It is good to know that the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve has been reopened to the public ("Bukit Timah reserve reopens after $14m revamp"; last Sunday).

It had to be closed and restored back to health after heavy footfall proved to be detrimental, especially when visitors wandered off designated trails.

Will the reserve's restored condition be maintained? There are always those that go off the beaten track to get closer to nature, despite all the advice and notifications. By SG100, how much of our reserves, much of which is already propped up by artificial means, will remain in their original form? Can Singapore still be a shining example of how nature and urbanisation can be balanced then?

Much of our planet, including its plant and animal species, has been exploited by mankind.

Singapore can show that despite its constraints, especially with regard to land scarcity, something can be done to preserve if not enhance flora and fauna biodiversity.

This it can achieve at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve as well as other reserves, parks and green hubs, where nature can be managed and made to thrive under conditions that can be controlled.

Manoraj Rajathurai