NParks celebrates Biodiversity Week in conjunction with International Day for Biological Diversity

A week-long Community in Nature programmes from 16 to 22 May 2016 for community participation in biodiversity education and conservation efforts

29 April 2016 – From 16 to 22 May, the National Parks Board (NParks) will be celebrating Biodiversity Week with a series of Community in Nature (CIN) programmes, held in various parks and nature reserves across the island. This is held in conjunction with the International Day for Biological Diversity, which is held yearly worldwide on 22 May to increase global awareness of biodiversity issues.

New NParks Biodiversity Week Programmes

A series of new and exciting CIN programmes have been lined up over the weekend (21 and 22 May) for public participation. Members of the public can look forward to planting mangrove saplings and making their own kampong crabs using an assortment of leaves at Pulau Ubin. In addition, there will be a firefly survey where volunteers can survey the population of fireflies and firefly larvae at Pasir Ris Park Mangrove in the evening. Alternatively, volunteers can tag trees at Tampines Eco-Green to help park visitors gain a better understanding of tree species and contribute in data collection for research purposes.

Visitors to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve are also invited to share photos of their experiences at the reserve with NParks. Selected photos will be exhibited at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve Visitor Centre from 22 May to 30 June 2016.

Under the SGBioAtlas Challenge, students from Hwa Chong Institution will also be organising a photography competition targeting secondary school students, which will provide a platform for students to photograph and identify flora and fauna in Singapore using the SGBioAtlas phone application. The top three winners and 15 merit award winners will stand to win attractive prizes. 

Mr Kenneth Er, Chief Executive Officer, NParks said, "Through the Biodiversity Week, we hope to reach out to the community and create greater awareness of the rich biodiversity in Singapore. Community stewardship and involvement are key to achieving our City in a Garden vision.”

NParks Biodiversity Week for Schools

Under the NParks’ Biodiversity Week for Schools, a series of programmes such as The Five-Day Challenge, SGBioAtlas Challenge, and Green Wave have been organised to provide opportunities for students to learn more about biodiversity.

Forty schools in Singapore will be participating in Green Wave, an annual global initiative to protect biodiversity through a mass tree planting exercise. Students in Singapore and around the world will plant trees in their school compounds, creating a figurative "green wave" starting in the Far East and travelling west around the world on 20 May at 10.00am.

Students who take up the Five-Day Challenge will complete a challenge per day for five days, which involves activities on our rich biodiversity and importance of conserving our natural heritage. Upon completion, students will receive a badge for their efforts.

There will also be a new programme for preschool students to learn about the wildlife in our parks and water bodies by following the journey of Kaya the otter through a short animation video. Students will also have the opportunity to complete activities in an interactive sticker book about how Kaya travels through our canals in search of a new home.

NParks Biodiversity Week for Community

Other activities for the community include a tour of National Orchid Garden at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and a mangrove guided walk at Pasir Ris Park to get up close with mangrove biodiversity such as Grey Herons and Giant Mudskippers. The public can also embark on a guided tour at Fort Canning Park to learn more about Singapore’s heritage and beautiful trees. For more information, visit http://www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversityweek.