Claire Huang Channel NewsAsia 8 Dec 12;
SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) has seen a 33 per cent increase in the number of active volunteers this year, compared to 2011.
Over 800 volunteers now serve on a regular basis and they range from as young as nine years old to over 80. Thirty nine of them have served for more than 10 years.
The volunteers are involved in activities such as leading tours, running programmes and helping out with surveys.
A 15-year-old volunteer, Choo Yi Feng, said: "I get to share what I know about sea shore life and at the same time, I'm also very interested in sea shore life myself. It does good for me, it does good for the people I'm guiding and it also does good for the environment."
65-year-old retiree Katherine Oehlers said: "I get to interact with people from all walks of life and I also get to interact with tourists from all over the world and that has enriched my life."
NParks on Saturday honoured its volunteers as part of celebrations for International Volunteer Day, which fell on 5 December, at HortPark.
Dr Leong Chee Chiew, deputy chief executive officer of National Parks Board and Commissioner of Parks and Recreation said: "By making planned programmes like guided walks and talks available to people from all walks of life, our volunteers' efforts have made it possible for everyone to learn more about biodiversity and enjoy nature.
"Thanks to their commitment to various volunteer programmes, they have made it possible for all of us to enjoy a dose of nature as we go about our daily lives.
"Our City in a Garden provides Singaporeans with a high quality of life because of our volunteers."
- CNA/ck/xq
Hats off to park volunteers
Jessica Lim Straits Times 9 Dec 12;
They tag birds, plant herb specimens and, on occasion, even guide the President around green spaces in Singapore - and they're not paid a cent.
But no one's complaining.
In fact, more people are stepping forward to help out at public parks, with the number of volunteers growing by a third from last year.
There are more than 800 people giving up their time to fulfil the vital roles, according to the National Parks Board (NParks) which manages over 300 parks.
The agency celebrated its inaugural Volunteers Appreciation Day yesterday.
Volunteering in Singapore's parklands began in the early 1990s when a group of 50 helped to tag birds in the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
Enthusiasts - ranging in age from nine to 84 - help out as guides, conduct public workshops and assist with biodiversity surveys.
Present at yesterday's Appreciation Day was 15-year-old Choo Yi Feng, who has been a guide at the Chek Jawa wetlands on Pulau Ubin since 2008. The Secondary 3 Dunman High School student told how his love for sea animals was sparked by a visit to Underwater World in 2000. He fell in love with Chek Jawa on a visit in 2005 and was invited to volunteer at the 100-hectare wetlands in 2008.
"I saw a lot of animals I didn't recognise. Some had many legs, feelers, soft bodies. You couldn't find a face or an eye," he said. "I wanted to know more."
He conducts tours for groups of 15 people - and last year he even guided President Tony Tan Keng Yam around the area.
Retired teacher Katherine Oehlers, 65, started leading tours of the Singapore Botanic Gardens five years ago.
"I go to the Botanic Gardens every Saturday for breakfast with my husband. After that, my husband walks the dog and I walk the people," she said.
Volunteers have allowed NParks to accomplish more than it could by itself, said its deputy chief executive officer Leong Chee Chiew. "Our volunteers' efforts have made it possible for everyone to learn more about biodiversity and enjoy nature."
Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan yesterday handed out awards to those who have volunteered for more than 10 years.
In a blog he urged others to give up time to help out in the "vital" roles.
More people volunteering at National Parks
Jessica Lim Straits Times 9 Dec 12;
The number of volunteers who help out regularly at parks this year has swelled to 800 or 33 per cent more than last year.
In the 1990s, there was just 50.
The National Parks Board, which manages more than 300 parks here, revealed these figures at its inaugural Volunteers Appreciation Day today.
These volunteers - from as young as nine to 80-years-old - help out with activities including gardening, as well conducting guided walks and marine biodiversity surveys.
Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan, who handed out awards to those who have volunteered for more than 10 years, called such roles "vital", in a blog about the event posted later in the day.
"Kudos to all our volunteers!" he said, thanking them for their commitment and dedication. "We welcome more to come and join us in this endeavour to make Singapore a City in a Garden."
Related link
Giving back to nature on Minister Khaw's blog
