 wetlandsa publication of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve |
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10 No 1 Feb 2004 A journey through 2003 Experience of a lifetime International Shorebirds Experts meet Bird RInging in the Reserve 2002 Birds in the Wetland Reserves An Uncensored Census at Sungei Buloh Kranji Nature Trail A green corridor Protected Area Wetland Management Course 6-15 Nov Sungei Buloh 10th Anniversary Celebration Nature and me |
 If
you were at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR) between 6 to 15 November
2003, you would have noticed a banner over the Visitor Centre entrance.
This banner was partly to inform visitors that SBWR had been transformed
into a training centre for an inaugural 10-day Protected Area Wetland Management
Course (PAWMC) for regional participants. The course was jointly organised
and conducted by the Biodiversity Centre Branch and Sungei Buloh Wetland
Reserve. The overall purpose of the PAWMC was to provide participants with some of the knowledge and skills required in drafting a practical management plan for any protected area wetland site in ASEAN. More specifically, the course was designed so as to facilitate and provide opportunities for course participants to increase their knowledge of wetlands, their processes, importance and the why and how in drafting practical management plans for wetland sites. Funding for the course was provided by the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation (ARCBC). Ten participants involved in the management of protected wetlands from five ASEAN countries attended the course.  The
course was launched by NParks COO, Dr Leong Chee Chiew at the opening ceremony.
Over the ten days, course participants who came from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Philippines and Singapore attended a series of lectures and workshops and
went on field trips conducted mainly by staff from NParks including the
Singapore Botanic Gardens (Herbarium). There were also contributions from
partners like the ARCBC, Nanyang Technological University - National Institute
of Education(NTU-NIE), National University of Singapore - Department of
Biological Sciences (NUS-DBS), the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
(RMBR) and the volunteer group of SBWR.  On
15 Nov 03, the first cohort of participants enthusiastically received their
certificates from Deputy Chairman NParks, Mr Khoo Chin Hean. Mr Khoo, guests
and volunteers of SBWR were treated to a poster presentation. Each participant
had prepared a poster of their respective wetland site and incorporated
a key idea they had found useful which they had learnt from the course.
The presentations were very interesting and Mr Khoo and guests took the
opportunity to get to know the participants and their wetlands. The course
was well received by the participants and was successfully concluded in
a rousing farewell dinner graced by Director (Conservation), Mr Wong Tuan
Wah who also handed to each of the participants a souvenir Video Compact
Disc of video footage of the course and an accompanying group photograph.
So, were the course objectives achieved? We believe so. And was it worthwhile to conduct? A comment by one of the participants in the feedback form says it all: “Appreciate support of the staff – always available and accommodating- Good work!!!” The course fulfilled the expectations of the participants, the staff of NParks and, particularly, Sungei Buloh gained valuable experience in managing and coordinating a regional course of this magnitude and complexity. The course brought us closer together not only in Sungei Buloh, but also within the Conservation Division, NParks and with our national partner organisations of NTU-NIE, NUS-DBS and RMBR in Singapore with the regional ARCBC. It also gave us the opportunity to know and understand our counterparts in ASEAN. Should an opportunity arise to conduct a second PAWMC in the future, we will be in a better position to take up the challenge and contribute to our region. |
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