Singapore got wildlife, meh?

It's a question that anyone involved in nature outreach in Singapore is bound to encounter someday. Yes, despite this country being a small island that has undergone lots of development, lots of wildlife still survives or even thrives in Singapore! If you've ever pondered this question yourself, here's a video that was first screened at last year's Festival of Biodiversity.

Jurong Sec bags two top video awards with green documentary

Through the fire and the flames: A collection of news articles and Seen on STOMP posts on bushfires and haze in Singapore

This post will serve as a repository for all news articles and Seen on STOMP posts regarding the current spate of bushfires and hazy conditions in Singapore. Instead of having to manually update and re-publish every fire-related post every time I have a new article, I've decided that it would be much more efficient for me to just update this single post, and link all the relevant posts to this one.

News articles: In case of fire, land buffer can save lives (12th March 2009) (Mirror)
Clear and present danger (24th February 2009) (Mirror)
95% of vegetation fires to date caused by human-related activities (24th February 2009) (Mirror)
Carelessness behind 95% of bush fires (24th February 2009) (Mirror)
Carelessness caused fires (24th February 2009)
Big forest fire in Tampines (22nd February 2009) (Mirror)
3 bush fires in a day (22nd February 2009)
Singapore not affected by haze in Sumatra (22nd February 2009) (Mirror)
Blazing Again (19th February 2009) (Mirror)
Bush fire watch (19th February 2009)
Bukit Batok bush fires keep firemen busy (1st Mirror, 2nd Mirror) (18th February 2009)
S'pore fires hit decade high (18th February 2009)
Haze is back, but blame it on fires in Singapore (17th February 2009) (Mirror)
Record high of vegetation fires in Singapore (17th February 2009) (Mirror)
Dry spell causes bush fires to surge to record numbers (16th February 2009) (Mirror)
S'pore bush fires hit record high (16th February 2009) (Mirror)
Lazy winds, hazy days (16th February 2009)
Smoke's in the air (14th February 2009) (Mirror)
Slight haze in Singapore, but PSI reading within good range (13th February 2009) (Mirror)
Fire razes forested area in Sengkang (10th February 2009) (Mirror)
Dry spell to carry on in Singapore (6th February 2009) (Mirror)
Bush fire at Tampines (31st January 2009)
Singapore: Driest January in 10 years (31st January 2009) (Mirror)
SCDF put out 146 bush fires this month (29th January 2009) (Mirror)

Seen on STOMP: S'poreans should know that Bukit Batok forest fires not easy to put out
Reddish sun in S'pore: Could haze and bush-fires be the cause? (18th February 2009)
Second fire at Bukit Batok captured on video (18th February 2009)
Fire so large that SCDF firemen take turns having dinner on-site (18th February 2009)
Yet another bush-fire at Bukit Batok (17th February 2009)
S'porean concern about Aussie-type fire disaster here (17th February 2009)
Bushfire starts despite earlier rain (17th February 2009)
Bukit Batok bushfire a surreal experience for fire safety engineer (17th February 2009)
"Terrifying to see huge balls of fire in S'pore" (17th February 2009)
Firemen battle hilltop bush-fire in Bukit Batok (16th February 2009)
Haze back in S'pore? Healthy PSI reading, but can still see and smell smoke in air (15th February 2009)
Look at the damage wreaked by S'pore's own bush-fire in Sengkang (12th February 2009)
Tampines bush fire so huge, it can be seen from Eunos (31st January 2009)
Trees on fire at Sungei Tengah (24th January 2009)

Oceanlab: Miracle

Don't they know that there's something going on
What they're harming with their indecision
But who will be left standing when I'm gone
There'll be nothing left but a vision

And it's too easy to turn a blind eye to the light
It's too easy to bow your head and pray
But there are some times when you should try to find your voice
And this is one voice that you must find today

Are you hoping for a miracle
As the ice caps melt away
No use hoping for a miracle
There's a price we'll have to pay

Don't they know that there's something they can do
To be sure of tomorrow's tomorrow
And too late is too late for me and you
No more time left for you to borrow

And it's too easy to turn a blind eye to the light
It's too easy to bow your head and pray
But there are some times when you should try to find your voice
And this is one voice that you must find today

Are you hoping for a miracle
As the ice caps melt away
No use hoping for a miracle
There's a price we'll have to pay

Are you hoping for a miracle
Am I still there in your plans
No use hoping for a miracle
I am balanced in your hands

- Miracle (Album Edit) by Oceanlab

Miracle is the latest single released by Oceanlab, and once again, it's another excellent track that combines the deejaying mastery of Above & Beyond, and the hauntingly beautiful vocals of singer/songwriter Justine Suissa.

This time however, there's a valuable social message behind the music: to me, the lyrics so aptly describe the current state of affairs, where world leaders are still trapped within the mindset of competition with other states when the entire world is at stake, where the facts of climate change have become so politically loaded, and where people are aware of what's happening, but are so loathe to make even small sacrifices that collectively, can go a long way towards slowing the changes that are arising.

The video goes one step further to emphasise the point, with the use of wonderfully breathtaking imagery, to show just what we might stand to lose if we continue to be so gripped with inaction that we are unable to change the way we live our lives.

