Month: February 2015

It is fifteen minutes past twelve. The talk will not start until 30 minutes later, but Dr. Jane is going to arrive any time now. There I was, standing outside the lecture theatre with Kah Fei (one of the event photographers), Stephany (the Nature Guiding Director), and Ruskin (Earthlink s President). I busied myself with fidgeting in the corner.

 Are you excited? Stephany asked me.

 Very , I answered plainly- I knew that I would stumble over my words if I gave her a longer answer.

She smiled, and looked at the file she was carrying.  You know, more than 600 people registered for her talk.

 Can the lecture theatre even hold that many people? I asked.

 The lecture theatre can only seat 577 people, but we are expecting that some people wouldn t be able to make it. However, I was still getting emails from people yesterday night, asking if we have any seats left. Stephany replied.

Ruskin turned around to face us.  Of course, Dr. Jane is incredible; legendary even. 300 people registered on the third day we opened the registration. We already expected the theatre to be pretty packed.

I could tell that Stephany and Ruskin were at least as nervous as I am, which I guess is perfectly normal. Dr. Jane Goodall is, as Ruskin had put it, legendary in her own right. Known as  The Woman Who Redefined Man , Dr. Jane Goodall had spent more years researching chimpanzees than I have been alive. Now, she focuses her efforts on conservation, and travels around the globe regularly to promote her Roots & Shoots initiative. How would anyone not be nervous to meet such a figure face-to-face?

10 minutes later, there is a flurry of activity as staff from the Jane Goodall Institute gather near us to escort Dr. Jane when she arrives. I spot a black sedan driving towards us, and see Dr. Jane sitting in the front passenger seat. As the car comes to a stop, Ruskin hurries over to escort her out of the front seat. After a brief introduction, we led Dr. Jane to a waiting room. As everyone got seated, Ruskin explains the schedule to Dr. Jane.

 So, we need you to talk for about 45 minutes. Said Ruskin.

 Only 45? I m not sure if that s enough, Dr. Jane said with a smile.  I m 80 after all; I have lots of stories to tell.

With laughter filling the room, I could feel my anxiety getting washed away. We spent the next 15 minutes talking about various things, the most interesting topic being how Dr. Jane disliked giving talks while seated- according to her, it is hard to breathe if she talks while sitting. (To those of you who came that day, you may recall that she did not use the armchair even once during the entire duration of the talk.)

Soon enough, it was time for Dr. Jane s talk. We took a longer path around to get to the back of the lecture theatre. I entered along with the group, and was instantly greeted by the magnificent sight of a theatre packed to the brim with excited people. I briefly marvelled at her popularity while hurrying to an empty seat. After a short introduction by the emcee, Dr. Jane stepped up to the podium to speak.

She took a deep breath, and let out a long chimpanzee cry.

The audience fell silent.

Dr. Jane smiled a little and said,  That means:  I am Jane; I am here in chimpanzee.

As the audience exploded into a thunderous applause, I felt a smile on my face- I knew that the next hour was going to be very interesting.

After the applause has died down, Dr. Jane started talking about the story of young Jane. She described herself as a curious child, and told the audience of the time when she hid in a chicken coop for a few hours just to find out how hens laid eggs. Of course, no one knew where she was, and her mother was worried sick looking for her. However, when they finally found Jane, her mother did not reprimand her with harsh words; instead, Jane s mother listened patiently to her excitedly sharing her findings.

Dr. Jane then went on to talk about the book that inspired her dream of going to Africa: Tarzan of the Apes. She admired Tarzan for being close with nature, but jokingly said that Tarzan had married the wrong Jane. Even though times were tough back then, her mother always supported her dreams. Jane s mother told her to work hard for things that she really wanted, and she did. I noticed some parents among the audience members, and I am sure that this was an excellent lesson in child upbringing for many of them.

After that, Dr. Jane briefly talked about how she saved up money working as a waitress, the magic of her first voyage to Africa, how she met Louis Leakey and became his secretary, and how he secured funding for her research in Tanzania. However, she needed someone to accompany her; and her mother volunteered. Dr. Jane recalls how her mother encouraged her when she was worried that the expedition would fail. Sadly, her mother left before the breakthrough discovery of tool use in chimpanzees.

Dr. Jane also describes how similar humans and chimpanzees were. Chimpanzees are capable of acts of love and altruism, as evidenced by how Spindle, a 12-year old male, adopted Mel- a totally unrelated orphaned child. On the other hand, chimpanzees can also perform acts of violence like hunting down other chimpanzees from neighbouring groups. Dr. Jane goes on to describe evidences of intelligence in other animals, such as those demonstrated by crows and octopuses. This reinforces the need for actions to be taken to preserve the habitats of not just chimpanzees, but various other animals around the world. As Dr. Jane puts it herself:  After all, we are part of, not separated from, the rest of the animal kingdom.

She then talked about why she turned to environmental conservation, and questioned the reason for people nowadays to no longer think about what effect their actions may have on the future generations, but only about the immediate effects on themselves. Dr. Jane also talked about why she founded the Roots and Shoots Program – to empower young people and to listen to their voices.  Every single one of us makes a difference every single day, she asserts. At the same time, Dr. Jane also gives us reasons to have hope for the future – resilience of nature, human intellect, and the indomitable human spirit. She concludes her talk by saying that we must act to change the world now, and  Never say that we can t do it. Just simply say we must do it, and therefore we will use our collective brains to make it happen; because we can. Because we must.

