The Singapore Blog Awards are back, and I thought I would like to help publicise a few blogs that are currently in the running for various categories. While there isn't any category that best suits a nature or environment blog (a flaw in these awards, considering the large number of people who write good blogs about nature in Singapore), some of the finalists do have recent posts about the environment, and it would be good to show these bloggers our support.
Best Lifestyle Blog
Under the Best Lifestyle Blog, we have Crystal and Bryan in Singapore. The writer, Crystal Riley, is one half of an expat couple living in Singapore, and she has much to share about their encounters with Singapore's biodiversity and visits to various nature areas. Crystal studies the long-tailed macaques of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and earlier this year, led a few walks to help people understand the monkeys better.
Another finalist in this category is the personal blog of Olivia Choong, the lady behind Green Drinks Singapore.
Best Photography Blog
In the best Photography Blog category, we have Jerome Lim, who writes The Long and Winding Road. Jerome shares a lot about his wanderings around Singapore, with a slant towards heritage sites and other places of historical value. I've taken notice of his blog lately with his frequent writings about the sights and sounds along the KTM railway line (currently being rebranded as the Green Corridor).
Best Y Bloggist Blog
In the final category, the Best Y Bloggist Blog (for bloggers aged 25 and below), there is Funny Little World by Kirsten Han. Kirsten writes about social issues, and recently, published a post on The Online Citizen about her thoughts after a visit to Bukit Brown, a place that has been earmarked for future development projects.
These are the blogs that I know of that have covered nature and the environment in Singapore in one way or another; if there are other finalists that have also recently written about similar topics, do let me know.
It is interesting to see blogs about nature and our heritage gaining a foothold in these blogging competitions. While these contests are usually more about who has more friends rather than quality of the blogs, hopefully there are people who have seen these blogs and learned a bit about Singapore's biodiversity and nature areas. Blogging is an important tool for outreach, and many of us nature lovers rely heavily on blogging about our encounters and adventures in order to raise awareness about a side of Singapore that not many people know about.
It's a start, and perhaps, for future competitions, it may be useful for more local nature blogs to get involved, not just to gain more readers, but also to impart lessons, knowledge of Singapore's natural beauty, and to instil an appreciation for our imperiled places and wildlife that are worth protecting.
