Acting as an unofficial watchdog, the Nature Society keeps a close eye on Singapore's environment
Ong Dai Lin, The New Paper 10 Aug 09;
WHEN a group of bird lovers came across a mangrove area rich in migratory birds in 1986 and found out that the land was scheduled for development, they launched a campaign to save it.
After three years, the environmentalists from the Malayan Nature Society succeeded in getting the bird sanctuary preserved. The place is known today as Sungei Buloh Nature Park.
That success fuelled the passion of some members to do more for the environment; they broke away and formed the Nature Society (Singapore) in 1991.
"The society's main focus is on the natural environment and the wildlife that is still extant in Singapore, and in nature conservation," Dr Ho Hua Chew, a former chairman of its Conservation Committee told Today. "We see our role in terms of advocacy and also as watchdog."
The 1,500-member society not only submit proposals for the conservation of green areas in Singapore, it also monitors and gives feedback on major developments like the building of Resorts World at Sentosa.
In 1992, it successfully lobbied against the building of a golf course at the Lower Pierce Forest. The society also played a large role in the conservation of areas like Pulau Ubin and Chek Jawa (picture).
Going forward, there are three main areas that Singapore can do more for the environment, said Dr Ho.
First, in its plans to achieve a sustainable Singapore, the Government can pay more attention to green issues like habitat and biodiversity conservation, the fragmentation of the island's reserves, and survival programmes for endangered species. Singapore should also preserve what is left of its coral and inter-tidal eco systems.
Dr Ho, a freelance lecturer, estimated that 60 per cent of Singapore's coral have already been destroyed.
Another area: The promotion of nature appreciation and studies in schools in a systematic and significant way to inculcate in the young a love for nature. This should be an integral and regular part of the school curriculum, said Dr Ho.
How do you see the Nature Society's role in meeting these future environmental goals in Singapore?
We will provide the necessary feedback and information as to the remaining wildlife and habitat areas that need to be conserved such as Sungei Mandai and Bukit Brown. We can play a co-ordinating role in pushing these goals in conjunction with other green groups and non-government organisations. The society can promote public awareness and appreciation of these nature areas by expanding our outreach programmes.
Why is the environmental cause important to Singapore?
As a global city, our ecological footprint is huge. We have used up a lot of our territorial space for housing and industries. We also depend on other countries for our food, water, timber and other needs. So, we are far from being sustainable in our development. We need to face these facts and do more for the environment by cutting down drastically our unsustainability, a paying back of what we took for us to become a global city that we are now.
What is the difference between Nature Society when it first started and what it is today? How has it evolved?
In the early years, we tended to be regarded by many people, even by our own members, as a hobby group. Today, our membership has increased a great deal and membership interest has widened.
There is also a great increase in members of the public coming to us to deal with all kinds of plants and wildlife issues or happenings they encounter - such as a new development project in their neighbourhood, trees being cut, a wild animal being injured ... This reflects the sort of standing we have in the eyes of the public.
