Nature Society (Singapore) president wins top environmental accolade

LOUISA TANG Today Online 21 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE — Botanist Shawn Lum once saved a tree species from extinction by accident.

The last Chengal Pasir tree in a forest conservation area in Changi Village was cut down without permission in 2002 by a contractor, which was later heavily fined.

By a stroke of luck, Dr Lum, 54, had collected some seedlings and grown them in his kitchen.

Today, the trees can be found in places such as the Botanic Gardens and Changi Airport.

Whenever Dr Lum goes to the Singapore Zoo, he would say a quick “hi” to the Chengal Pasir growing in its carpark.

“They’re like my babies,” said the Nature Society (Singapore) president.

The longtime conservationist added another feather to his cap on Tuesday (Nov 21), receiving the President’s Award for the Environment at the Istana. The award, also given to Anchor Green Primary School and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital this year, is the nation’s highest accolade for individuals, educational institutions and organisations that have made significant contributions towards environmental and water resource sustainability in Singapore.

After this edition, the annual award will be given out every two years.

Dr Lum, an American, has spent over 20 years in Singapore and is a permanent resident here. Since 1992, he has been overseeing a long-term study on the dynamics of the Bukit Timah forest, tagging and measuring the trees there.

He has headed the Nature Society (Singapore) since 2008. Known for his non-confrontational approach and friendly demeanour, Dr Lum said he “prefers discussion to arguments”.

He has collaborated extensively with parties such as policymakers and other non-profit organisations to promote environmental conservation.

Under his stewardship, Nature Society (Singapore) representatives have worked with the authorities on studies for the proposed alignments of the future Cross Island MRT line, for example. But the society has not shied away from affirming its stand on issues such as the development of the Mandai area by the Mandai Park Holdings.

Said Dr Lum: “I think that we need different voices — some quiet leaders, some supporting from behind the scenes, some louder and urgent-sounding than most, and everything in between.”

The diversity of views and approaches is crucial in having a meaningful discussion, he added. “After all, it is a conversation about nature, our ultimate life support system, that we are talking about.”

The Republic’s biggest environmental challenge is ensuring there are enough green areas outside the nature reserves and parks to support current levels of biodiversity, he said.

Besides the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, there are a lack of mangroves or mudflats in coastal areas specifically set aside for wildlife, he noted.

Dr Lum also felt the Nature Society (Singapore) has not done enough to engage residents in the heartlands who do not speak English. It is something he is looking into.

Little steps are needed to encourage members of the public, who may be “too preoccupied” with other matters, to care about nature, he said.

The society is kickstarting an initiative called Every Singaporean A Naturalist that will reach out to primary and secondary schools and teach students to identify, monitor and appreciate the flora and fauna around them.

“It starts with the realisation that no effort is too small,” he said. “By taking little steps, things like caring for wildlife or buying things that are sustainably and ethically produced, it’ll become second nature to them.”

Over at Anchor Green Primary School, students are taught green and sustainable ways of living through several programmes.

One of them is Buddy Clean, where Primary Four students are introduced to school cleaners to get tips on how to clean their classrooms. They then thoroughly clean their classrooms and hallways once every term.

Primary Five students get the opportunity to become guides and take preschoolers on tours of the Sengkang Floating Wetland nearby.

Anchor Green Primary principal Norliza Rahim said it was important to “start from a young age, so children can be sensitive to environmental issues”.

“We want them to reach out to their parents and siblings, too,” she added.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), meanwhile, has 14 rooftop and five ground-level gardens. Staff and members of the public can grow fruits and vegetables in its eco-garden.

About 20 dementia patients participate in horticultural activities, where they get to touch, feel and smell lemongrass, which may bring back old memories.

The hospital was also the first to implement an Energy Display Dashboard last year to monitor its energy usage.

The green surroundings make for a less stressful environment for patients and their family members, said Mrs Chew Kwee Tiang, KTPH’s chief executive.


Man who 'raised' the young of endangered tree wins President's Award for the Environment
Shelina Ajit Assomull Straits Times 21 Nov 17;

SINGAPORE - In little plastic cups, he "raised" the young of an endangered tree, and cared for the seeds like they were his children.

This was in 2002 when Dr Shawn Lum, then vice-president of the Nature Society (Singapore), learnt of the illegal felling of the endangered giant - Hopea Sangal - in Changi Village.

Fortunately, seeds were collected prior to the felling and Dr Lum, an American and permanent resident here, helped them grow into strong saplings over the next eight years.

"I don't have any children of my own, but I know where those Hopea Sangal are planted," he said at a media conference recently, after being named one of three recipients of the President's Award for the Environment (PAE) this year.

The saplings, including those grown by the National Parks Board, were planted at the Singapore Zoo, Changi Airport, Botanic Gardens and Changi museum.

Dr Lum, who is now president of the Nature Society (Singapore), received the award for his significant involvement in biodiversity projects in Singapore.

This includes a long-term study of the Bukit Timah forest, which involves monitoring up to 20,000 trees in 4ha of forest.

Professor Leo Tan, director of special projects at the science faculty at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and one of the nine judges of the awards, said: "Dr Lum should have won this award long ago."

Anchor Green Primary School won the award in the institution category.

The school collaborates with firms such as Ikea and Brother, as well as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Singapore and NParks, to promote recycling and conservation. The school also includes water education and cleaning in their everyday learning.

A "buddy clean system" is one such initiative, where pupils from Primary 2 and Primary 4 work together using tips provided by the cleaning staff, to keep the classrooms clean.

"If children are sensitised from a young age, they will gravitate naturally towards environmental education," said Madam Norliza A. Rahim, the school's principal.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) picked up the award in the organisation category for its "hospital in a garden and a garden in a hospital", as Mrs Chew Kwee Tiang, chief executive officer of KTPH and Yishun Health, described it.

The hospital's nature-friendly design includes large gardens in and around the hospital which boast 70 species of butterflies and 100 species of fish.

Fruits and vegetables grown in the gardens are sold as well.

"I'm quite sure that when you enter Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, you don't feel stressed," said Mrs Chew of the calming effect nature has on those who visit the hospital. "The best view is reserved for patients in the Intensive Care Unit," she added.

This is the second time a hospital has bagged the organisation category. Alexandra Hospital won it in 2008.

Dr Lum said although the three winners are from different fields of work, "the three of us have an overlapping theme - nature is a part of everything. By taking care of the local environment, we make sure there's space for people but also for nature".

The awards were presented by President Halimah Yacob at the Istana on Tuesday (Nov 21) night. The PAE, now in its 12th year, had 48 nominees this year, and the three winners were selected by a panel of judges.

From next year, the awards will be a bi-annual affair to better cultivate potential nominees.

Having germinated the Hopea Sangal, Dr Lum now wants to plant the seeds of environmentalism.

He said: "The next step is to make those clearer connections between the groups that focus on energy, resources, waste management and those who look at green issues, biodiversity and nature, like myself.

"If nature's important, we need to lead more sustainable lifestyles, we need to get people to work across this divide."