Chek Jawa Boardwalk at high tide;
Ever since my days as a little child, nature has always been a source of infinite fascination for me. My experiences helped shape my interest, and I eagerly sought to learn and discover more, to find out about the intriguing lives of the other non-human organisms which share this planet with us.
It is this passion and interest for nature which has made me a believer in the concept of lifelong learning. For there is always something new to discover, new sights to see, new information to be gained, if only you are willing to open your eyes and look in the right places. Even today, after more than 2 decades of existence, I am still looking upon it all with a childlike wonder, amazed at the stunning abundance, diversity, and ingenuity to be found in nature.
Yet at the same time, I look around me, and can only shake my head in frustration at how so many others have become blind to this beauty which lies all around them. I see people rushing to and fro, ignoring the wonders to be seen everywhere, oblivious to the lives and struggles of the other living, breathing things that have managed to live alongside us in our urban jungle of concrete, glass, metal and plastic. Humans, in their pursuit of wealth and other ephemeral possessions, become so consumed by their own desire that they become blind, losing that childlike sense of wonder and amazement, losing sight of the relationships which sustain our very existence, and our own place in this greater web of being.
Singaporeans can sometimes come across as an ignorant lot. It shows, in how little we know about our native flora and fauna, in our disregard for our environment, in our failure to see and understand just how our actions can have greater ramifications for the health of the biosphere as a whole. It can be an uphill struggle, frustrating at times, and it often makes you wonder whether Singapore even deserves to be situated right smack in a hotspot of such rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity when most of her residents are too blind to appreciate the beauty around them in the first place.
But there are signs of hope, signs that the tide might finally be turning, and that the future will see a Singapore that is more ecologically sensitive, more aware of environmental issues, more responsible and more willing to take action, and more understanding of the fact that the actions of individuals add up, both in good ways and bad. It all starts with showing people the value and importance of what we've got in the first place, conveying accurate information about the world around them, and showing just how everybody can and should have a part to play in making life more fulfilling and more meaningful, beyond mere economic and financial success.
This blog will document my explorations and discoveries as I visit Singapore's nature areas. It will also be a place for musings on biology and ecology, and for commentary on environmental issues that we should have the will and determination to tackle instead of sweeping them under the rug and shifting the responsibility to someone else. Hopefully, through this blog, more people will come to realise what we have, what we stand to lose, and how the responsibility to make a difference lies in everybody's hands.
