I am looking forward to this chat with Andie Ang, Nor Lastrina and Kathy Xu, three stalwarts of the nature and environment community who have inspired us with their motivation, dedication and resilience. This will an opportunity to find out about the realities of conservation and advocacy.
I am also delighted to be able to co-host the session with Tan Yin Ling, who found the community in 2017 when the Biodiversity Friends Forum was initiated.
Update – NLB did a wonderful job of curating the recording and put it online on 3rd April 2021 on Youtube:
About the talk – “Urged to study a furry mammal in his beloved mangroves, Sivasothi aka Otterman began by unravelling the status of otters in Singapore and Malaysia. For this he tapped a network of archived books and journals, museum collections and veteran naturalists near and far, assisted by curators, librarians and scientists.
When otters first returned to Singapore, it was recreational coastal users who helped track otter dispersal. Two decades later, a network of otter-watchers now help him understand the behaviour, dispersal and travails of otters in urbanised Singapore. The stories, shared in social media posts and scientific publications help repay that debt of information provided so generously from around the world, three decades ago.”
About the speaker – “N. Sivasothi a.k.a. ‘Otterman’ was immersed in mangroves and wildlife for research, education and conservation at the National University of Singapore from the late 1980’s. He promotes public education, youth development and environmental stewardship in Singapore, and contributes to wildlife working groups and close-door engagements to mitigate development impact.”
Histories by the National Library Singapore is a series which highlights research on historical and related matters in Singapore and the region, creating an appreciation of the role of humanities and social science research in contemporary society. For more talks, follow GoLibrary on Eventbrite.
After chatting with local inspirations in the recent webinar, we are now very pleased to enjoy an evening with national coordinators in neighbouring Malaysia and Brunei, Theresa and Eliza, who will share how they have promote marine protection during this COVID-19 pandemic.
And we are all very pleased to welcome Sarah Kollar from our intentional coordinator, Ocean Conservancy, to our time zone to share global perspectives! Sarah has been conversing with national coordinators for months during this pandemic as everyone figured out how best to handle coastal cleanups and education about marine environment issues during the pandemic.
This Wednesday, join the chat to learn about new efforts and ideas to battle the curse of marine trash on our shores. Come and ask questions. Just register for the Zoom session at https://tinyurl.com/ICCS-chat02sep2020
Dr Ravi Chellam is in town and we are pleased to have welcomed him to share with us the conservation challenges of the famous Gir Lions of India. The lunch time talk and discussion will be held on Thu 16 May 2019 at NUS. All are welcome – just turn up!
Two public talks brought to you by the Singapore Wildcat Action Group @ the Singapore Sustainability Academy, #6-10 City Square Mall, 180 Kitchener Road, S208359
The Singapore Wildcats Action Group (Vilma D’Rozario et al) were inspired by the MyCat walks in Malaysia and have organised to take action. This includes series of public lectures beginning with these by Dr. Lingyun Xiao on snow leopards in China and Dr Ravi Chellam on Asiatic lions in India. Registration is required at the peatix links below.
Sunday 12 May 2019: 1.00pm – Wildcat Lecture #1: Tracking the Elusive Snow Leopard in China by Dr. Lingyun Xiao (Beijing University) On Sunday, 12th May, Dr. Lingyun Xiao from the Life Science Centre of Beijing University will share her research on the status of China’s snow leopards. Dr. Xiao is also the Scientific Consultant to Shan Shui Conservation Centre, an organization that promotes snow leopard eco-tourism in The Valley of the Cats. Through her presentation, we hope to raise awareness of the plight that snow leopards face and learn how average citizens can play a role in conserving this iconic wildcat. Of special note is her work with the local community that helps to monitor the status of snow leopards that live in wild habitats around them. For more information and to register for this free lecture, please visit https://wildcatsoftheworld1.peatix.com/.
Fri 17 May 2019: 7.00pm – Wildcat Lecture #2: For the Love of Asiatic Lions — 30 Years of Experience in India by Dr Ravi Chellam On Friday, 17th May, Dr. Ravi Chellam, CEO of the Metastring Foundation, will present his research on the Asiatic lion. Dr. Chellam brings with him 30 years of experience studying and conserving the wild lions of Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in India. In this richly illustrated talk, Dr. Chellam will trace the conservation history of lions; describe their current status and priority conservation actions needed; explain the Asiatic lion’s ecology; and refer to his personal experiences since 1985 in what has been a fantastic but often frustrating journey. For more information and to register for this free lecture, please visit https://wildcatsoftheworld2.peatix.com/.
What treasures lie within our shores? Join us for a night of insight as we hold a panel discussion with experts on how our shores benefit us!
We’ve invited speakers of diverse backgrounds to show us as many sides of our shores as possible, bringing them together with the theme of Treasures Of Our Shores. Our esteemed panelists are:
Mr Azri Alwi: As an artist, Mr Alwi uncovers the intrinsic value of our shores. He will bringing us on a journey to discover the inner beauty of the ocean, and the inspiration they may bring to our lives.
Ms Liow Shen Yan: Everyone loves food! Especially seafood – Ms Liow from the Marine Stewardship Council will explain how seafood can be sustainable so we can make the choice to be responsible consumers.
Dr Serena Teo: a marine biologist, Dr Teo will discuss the World Harbours Project to explain how our shores are special, being a major port and harbour, and the unique challenges we face.
Mr Sivasothi: Fondly known as Otterman, Mr Sivasothi will share secrets of our local mangroves and shores, and the roles they play on a local and international stage.
Dr Jane Goodall is visiting Singapore, 6th – 8th Aug 2017 and theme for her visit is “Living in Harmony with Nature & Wildlife”.
The following public events are hosted by the Jane Goodall Institute of Singapore.
Introduction of invasive alien species (IAS) resulting from anthropogenic removal or bypassing of natural dispersal barriers is a global issue with far-reaching environmental, economic, and human health impacts. In aquatic environments, the frequency and extent of IAS introduction and establishment can often be exacerbated by the intensification of socio-economic activities, particularly introduction pathways that are associated with international trade.
The Aquatic Invasive Alien Species in Southeast Asia (AIASSEA) 2017 symposium brings together leading international and regional researchers with the overall goal of disseminating and sharing current knowledge, ongoing research, and expertise on aquatic invasive alien species in Southeast Asia.
This symposium is open to public, and is free. Read more and register here.
Symposium on Marine Pollution in Singapore and South East Asia Symposium
Initiated by the LKYSPP, an overview on the current state of things around the topic of marine pollution in Singapore and South East Asia has been organized by a group of young local and regional scientists to introduce Boyan Slat and symposium participants to these important topics that affect our marine life and well being.
Boyan Slat is a young Dutch entrepreneur whose ambitious plans on cleaning plastic waste from the world’s oceans brought him to the public eye worldwide.
South East Asia is a region with important and growing economic activities that can affect the marine environment regionally and globally. It is also a very important region for plastic waste production. A symposium was organized with the goal of presenting the fields of expertise of young scientists in different institutions in Singapore and the region, with a particular focus on plastic waste.
The following are the main themes to be discussed:
Introduction to regional geography and physical features
Trace metals in the region as traceable sources of anthropogenic pollution
Microbiological implications of trace metals and microplastics
Coral reefs and Plastics
Harmful Algal Blooms around Singapore
Singapore’s marine ecosystem overview
Plastic waste on Singapore shores: profiles, trash removal and recycling efforts
Dr. Gonzalo Carrasco
Postdoctoral Researcher, Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore
Otterman speaks... 