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.