I just could not stop smiling to myself as I used my fingertips to touch the rostrum of the live prawn. I was trying to identify the prawn species. Apparently, if its rostrum is smooth at the bottom, it is likely to be a ‘Greasy-back’ prawn, and if its rostrum is jagged at the bottom, it is likely to be an ‘Indian’ prawn. “What are you smiling about?” Asked my fellow attachment friend, Andy. Andy, along with Weiling, were both new employees of NParks, and they were on a one week attachment at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (SBWR). I, on the other hand, am a teacher on a five-week attachment with SBWR. “Why are you smiling?” Andy probed.

I grinned and replied, “Don’t you find it very amusing? Prawns are something that we often eat and take for granted, and yet, now we are all grown adults here frantically trying our best to quickly sort the small live prawns into different sizes to measure their length and weight before releasing them, while they just keep on jumping around the table!”

Just as I finished my sentence, another prawn jumped off the table.

I quickly retrieved it and tried to identify it. “It’s a Tamil Prawn!” I blurted innocently. All at the table burst out laughing, and started teasing. It did not help that a few minutes ago I just called the ‘Greasy- Back’ a ‘Grizzly Bear’.

The prawn census was one of the most memorable experience that I would treasure and share as I return to teaching. Friends and colleagues were amused that I would be willing to give up my holidays to work at ‘a mangrove place’ and ‘travel almost to Johor Bharu’ each morning for five weeks. What they failed to see was the amazing learning opportunities that awaited me!

In a span of five weeks at SBWR, I witnessed for myself the rich natural heritage that we Singaporeans ought to be proud of. There is just so much wildlife and natural beauty around us!

People around me sometimes complained about living in a ‘concrete jungle’ with little or no natural beauty, and grumbled at the lack of wildlife in Singapore. Incidentally, they would be the same ones who would pack their bags during holidays, fly off to an exotic nature site in another country, and boast about their experience over dinner to their friends when they get back home. Such people may have witnessed the grandeur of the sunset at Grand Canyon or the majestic power of the Niagara Falls and yet sadly, they never bothered to explore their own backyard. If I were to bring these people to SBWR now, they might probably not be able to call out the name of their own giant mudskippers, and probably even identify monitor lizards as komodo dragons. They would see otters and think that they are big rats. They could witness their own estuarine crocodile half submerged in water and insist it to be a prop. During the migratory season, they would probably glance at hundreds and hundreds of pacific golden plovers feeding on the mudflats, and ask,”Where’s all that beautiful chirping sound coming from?” But alas, it is only if these people would be willing to come with me to visit a mangrove. The good news is, there are many other Singaporeans who appreciate our own nature spots. From my understanding, each year, at least 90 000 Singaporeans would make the extra effort to travel to Kranji to visit our very own wetland reserve. I believe sometimes we just need to stop in our fast-paced life and look around us. Nature can exist in small pockets. Every turn at SBWR and Kranji Nature Trail is picturesque. Stay at one spot long enough, and you would witness the place coming alive. As Singaporeans, should we not explore our own country and know it well first? I am glad I have traded my travelling bags for this once-in-a-lifetime experience to work at SBWR. I was very grateful that SBWR was prepared for my attachment. There was a well-planned programme drawn out for me and staff at SBWR were briefed about my attachment prior to my first day. People were friendly, and were very willing to allow me to join them in their work.

Several of the staff also took initiative to share their expertise, organisational values and conservation views with me. The organisation also took initiative to liaise visits with two other NParks Conservation Branches at Biodiversity Centre and Pulau Ubin. This enabled me to have a more holistic view of the conservation measures in Singapore.

I had the opportunity to help out in SBWR research and educational programmes and activities. Some highlights of my attachment include helping out in bird census, bird ringing, prawn census, and conducting as well as participating in activities such as nature guiding, reforestation, coastal cleanup, teachers’ workshop and a Young Naturalist Camp. By participating whole-heartedly in all work that was given, I experienced working as a visitor centre personnel, educational outreach officer, ranger, researcher, clerk and even had the opportunity to do manual work along with the contract workers.

My time of work with the conservation unit have made me more mature, and now I am beginning to truly appreciate the efforts and roles played by different people in our community. Through this attachment, I also had the opportunity to do a lot of reflection. I personally feel that the best insight that I had gained from this attachment is that I am now even more convinced about the role I play as a teacher. While I can contribute a bit to conservation by joining as a volunteer with SBWR, I believe I can do so much more by teaching my pupils well, and moulding them to be morally upright and environmentally conscious individuals who are proud of Singapore’s own natural heritage.