As the audience delivers a deafening ovation, I notice that my eyes are dry. I instantly realise that my gaze had been fixed on Dr. Jane for the whole time she was talking. That charisma of hers is what makes the Jane Effect so strong, after all.

The audience is then invited to ask Dr. Jane some questions. One member of the audience asked Dr. Jane if there is anything we can learn about war by studying chimpanzees. Dr. Jane started her answer by referencing Louis Leakey s theory on how humans and chimpanzees shared a common ancestor. She believes that humans did indeed inherit aggression from this common ancestor, but does not believe that war is inevitable. Dr. Jane also believes that humans possess enough intellect to supress this violent instinct, and thinks that most major wars are motivated by greed instead of such instincts.

With all questions answered, the talk ended. Ruskin was invited on stage to present gifts to Dr. Jane: an orang-utan plush toy and an Earthlink T-shirt. As Dr. Jane descends the stage, a mother and her child present her with a drawing. Dr. Jane accepts it with a smile and agrees to a photo together. Seeing this makes me realise just how much of an inspiration she is to everyone; young and old alike.

As she leaves the lecture theatre, I recall something she said during the talk:

 I ll tell you that every single one of you in here, every one, has an in
domitable human spirit. Just let it out, let it out and you are capable of changing the world a lot more than you think right now.

I smile, and instinctively know that Dr. Jane Goodall will continue to inspire people from around the world for many, many years to come.

On 24th January 2015, fellow Earthlinkers were invited to attend the launching of EcoClick 2015 Nature Photo Competition in Bukit Batok Nature Park from 8.30am to 1.00pm.

The participants were welcomed by the fresh air and morning breeze. The sight of people exercising and walking their pets were simply energizing. Participants hiked to a nearby pagoda and gathered there for a short briefing about the itinerary.

During the nature walk, participants were able to capture a glimpse of Bukit Batok s natural beauty while leisurely strolling down the brick paths. Interestingly, the brick path is laid in a pattern such that it allows water to drain and provides grip for footing. Crossing hills and rough terrains, participants were able to appreciate the various plantations sprouting around the park, for example, rubber trees, Simpuh Air and orchids. Little critters such as squirrels were seen chasing and playing tag while monitor lizards were present to sunbath and enjoy the scenery at the same time. Participants were also lucky enough to observe birds such as woodpeckers in their natural habitat.

After numerous captivating moments captured in photos, participant arrived at a lake that was once a quarry, which runs deep and still. After a short break, the launching event took place. The members of Nature Guiding portfolio presented a short skit with a 10 storeys high cliff wall as backdrop, truly one-of-the-kind experience for the participants.

Near the end of the event, participants were provided some light refreshments to replenish some energy after the tiring but rewarding hike across Bukit Batok Nature Park. At close to 12.30pm, participants boarded the chartered bus back NTU after taking a group photo to capture the moment.

On the 1st of February 2015, Earthlink NTU was invited to set up a booth for ECo Day Out 2015, organised by South West CDC to encourage local residents to recycle more. Earthlink s subcommittee members from the Events Executive External (EEE) portfolio arrived an hour before the starting ceremony to set up the booth. After an opening speech by Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan and Ms. Low Yen Ling, the mayor of the South West District, the event was started. Almost immediately, a small crowd had gathered in front of Earthlink s booth.

Earthlink s booth hosted a mini-game where participants had to sort 5 items into recyclable waste and non-recyclable waste bins. Participants were presented with various waste items such as batteries, drink cans and packets, plastic wrappers, and tissue. Those who could successfully sort the items into their respective bins were gifted with a small cactus plant. Apart from that, if the participant listened to a short explanation about small things everyone could do to help the environment, they are awarded a stamp. When they successfully collect 5 stamps from the various booths in the area, they could exchange it at the main counter for a goodie bag.

The cactus plants proved popular, as there was no shortage of people visiting the booth. Earthlink s members did not get a moment s rest throughout the event- they were busy keeping the crowd in line, conducting the mini-game, and handing out the plants. Most people that visited the Earthlink booth were surprised to learn that some items, such as batteries and plastic drink bottles can be recycled. In fact, the booth was educational to the people that hosted it as well- EEE subcommittee Richmond admitted that he did not know that batteries are recyclable before this event.  We could only start recycling batteries en masse recently, as the methods used weren t efficient enough before. he added.

Apart from Earthlink s booth, many other booths also hosted interesting activities. The National Parks Board taught participants how to weave pandan leaves into various things like grasshoppers, roses, and fish, while the Repair Kopitiam taught participants how to change faulty wires and fuses, use drills and saws, and basic DIY in general to discourage people from simply buying new things when something breaks.

After a hectic 2 hours, the last of the plants were handed out. As Earthlink s members finish packing up the booth, all of us were invited to lunch by the organizers. South West CDC staff members were surprised by the fact that we brought our own lunchboxes and cutlery, and commented that they should make that a standard practice among their staff. EEE director Lim Jin Way was happy with everyone s efforts, and was pleased to call the event a success.