While personally, I don't think this track will really change people's minds about taking action, I must say that it is a notable and worthy effort on the part of Oceanlab. Music has always been used as an avenue to spread messages, and whether or not one will feel sufficiently inspired to become an agent of social change, this feels a whole lot more sincere than the Live Earth concerts.

Here's the Radio Edit of the Above & Beyond Club Mix for this track. It's quite different from the Album Edit, but still just as pleasing to the ear:



It's certainly very fascinating to see how two of my interests - trance music and the environment - have managed to intersect.



Miracle is currently available on Oceanlab's long-awaited debut album, Sirens of the Sea.

I'm popping up everywhere...

Tune in to 938LIVE at 2.40 p.m. tomorrow, as I'm featured in an episode of Passion People. I will be sharing about my work as a volunteer with the Naked Hermit Crabs, how the group came into existence, the origin of our catchy name, and a bunch of other interesting stuff about our shores.

Once again, I'll be talking about the richness of our shores, the beautiful environments and fascinating marine life, and the need to protect our natural heritage. I'll also be talking about how corporate sponsors can help volunteer groups; for example, this new collaboration with Transitions Optical allows us to cover costs and give our guided walks free of charge to the public. The wonderful folks at Transitions have also made it possible for us to organise the upcoming exhibition at the National Library this coming Friday to Sunday, with Ria giving a talk about our fragile shores on Saturday afternoon.

At this rate I'm pretty much setting myself up to be the media spokesman for the Naked Hermit Crabs. Doing a pre-recorded interview via phone was certainly an entirely different experience from recording for television, and chatting live in the studio on national radio. While I guess I did pretty alright, on hindsight there are parts that I wish I could have phrased better or elaborated more. I hope I didn't mess things up too much this time around. Oh well, we learn from our mistakes and past experiences.

There's a repeat broadcast at 9.40 p.m. as well, so do tune in then if you miss me the first time around.

Naked in the Living Room

Well, that was an enjoyable experience, heading down to the 938LIVE studio for a chat with Stanley Leong and Esther Ng on "The Living Room".

Vyna and I shared about the Naked Hermit Crabs, the birth of the group, the origin of the catchy name, and the places where we guide members of the public. We talked about how despite so many Singaporeans thinking that there's nothing to see in our waters, Singapore's shores are actually still extremely rich in marine life, and there is a very pressing need to protect them.

Among other things, we mentioned how we are celebrating our first-year annniversary with the return of our Sentosa walks (go sign up if you haven't done so already!), which are now sponsored by Transitions Optical. We also told the listeners how in conjunction with our collaboration with Transitions Optical, there will also be an exhibition at the National Library Plaza this weekend, from Friday to Sunday (6-8 June), with photos and posters showing some of the beautiful marine environments and fascinating marine life which can be found right at our doorstep. Plus an upcoming talk by Ria, who will be there at the National Library on Saturday (7 June) to share about our wonderful shores, the threats and challenges that they face, and what all of us can do to help protect them.

Appearing on radio is certainly a very different experience from appearing on televion, and the both of us got a first-hand look at what it takes to put together your typical morning radio show.

I guess I did okay this time around, probably not as nervous as the time I appeared on Rouge. I still think I was a little nervous, and I'm sure that those who were listening in would agree. But I suppose I'll just have to keep learning, and future media appearances should turn out better.

You can catch the repeat broadcast of our interview on 938LIVE at the following timeslots later:

10 p.m. - midnight
4 a.m. - 5.30 a.m.

You can also hear us on Channel NewsAsia from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.

Well, that's one media appearance down. Later tonight, I'll be doing a pre-recorded interview with Michelle Martin, also from 938LIVE, for Passion People.

On the airwaves

On 2nd June (Monday), Vyna and I will be guests on the radio talkshow "The Living Room" on 938LIVE from 10.30 to 11 a.m., to talk about what we do as members of the Naked Hermit Crabs. Tune in and listen to us share about our work as volunteers, raising awareness of our fragile shores.

Information on The Living Room and host Stanley Leong

Stanley's been fronting the popular weekday talkshow "The Living Room" on 938LIVE (formerly NewsRadio 93.8FM) since July 2002. His investigative and inquisitive approach coupled with quick wit, composure and his cordial ways have won the hearts of his studio guests. Among them, 'live' discussions with MPs, Ambassadors, High Commissioners, CEOs, medical and legal practitioners and international speakers.

Listeners have come to love the casual and edu-taining banter synonymous with the programme. The talkshow which broadcasts live from 10am to noon on weekdays, makes 938LIVE the third most-listened-to English station during those hours.

The profile of the Naked Hermit Crabs is certainly being raised; we've appeared on television, have been invited to the National Youth Environment Forum, and we're now getting sponsorship from Transitions Optical. Let's hope that with this media feature, the message gets spread further, that our shores are indeed very much alive, and definitely worth protecting.

