Pedal Ubin 13 June 2009- Registration OPEN!

Pedal Ubin is here again! Join the Toddycats for an exciting morning of stories-sharing, and appreciation of nature and heritage on Pulau Ubin. Of course, get a good workout on your bicycle along with all the fun.

Come join us on Saturday, 13 June 2009 from 8.30am to 12pm on Pulau Ubin, soon to be a last bastion of a kampung in Singapore!

For more information and registration details visit http://pedalubin.rafflesmuseum.net/

Envirofest – debrief, blog posts and photos

Hi everyone,

thank you for your great effort at Envirofest, it was really exciting to see you introduce biodiversity to the regular crowd – they’ve mostly not read anything online and the knowledge acquisition curve was as steep as Vigilante Drive!

Blog posts and photos
See: http://envirofest.wordpress.com/
With more to come later, on this blog.

Our manpower strategy
A few of you were anchors who took long shifts and I salute your energy. A few of you a did 6-hours while the majority punched in for 3-hour shifts (and a little in the heat of the event!). This combination was highly effective ; we maintained a flow of fresh faces, voices and energy and the anchors ensured continuity. It was marvelous seeing all of that energy!

A few others played supporting roles which was very helpful. I’m sorry we only thought of fans on the SECOND day. Guess that on the first day, Dinesh and I were preoccupied with the arrangement of groups at booths. Anyway now the fans are part of our arsenal!

All in all there were 38 of us helping out – a conservative estimate had us talking to more than 2,000 people. This equals the intense 3-day Museum Fest record from 2002 – where we had a smaller frontage.

Of the dugong and biology students
You can see from the photos in that post and the links in the 2002 event that we have used the dugong foetus for eight years and counting. We have since abandoned the need for a backdrop – too much work. Instead we just plop the specimens on a table and go. It’s the guide talking that makes the difference.

This year’s Envirofest also saw the return of the biology students with a vengeance. Their background in biodiversity, zoology and ecology allowed them to hit the ground running. However, it was interesting to see that the non-biology veteran volunteers had a stronger local and practical grasp of the subject as a result of their experience and long immersion in the community.

The one thing I wished I had remembered to do is to ask each volunteer to get to know the people, role, methods and motivation of the other groups at Envirofest. There were many wonderful people there that day. Working together in a non-crisis situation reflects their commitment to the issue of public education.

Further learning
We might have cornered the market on exhibition manpower but obviously have to work on improving delivery (we are didactic) and building field experience to supplement stories over time.

Well that’s something to look forward to.

Links to photos and blog posts are listed on the Envirofest blog.

Cheerio!

Sivasothi

An integrated trail at Envirofest 2009 @ Toa Payoh Hub

We’re going to Envirofest!

Envirofest is an important calendar event as we reach out the public at their natural habitat – the shopping/transport hub. You will meet people of all walks and children and most of what we tell them about local fauna and flora is fascinating news, so its important work.

Confirmed at the Toa Payoh Hub, Minister Yaakob (MEWR) will launch the event and it will run for two days. 21 organisations are confirmed for the event and at the recent meeting a few days ago, everyone is optimisitc and rarin’ to go!

The biodiversity groups are planning to present an integrated exhibit for the first time – a trail on the biodiversity in Singapore will that present sections on terrestrial, freshwater, mangrove and marine ecosystems; we hope this rough map will become a reality:

The critical difference as always is the public education guide, so please sign up here for a three hour shift duty (or two) at:

http://envirofest-reg.rafflesmuseum.net/

Toddycats exhibits will go modular into packages of specimens with relevant photos and stories. I will conduct training on two week nights at NUS to help prepare you.

Training dates:

1. Wed 13 May 2009: 7pm – 10pm
2. Thu 14 May 2009: 7pm-10pm

Exhibition details:

• Sat 23 and Sun 24 May 2009
• Setting up: 9am, Pull down at 8pm
• Shift 1: 11am – 2pm
• 2pm – 5pm
• 5pm – 8pm

A Pedal Ubin Guide reflects

Ivan Khong has been a Pedal Ubin guide for Toddycats for half a decade now. Last night, he shared his reflection with fellow guides on why he has been guiding at Pulau Ubin regularly all these years and continues to do so.

The Pedal Ubin Guides are also known as the Jungle Fowls hence the feathery allusions.

“Reflections on the Puddles of Ubin,” by Ivan Khong, to Pedal Ubin Guides, 15 Mar 2009.

‘Ol Jungle Cock was doing some thinking last weekend. After roosting on my “throne”, here’s a little something to share..

Returning from work last sun, I did think about what most of us feel about the feeling of routine and perhaps even disillusionment we get from guiding. In my line of work, we probably say the same something at least a hundred times a week. But by doing so, lives are saved from adverse decisions (from doctors and nurses who are usually victims of too much/too little information). The patients are thus lucky because we humans speak the same language. The same can’t be said for nature.

For those of us who know and realize the importance and beauty of Mother Nature, it is our voice `she` depends on to air her plight and suffering (and importance). By doing what we do- by reaching out and informing the public through our work, we are slowly but surely spreading the word and light on conservation, preservation and much more. What may sound like same old to us could be enlightenment to others.

We had good rides and bumpy rides. We all had our foul ups and foul flights. Sometimes our feathers were ruffled; sometimes we added feathers to our cap. But one thing is for certain- each time we’re on Ubin doing what we do, we are slowly and surely creating and ensuring a better future for everyone, no matter how little we feel we’re doing. One drop of water doesn’t make a puddle, but if we all continue to work together, we can create an ocean.

Have a smooth wheeling and dealing week ahead!

Battle of Pasir Panjang Commemorative Walk 2009 Review

Steely Eyed Warrior

Saturday 14 February, Valentine’s Day & Chinese New Year Eve.

Sunday 15 February, Chinese New Year.

The year was 1942.

Those festive occasions were probably far from most people’s minds as Singapore was on the brink of surrender.

They were most likely the least of the Malay Regiment’s concerns as they fought to hold Pasir Panjang Ridge – the present Kent Ridge.

So, the Pasir Panjang Guides gathered with a 50-strong group of diverse participants to commemorate the battle on 14 Feb – incidentally a Saturday this year.