SINGAPORE - The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve will celebrate its 21st birthday on Dec 6 with the opening of a new 31-hectare extension.

The new recreational space, which is linked to the 130ha reserve, will have rich mangrove and coastal forests for visitors to explore, observation points, and a mid-canopy walk on a suspended bridge that takes people through the understorey of a secondary forest.

Six new guided walks have also been added to the reserve's original one, including two walks meant for children under 12 years old. Each free, 1.5-hour walk will be guided by volunteers from Regent Secondary School or the public.

Visitors can step onto mudflats during low tides to get up close to creatures such as Tree Climbing Crab, Solitary Tube Worm and Giant Mudskipper.

A new bird-watching walk added to the original reserve will also teach people to spot shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipes, and passerines, also called perching birds, such as sunbirds and bulbuls.

National Parks Board deputy director of conservation Sharon Chan said the extension will help relieve pressure on the original reserve, which gets 100,000 visitors a year. "It also presents a host of invaluable new opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience nature and learn about the importance of conserving our mangroves," she said.