEKONG MANGROVE RESTORATION (2009)
Client: Housing and Development Board
Arboriculture
ST ANDREW’S CATHEDRAL
(since 2012)
Arboriculture
Client: St Andrew’s Cathedral
CHANGI AIRPORT, TERMINAL 4 (2017)
Horticulture
Client: Changi Airport Group
TERMINAL 4 RAIN TREE TRANSPLANT (2016)
Arboriculture
Client: Changi Airport Group
PUNGGOL DIGITAL DISTRICT (2016)
Arboriculture
Client: JTC Corporation
THE SIENA (2014)
Arboriculture
Client: Far East Organisation
BISHAN-BRADDELL DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT WORKS (2014)
Arboriculture
Client: Public Utilities Board
BISHAN - ANG MO KIO PARK (2009)
Arboriculture and Horticulture
Client: Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl
BASF Learning Campus (2014)
Arboriculture
Client: BASF
Habitat Enhancement,
Creation & Design
BIDADARI HDB C15 & 16 (2020)
Client: Housing and Development Board
RESEARCH ON MAINTENANCE OF URBAN
LANDSCAPES (2020)
Client: National University of Singapore
JURONG ECO GARDEN (2021)
Client: Ramboll Studio Dreisetl
RIFLE RANGE NATURE PARK (On-going)
Client: National Parks Board
BAY EAST (2019)
Client: Gardens by the Bay
HUDHUFUSHI RESORT, MALDIVES (2018)
Client: Salad Dressing
YUSOF ISHAK SECONDARY SCHOOL (2018)
Client: Ministry of Education
Environmental Management & Monitoring
MANDAI RESORT (On-going)
Client: Mandai Park Holdings
MANDAI WEST ARRIVAL NODE & BIRD PARK
(On-going)
Client: Mandai Park Holdings
J107 (On-going)
Client: Land Transport Authority
RIFLE RANGE NATURE PARK (On-going)
Client: National Parks Board
BUKIT TIMAH GOLF COMPLEX (2020)
Client: Temasek Club