Lizard on TV

Update: Liana has blogged a quick summary of our segment on Rouge over at Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

For the past week, I have been getting a huge number of messages from friends and acquaintances, through SMS, MSN Messenger, and even Facebook, telling me that I've been spotted on television. I am a little surprised by all the attention, especially when you consider that I make an appearance for less than 5 seconds on the promo trailer for tonight's episode of Rouge.

When I agreed to be interviewed on the show together with November three weeks ago, little did I know just how many people would find out, and how they would react. It seems even my parents have had their friends calling them to ask if their son was really appearing on national television.

But I suppose at the very least, this is a great opportunity to promote the wonderful work that so many of us are doing to raise awareness of our shores and their natural splendours.

Here's the synopsis from the Channel 5 programme schedule:

Can You Save The World?

What have you done to save the world?

This week on Rouge, we say "we can" to saving the environment, helping the poor and the disabled. Join special guests from ONE (SINGAPORE), President and Class 95 deejay Vernetta Lopez and co-founder Micheal Switow as they share with us how to make poverty history.

Social entrepreneur Lois Ng tells us more about Studio You and Rouge joins the Naked Hermit Crabs in a search of some marine life along the shores of Singapore.

Rouge will broadcast tonight, 20 April (Sunday) on Channel 5 at 10pm. I'll be sitting in front of the television screen, seeing how I make a fool out of myself. I think I am going to go down in history as the guy who revealed to Eunice Olsen that the giant reef worm happens to belong to the genus Eunice.

You can read about our experience in the television studio in one of my previous posts or over at Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs. November also blogged about her experience being filmed on Pulau Semakau over at the Midnight Monkey Monitor, while Ria documents the wonderful time they had that morning at the Wildfilms blog.

Coming soon to a TV screen near you... we get naked!

While some of the Naked Hermit Crabs were out there risking life and limb, braving the elements and leading other folks around Chek Jawa, a few other crabs were all comfy and prim and proper inside a television studio on Caldecott Hill. The reason? Because we're going to be on TV! *girlish scream*



The Channel 5 talkshow Rouge, hosted by the lovely Eunice Olsen, decided to do a feature on the Naked Hermit Crabs in conjunction with their Earth Day episode, to be screened on April 20th. And so, November and I arrived at Mediacorp studios for the recording.



The location was a far cry from our usual native habitats, and we had to dress up for the event. It's like a hermit crab switching over to a prettier shell! We certainly looked very different from our usual unglamorous, sweaty, smelly, soggy selves out on the shores (though the audiences did get a glimpse of November in her usual field garb from the Semakau footage).

Eunice is an extremely nice and approachable lady, and she was fascinated with our name and the things we Naked Hermit Crabs do. She also shared with us how as a child, her father would bring her out to places like Seletar Island and the Malaysian coast and look for seashore life at low tide.



The recording went great, and we spoke on various topics, such as the rich biodiversity of our shores and the threats they face, stressed the importance of raising awareness, and what people can do to help. November brought up the Triple Acts: eXplore, eXpress, and ACT! We also mentioned how this year is the International Year of the Reef.

Eunice was very pleased when we conferred her the status of honorary Naked Hermit Crab and gave her a guide badge. She was even more pleasantly surprised when we presented her with a copy of Dr. Chua's Singapore Splendours and pointed out the photo of the Giant Reef Worm, whose genus name happens to be Eunice! I know, it was a nice coincidence that really worked. And all the members of the audience went home with their own copy of the Guidesheet to the Amazing Marine Life of the Southern Shores of Singapore.

We got a real behind-the-scenes look at how television programmes like Rouge are produced and filmed, with all the editing and re-recording and bloopers. It really takes a lot of time and effort just to film a single half-hour episode.




(L-R): Michael, Lois, Eunice, November, Ivan and Vernetta

Besides us, the show recorded segments featuring people from 2 other very different groups doing their own bit for the community at large; there was the very brave and dedicated Lois Ng, who founded Studio You, which employs and empowers people with disabilities.



As well as the passionate representatives from ONE (SINGAPORE), which helps raise awareness of the fight to eradicate poverty; President Vernetta Lopez and Co-founder Michael Switow came to talk about the work they have been doing, especially with homeless migrant workers in Singapore who have nowhere to turn to for assistance.



So in general, I think it will be a very eye-opening show for TV audiences on how we as individuals can act to literally save the world in various aspects.


Take-home message: Each of us has the potential to contribute and help make the world a brighter and better place in our own special way.

Lots of thanks go out to fellow crabs Ley Kun and Bian, and Hannah and Vyna from Team Seagrass for coming to lend us their support, the other members of the audience for their applause, Miss Eunice Olsen and the other guests for such a delightful afternoon of sharing, and of course to the hardworking crew at Mediacorp like Vivian, Rahmat and Clarabelle for such a fun and memorable experience and for making this all possible.

We're certainly looking forward to having Eunice (the person, not the worm) join us on our walks in future. Maybe we could be fortunate enough to have Eunice (the person/the worm) come face to face with Eunice (the person/the worm)...


(L-R): Ley Kun, Vyna, Bian and Hannah

So now, not only are there Naked Hermit Crabs running around on Sentosa and Chek Jawa, in the near future you'll also see some Naked Hermit Crabs running around on TV!

(Cross-posted to Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs)