A message to the biodiversity community about our Chief Gardener

Lena Chan wrote us yesterday,

The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew had always been a strong supporter of biodiversity conservation.  

On 16 June 1963, Mr Lee planted the first tree that on 16 June 1963 that launched the implementation of his vision of a Garden City. The Garden City has now evolved to a City in A Garden.  The intensive tree-planting along our streetscape formed the green infrastructural backbone of Singapore, enabling us to build on green connectivity.  

In 1982, his interest resulted in an ambitious programme to halt the decline in the bird population of Singapore, popularly perceived as the project to “bring back the birds” to Singapore. Today, the conservation status of many of the birds that were thought to be threatened around thirty years ago, has improved.  

NParks is, indeed, most grateful for the unwavering championing of Mr Lee for greenery and biodiversity conservation.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of the Community Site for Remembering Mr Lee Kuan Yew.  It is located at the SBG Function Hall. This Community Site has been opened since Tuesday 24 March 2015 from 8.30 am to 9 pm.  You can view the orchid named after Mr Lee Kuan Yew, i.e., Aranda Lee Kuan Yew, at the SBG Community Site. You still have today, Saturday and Sunday to pay your respects to Mr Lee and pen your condolences.

We will miss the Chief Gardener of Singapore and a stalwart champion for biodiversity conservation.

Kind regards to all.

Lena

Dr. Lena Chan
Director (National Biodiversity Centre)
National Parks Board

RIP Mr Lee Kuan Kuan Yew

It was business as usual today, with the student’s animal behaviour symposium, then grade management, discussing the honours students exam posters, walking the ridge and meetings to arrange. 

All amidst young ones who wouldn’t realise what it was like. 

I’d really have liked to have been chatting with my kakis, who’d have plenty to share about the Old Man. My What’s App chat group had been buzzing since morning but I had to go offline for the busy day. 

 Then a young student in the symposium said, “I’d like to begin my extending my condolences to everyone.” 

Then it was alright.

• NUS remembers.
• Special edition from Today – pdf.
• Special edition from The Straits Times – pdf

World Water Day: ride, crash, clean, rain

We went for the Singapore World Water Day (Re)Cycle ride and it was well organised and a lovely morning ride. It’s a pity I didn’t have time to persuade more friends to join us. 

We got Kok Min Yee to ride his new Tern bicycle, which is excellent. 

After the event, we did agonise over the practise of handing out impractical-sized goodie bags filled with unsustainable items even during resource-sensitive events. No mention of water conservation. We need to fix this.

I ran down the barrier at my neighbourhood when I tried to slip through the gap which they have widened recently after I asked. I put the barrier aside and called the company to fix it – both barrier and myself were unscathed but there is a need need to widen the gap further for cyclists!

I tweeted the afternoon mangrove cleanup with this tag #WorldWaterDay.

“Cycling downstream along Sungei Pandan to NUS Toddycats & friends at the World Water Day mangrove cleanup!”

Runkeeper thought I was an otter swimming downstream.

“Reached the Sungei Pandan site; it’s not a pretty sight amidst the mangrove, downstream of this precious river.”

“Sungei Pandan mangrove, a precious fragment of a once extensive forest. ”

“In the mangrove, reflections of a throwaway culture; no mangrove, beach, sea or ocean is spared #WorldWaterDay”

“Most common trash: plastic bottles, plastic bags, straws, styrofoam pieces – single use items”

“Alongside the cleanup, a Nature Society (Singapore) survey of Sg Pandan mangrove for ancient horseshoe crabs”

“Mangrove cleanup and surveys must balance between impact and benefit; so slow and steady does it”

“Keeping one eye on the sky for lightning threat”

“What lies underfoot in Sungei Pandan mangrove? Red berry snails, Sphaerassiminea miniata my favourite!”

“Insult of plastic eliminated. Since 2006, regular cleanups have reduced trash load at Sg Pandan”

“On the way to the cleanup – six otters in Sungei Pandan!”

“Tallying data and cleaning up as the storm blows in”

“Thanks for an excellent and sensitive job! Sungei Pandan mangroves is a less polluted habitat!”

Ng Kai Scene shared on LINE that working with Independents in the mangrove is balm to the soul of ICCS Otters. A motivated bunch, they inspire us always for sure, and did so again today. Kai Scene has been tasked to elaborate on the News from ICCS blog.

Back home through the rain, I looped Pandan Reservoir then watched the river fill up with water and sediment (and some litter) and had most of the PCN to myself.

It was torture waking up to Google Hangout with an honours student. And I’ll have more of that tomorrow, so I can’t ride – it’s that time of the year, the honours poster oral exam.

“Conservation Action for Asian Otters”

Nicole Duplaix at the Singapore Botanic Gardens this afternoon. Ottergirl Meryl Theng has been ferrying her between appointments today!



EduCampsSG is back! With EduCampSG6 at Ngee Ann Poly – Thu 02 Apr 2015

How wonderful to hear from Preetam Rai about EduCampSG!

The next session has been confirmed for Thu 0 Apr 2015: 2.00pm – 5.30pm at the Teaching and Learning Centre, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Block 27 Level 02, 535 Clementi Road, Singapore 189054.

“Besides picking up ideas large and small, and crystalising some of your own as you speak and interact, you get to meet enthusiastic people engaged in education. ” [link]

Register at http://educamp.info