Vol
6 No 3
Dec 99
Common Tailorbird
Lesser Known Predators
of Sungei Buloh
Butterfly Monitoring and Introduction
at Sungei Buloh
Why we should NOT feed the monkeys
Bird Ringing
at Sungei Buloh
Sluice Gate Management
International Coastal Cleanup
Sep 99
Care for Nature Family Hunt 99
|
|
 An
international issue.
One solution.
Linda Goh reports
on
Singapore's 3rd Mangrove Cleanup effort
International
Coastal Cleanup
The
Call
Date: 20 September
"A clean environment is the responsibility of not only the Government
and organisation, but individuals too", said Rear Adm Teo Chee Hean
(The Straits Times, 20 Sep 1996, International Coastal Cleanup).
The Close Look
Date: 4 September 1999
Time: 9am |
 I
hear and
I forget
I see and
I remember
 I
do and
I understand
|
A recce team of 10
students specially selected from St Andrew's and Temasek Junior College
were briefed to identify and mark out the mangrove area for the cleanup
operation two weeks before the event. After a long hard search, they settled
for an area on the edge of the Park where they marked out four 10m by 10m
quadrants. Another plot had to be chosen to accommodate more requests of
participation. This plot lies just outside the Park.
Time: 3pm to 4pm
To raise public awareness with regards to the purpose of this exercise,
a talk was organised by the Park to furnish visitors with an insightful
dose of "International Coastal Cleanup" in Singapore. Ms Kate Thome (Pioneer
of this programme and from the Singapore American School) delivered a powerful
message that left us with a compelling urge to do our bit for the environment.
The
Experience
Date: 18 September 1999
103 students from St Andrew's Junior College, Temasek Junior College,
Commonwealth Secondary School and Singapore American School answered
the call to challenge and plunged themselves into the cause. As they
trudged through the mud for a first hand experience at the removal
of waterborne rubbish in a mangrove environment, they came to understand
that trash thrown in our waterways will ultimately end up on beaches,
shorelines and mangrove strand line. After three hours of toiling
the land, different categories of rubbish were collected for proper
disposal.
|
The
International Coastal Cleanup, an initiative of Centre for Marine
Conservation started in the United States in 1988. This international
event involves over 60 countries worldwide in a data collecting and
trash clearing exercise to answer the question, "what is on the
world's beaches?". It is, however, not just about ridding the
sea of trash, which is so harmful to the creatures of the sea. It
is also about bringing people together for a common cause. It is about
community involvement, co-operation and partnership. |
Information collected
from all the different sites was sent to the Centre for Marine Conservation
in USA.
Through this activity at Sungei Buloh, the 103 students came to understand
that they too can do their part for the environment. |
WETlands