This month, Green Drinks is focusing on Singapore's rich biodiversity and conservation!
They are presenting two speakers, N. Sivasothi and Nature Society (Singapore). Siva will lead a talk on the fauna in Singapore, titled 'Zoological Explorations in Singapore', and Nature Society (Singapore) will speak on the highly topical issue of saving the KTM railway, in a presentation titled 'Getting to Know Your Green Railway Corridor'.
Free entry, all are welcome.
Zoological Explorations in Singapore
Primary rainforest is a distant memory in the modern city-state of Singapore, mirroring other Southeast Asian cities. However, protected and unprotected secondary forests still constitute 14% of the land. Nestled there and in her unprotected marine environment are a variety of large and charismatic fauna such as pangolins, otters, dolphins, dugongs, wild boar, turtles, monitor lizards, mouse deer and common palm civets. Zoological explorations in Singapore by staff and student researchers, along with an active natural history community, continue to raise the awareness of a very surprised urban citizenry and address conservation challenges though a variety of avenues. This talk will highlight some of these discoveries and projects.
Getting to Know Your Green Railway Corridor
This presentation aims to acquaint people with the KTM Railway Land – its history, its present state, and also discuss its future.
Through this presentation, we will show that it is in Singapore’s best interest to keep the railway track land as a continuous Green Corridor. Through the use of photographs, maps, diagrams and case studies from other countries, we hope to show that this is an irreplaceable opportunity for Singapore to create something special; a readymade, 40
kilometre, nature, parks and recreational trail, that enhances and preserves our natural heritage, as well as improve the quality of life for Singaporeans.
The Green Corridor Working Group has been supporting this initiative by the NSS, we are currently conducting a detailed study of the KTM Railway Land that will lead to a comprehensive Green Corridor Concept Plan.
About the Speakers
N. Sivasothi, a.k.a. ‘Otterman’ has been immersed in mangroves for research, education and conservation at the National University of Singapore since the late 80’s. Now focused on undergraduate teaching and research, he and his students undertake zoological explorations with endangered freshwater crabs, mangrove fauna, common-palm civets, mousedeer, wild boar, the red jungle fowl and of course, otters. In 2001, he led efforts at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research to explore, share and appeal the fate of an inter-tidal shore on Pulau Ubin called Chek Jawa. The situation became a hallmark of government-citizen engagement and the people’s awakening to nature and the environment in Singapore. For over a decade, he has been coordinator of Raffles Museum Toddycats!, the national coordinator of the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore and an advocate of internet use for resource sharing and communication.
The Green Corridor Working Group consists of Tham Wai Hon, Jeremy Chan, Mikael Teh, Pamela Choo-O’Neill, Neuwa O’Neill, Geoffrey Pakiam & Ruth Wok.
Time: 8-11pm
Venue: Artery, Red Dot Traffic Building, #01-04, 28 Maxwell Road
More information and contact: Green Drink's facebook page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145890058797938