Vol
10 No 4
The
Nature Cove
Reforestation and Reach Out
Bird Ringing in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in 2004
The Amazing Chase: a creative environmental statement
Practical Work Attachment
Kubah National Park |
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Reforestation
and Reach Out
at the Sungei Buloh |
Jeanne
Tan
senior outreach officer
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“
For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every
green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold or
silver.”
Martin Luther
1483-1546
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Sungei
Buloh Wetland Reserve’s “Reforestation and Reachout” started in August
2004, with the generous sponsorship of Toyota Motor Corporation and
the participation of five schools. The programme aimed to involve
students in reforesting the area around the outdoor classroom and
to create educational materials based on their experience. It was
hard work in the beginning sourcing committed and willing activists.
However, we did still manage to secure five schools willing to participate
and commit at least six to eight months of their time for this project.
We had a good range of participating schools, both local and international,
with an age range of 10 to 18 year olds. The student activists were
made up of Singaporeans and a diverse group of other nationalities,
which include UK, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The role of the activists was to
learn first hand about reforestation and rally their friends to join
them in planting a new generation of trees and shrubs at Sungei Buloh
Wetland Reserve. Each school had eight activists to represent their
school in this project.
The area around the Outdoor Classroom at SBWR showcased the diverse
habitats of the Wetland Reserve, namely the mangrove, back mangrove,
secondary forest and freshwater pond. Each of these habitats had its
own uniqueness, which supported diversities of flora and fauna. A
small spice garden was also planted to help the visitor link his new
experiences of the Reserve’s plants to something he is likely to be
familiar with.
From August 2004 to November 2004, the activists underwent a series
of workshops conducted by SBWR staff and volunteers. These workshops
included an orientation programme to familiarize them with their respective
sites and to explain the need for reforestation. Through sessions
on plant drawing, public speaking and presentations, resource searching
and creating educational materials, they broadened their “outreach”
scope. Given a list of plants to start with, the activists were encouraged
to go a step further to find out more about the ecology of the area,
and the benefits of reforestation.
The session on public speaking enabled and equipped the activists
with necessary speaking and presentation skills. They embraced the
message of nature conservation - what this wetland reserve has, the
importance of trees - and brought forth a call to their peers to join
them for a day of reforestation, at the Outdoor Classroom.
Apart from an ecological need to increase the diversity of flora and
fauna near and around the Outdoor Classroom site, our other intention
was to encourage more users, especially school groups, to use this
area as an accompaniment to their academic school work or research.
The activists successfully rallied their peers to come back to SBWR
over three days in December to assist in the reforestation of their
respective habitats. For many of these students, reforestation was
something only read about and known to them through their textbooks,
so you could see and sense their excitement when they took a young
sapling or shrub, and placed it purposefully into the ground. I know
for many of them, it was a once in a lifetime experience, and something
many of them will learn to cherish in their minds and hearts for a
long while.
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Students hard at work by the freshwater pond habitat
Mud pies, anyone?
Groundwork!
Secondary Forest planting |
Their
Say….
“My favourite moment…my group members together with 25 others from
different levels went to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to do reforestation”.
Doan Hoang Anh
16, Hillgrove Secondary School
“I want to spread the message of reforestation even further than it
has ever gone. There is a real threat to wetlands and we have to help
restore them. This program has definitely been memorable and I encourage
more schools and children to join in the wonderful learning experience!”
Dara Jeyasundaram
13, Canadian International School
“To be able to be part of this team of young nature ambassadors may
bear much responsibility but it also enriches my quest for knowledge
and perseverance to continue this long and winding road of nature
conservation in Singapore”
Ada Yen
16, Naval Base Secondary School
“It was the first time any of us had ever planted a tree. I will never
forget the experience!”
Dominick Choo Wan Sheng
15, Naval Base Secondary School
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It
is our hope that through this “Reforestation and Reachout” programme,
the young generation of today would take stock of what is left of
their natural heritage, and learn to take stewardship of it.
Wilderness and forests around the globe are being depleted rapidly,
and are becoming confined primarily to islands, parks and reserves.
The health of our planet’s forests will depend on how well we manage
and protect the few remaining areas we have left. Forests are not
only sanctuaries of wildlife, but of the human spirit. Every tree
adds vibrancy, colour, magnitude, and they are vessels of health and
vigour.
Here at the Outdoor Classroom, with an effort rooted in togetherness,
the students from the five participating schools have selflessly given
their physical and mental energy to this “Reforestation and Reach
Out” programme. These students are more aware now that the plants
they have reforested are important in different ways to their individual
habitat, but all united as living components which play their part
for one vital ecosystem…
I would like to thank all staff and volunteers of SBWR who have given
much of their time and effort in the preparation of this programme.
Special thanks to Tay Soon Lian, Halilah Ahmad, Jeremy Ang, Deborah
Tay, Linda Fang, Mok Wei Chi, Ng Sock Ling, Thi Ha Zan, and Supardi
Mohd Shariff. |
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wetlands