Month: October 2021

On a sunny December morning, Nature Guiding led student participants to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to explore the rich biodiversity in its mangroves, mudflats, ponds and forests. Since this was the migratory period, there were opportunities to catch sightings of rarer shorebirds, in addition to spotting the native species.

Participants were split into five groups: Team Monitor Lizard, Team Painted Stork, Team Buffy Fish Owl, Team Shore Pit Viper and Team Tree-Climbing Crab. Each group had a Nature Guide from the portfolio, who played a crucial role in revealing the hidden treasures of the landscape!

“Outside long enough, I lose the contours of my body and become part of something larger.”

Camille T. Dungy in “A Good Hike” https://www.terrain.org/2017/nonfiction/a-good-hike

Did you notice this colourful poster circulating on Earthlink’s Instagram and flashing on the TV screens of NTU?

Green For Good—previously known as Greenfest—was a two-week long event organised by our Campus Outreach portfolio, to raise awareness of environmental issues and spur collective and individual action among the NTU community.

Opening Ceremony

Guest-of-Honour Dr Shane Snyder (right) shared with us about the importance of pursuing one’s passion and how his childhood experiences shaped his strong desires for water protection.

The panel discussion (left) featured representatives from Hazy Waste, The Sustainability Project, PM Haze and environmental advocate Dorcas. With their diverse backgrounds, each brought a fresh perspective on the topic and how COVID-19 has impeded environmental efforts.

Eco-Campus director Yau Ying Lin (right) presented on Vegetarianism and Veganism, as part of the efforts by her portfolio to promote a meat-free / meat-lite diet for the planet.

Each of the portfolio’s directors also presented on their portfolio’s initiatives.

Treasure Hunt

Officially launched at the Opening Ceremony, the Treasure Hunt saw individuals scouring around NTU for QR codes and answering a series of environmental-related questions.

Meatless Mondays

Meatless Mondays was an online campaign started by Eco-Campus during Green For Good.

Aiming to heighten visibility of vegetarian food on campus, the portfolio created a new @ntueatsgreen Instagram page, where you can find vegetarian delights of all sorts:

• a crowdsourced compilation of food reviews;
• educational infographics; and
• interactive stories (eg. Bingo, ‘This or That’)

The above initiatives injected a fresh flavour of fun that left all of us with no regrets, as we embarked on our meat-lite and meat-free journeys.

Bring your own container

Eco-Campus also led the Bring Your Own Container (BYOC) campaign. Participating food stalls were given a sticker (shown above) each to promote the use of reusable containers for takeaways among patrons.

Following this belief, through collaborating with susGain (a local green rewards app), Eco-Campus has built a system in which NTU students and staff enjoy discounts and other treats when they bring their own container or cup for takeaways. The seven week-long campaign saw a total of 43 participants, accumulating 222 recorded BYOs in NTU—and their green journey has only just begun.

Fashion Treasure Workshop

Community Engagement conducted the Fashion Treasure workshop in partnership with Bye Bye Plastic Bags SG. Participants learnt about fast fashion and its environmental impact and greenwashing through a presentation, then stitched a simple cup-holder/tissue-holder.