Month: October 2013

Earthlinkers kicked off their recess week with a trip to Bukit Batok Nature Park this Saturday, September 28. Organized by the Logistics and Welfare committee in conjunction with Nature Guiding, the outing was an avenue for the latest batch of Earthlink recruits to bond with each other as well as existing Earthlinkers in a natural environment.

The outing officially started with a set of fun and engaging icebreaker games which saw members across portfolios interacting and bonding. Along the way , things from names to shoe sizes of different members were learnt.

These games were followed by a tour of the nature park with a personal nature guide to aid each group. The guides proved extremely valuable in their knowledge, acquainting Earthlinkers with information about obscure plant species occupied by the park and more importantly, alerting them of the peculiar dangers one might find themselves in such a park like being hit by a falling durian or becoming prey to a stray monkey. Lin Xi, a subcommittee member of Nature Guiding seemed pleased with how things were going at the outing, saying,  I can t believe people have been in such good spirits throughout this outing. Everyone seems to be interested in hearing what I have to say about the flora & fauna we can find in this park.

Some of the plants species Earthlinkers were introduced included Elephant Ferns and Curtain Fig Strangler Trees. They learned about features that made them distinct and their origin. Amidst these plants, in stark contrast to their ubiquitous green were resplendent birds, white and pink and yellow, shocking in their vibrancy.

During the tour, each committee continued to enjoy more activities. One of the highlights included an attempt by different members of each committee to draw one another.

The trip was aptly concluded with a sumptuous meal and a bus trip back home that was boisterous as newly acquainted Earthlinkers continued to play games amongst themselves and chat animatedly. The subcommittee outing met its objective in forming bonds between its members and nurturing their interest in nature. I personally found the park to be charming, a place apt for both quiet rumination and exuberance with friends  in short, the perfect place for me to get acquainted with my fellow Earthlinkers.

Held across the 4th and 5th of September, the Subcommittee Recruitment Drive was off to a great start right from the word GO! Coming up with innovative and creative ideas every year, Earthlink has always tried to spruce up the usually-dull process of interviews. This year was no exception; Ranging from taking interesting photographs of students holding placards to intriguing interview questions by our Main committee members, students were kept busy right through the activity.

In addition, a continuous influx of applicants through both the evenings kept the atmosphere energetic and vibrant. The Subcommittee recruitment drive went far and beyond its primary objective of absorbing fresh and new environmental enthusiasts into the EarthLink family. So much so that, it gave Main Committee members a platform to raise questions about procedures and formats, and give their inputs from time to time. It was also a great bonding session as they interacted over the course of the interviews and helped each other in the final decision making process.

By the end of Day 2, and after having interviewed a record number of participants, Earthlink NTU, crossed its past membership mark with ease. More importantly, the committee was thrilled to see so many environment buffs come to the forefront, wanting to take initiative and carry Earthlink NTU one step further towards its goal!

To all our newly recruited Subcommittee members, we extend a hearty welcome into the Earthlink family! We look forward to working with you in the coming year and wish you the very best in all your events!

Finally, to all our hardworking and tireless Main Committee members, a big Thank You for all your help, let s bring about the change that is needed!

Armed with gloves, boots and data analysis sheets, Earthlink NTU s Main committee and Subcommittee members spent their Saturday morning at Sungei Pandan Mangroves with a mission  to remove and collect data on the debris from the mangroves along Jalan Buroh near Pandan Road.

Organized on the 21st of September 2013, the annual event is held in over 70 nations around the world, and is conducted in coordination with the US-based non-profit organization, The Ocean Conservancy. In Singapore, the ICCS, is primarily backed by Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at NUS, and is one of the most prominent environmental conservation campaigns held across the country.

Over the past few years, the number of venues for the cleanup has increased; ranging from East Coast Park and Changi Beach to Lim Chu Kang and Chek Jawa..The event which was scheduled to be held from 7am to 11am, promptly began, with the participants gathering in front of the Chinese Heritage Centre, in NTU.

Once at Sungei Mangrove, the cleanup picked up momentum as Earthlinkers, grouped in trios, began their search for debris and trash that may have been polluting the landscape. An hour and a half later, participants emerged with some of the quirkiest findings  a tyre and even an abandoned shoe!

Yap Yun Ben, Honorary Treasurer of the 21st Management Committee of EarthLink, who participated in the cleanup was caught saying,  Although the turnout rate for this year’s event was lower than that of last year, the participants were more active compared to last year’s participants and they were highly enthusiastic and put in lots of effort during the cleanup.

Inspired by the primary objective of making the shorelines, waterways and beaches of the world s lakes, rivers and oceans debris-free, Earthlink NTU s members were exposed to a unique opportunity to highlight the effectiveness of 3Rs to reduce unwanted plastic from flowing into aquatic environments.

When asked to share his experience after the event, Ben introspected,  As for my experience, this is the first year I participated as well as hosted the ICCS, so I had no idea about how a cleanup in the Mangroves actually feels, but it turned out to be a very memorable one, as I don’t think I will ever do such thing during my daily routine.

After the event, the amount of debris collected was weighed for statistical purposes and future analysis of the data & participants were provided with light refreshments, courtesy of Jurong Bird Park. With the accumulation of marine trash and litter along coastlines around the world, this form of environmental pollution has become an issue of global concern that requires action at every level.

Functioning on a mere 4 hours of sleep, I d spent my entire Saturday morning cleaning up Mangroves! Ironically however, the fact that we were able to make a difference, irrespective of how small it was, pumped me with enough positivity and encouragement to participate in all the varied events organized by Earthlink that are yet to come!