Be a Nature Way Steward - Singapore
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Landscape Design
Biodiversity Surveys
Project #1
Be a Nature Way Steward
This project will empower youths to "adopt" a stretch of Nature Way and to further
understand its connectivity functions. Youths will be involved in the designing,
implementing, caring and monitoring of biodiversity of their Nature Way, as well as
educating members of nearby communities about the importance of Nature Ways
and encouraging them to be a part of this network of stewards.
Location: Nature Ways across the island are available for adoption. Youths will be
assigned to the Nature Way based on your preferred geographic location.
Proposed Project Outline
i. Conduct site surveys of existing Nature Ways to analyse the species of flora
planted, the species of fauna they are intended to attract, and whether
these species are present on site
ii. Using the data collected from site surveys and online research, design and
implement a Nature Way by selecting suitable native species of trees,
shrubs and ground covers based on shortlisted road(s)
iii. Conduct transect surveys 3 months after establishment of Nature Way to
record presence of any new fauna species
iv. Organize an engagement session with members of nearby communities to
introduce them to the concept of Nature Ways, encouraging them to
become stewards
Requirements Time Commitment
• Interest in landscape design and Monthly 2hr update meetings
urban biodiversity (online and/or on site) on
• Ability to identify bird and butterfly weekdays, or adhoc as
species is a plus required
• Background in field biology surveys is
a plus
• Able to work independentlyYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Landscape Design
Edibles Gardening
Biodiversity Surveys
Project #2
Creating an Ecological Edible Forest
Youths get an opportunity to learn about pollinators and how to create an edible
garden that is ecologically-friendly. Through the project, participants will be asked to
build bee hotels, educate volunteer gardeners on the importance of pollinators and
how to create conducive habitats for them (e.g. bee hotels), and conduct surveys on
insects and pollinators in HortPark.
Location: HortPark
Proposed Project Outline
i. Do online research on ecologically-friendly edible garden layouts and plant
choices.
ii. Conduct site survey of proposed implementation site and biodiversity
present in the vicinity.
iii. Hands-on implementation works, and subsequent maintenance works
iv. Give a talk during e-Gardener’s Day Out on the process and findings.
v. Prepare educational signs to be placed in the garden, for people who wish
to create ecologically-friendly edible gardens (in terms of layout, plant
selection, etc).
Requirements Time Commitment
• Interest in landscape design and Once a week update
urban biodiversity meetings (online and/or on
• Able to work independently site) on weekdays, or adhoc
• Able to identify birds, butterflies, pest as required.
and diseases is a plus
• Art and design skills are a plusYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Playgarden Design
Community Engagement
Project #3
Conceptualising Nature Play
Gardens
Youths can help to conceptualise and plan for Nature Playgardens in parks. They can
also help gather and analyse feedback from stakeholders, and translate the ideas
received towards the implementation of the playgarden and/or programmes.
Location: TBC; 2 parks around Singapore. Youths will be assigned to the park based
on your preferred geographic location.
Proposed Project Outline
Familiarise and understand the concept of Nature Play, the processes of
designing and managing Nature Playgardens.
i. Analyse the selected parks (through site recce and online research) to
identify and shortlist potential stakeholders for engagement
ii. Prepare and facilitate engagement session
iii. Study feasibility of ideas generated from engagement session
iv. Source for resources to implement feasible ideas on site
v. Implement on site
vi. Maintenance of site
Requirements Time Commitment
• Interest in nature and play Monthly 2hr update meetings
• Good communication skills and (online and/or on site) on
willing to engage stakeholders weekdays, or adhoc as
• Creative, hands on and good in art is required.
a plus Engagement sessions may fall
on weekends.Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Habitat Enhancement
Biodiversity Surveys
Project #4
Implementing an Insect-themed
Garden and Designing Public Walks
This project seeks youths with an interest in greenery and biodiversity to conduct
baseline surveys, implement a butterfly flower/puddling garden and bee hotels. An
insect nature walk will also be developed.
Location: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
Proposed Project Outline
i. Youth will be involved in conducting pre-surveys of the area before
implementation of insect-themed garden
ii. Youth will be able to observe and understand the process of building and
landscaping a garden in a nature reserve
iii. Following the implementation of the garden, youths will be involved in
surveying bees, butterflies and other insects for monitoring purposes
Requirements Time Commitment
• Background in field biology surveys, Preferably once a week
basic butterfly and bees identification survey, but depending on
skill is a bonus applicant's schedule may be
• Landscaping background is a bonus possible for fortnightly survey
• Must be able to work independently, Monthly update meetings
as well as in a team
• Must be comfortable being in an
outdoor environmentYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Habitat Enhancement
Community Engagement
Project #5
Be a Habitat Enhancement Steward
This project seeks youths with a keen interest in forest ecology, restoration and
public outreach to help manage community habitat enhancement projects in
Thomson Nature Park by preparing species lists, coordinating community planting
events and monitoring sites after enhancement.
Location: Thomson Nature Park
Proposed Project Outline
i. Select and assist to prepare suitable sites for habitat enhancement works
ii. Gather information online and from experienced staff to prepare a list of
suitable native species of trees, shrubs and ground covers specific to each
enhancement site
iii. Coordinate and assist in planting and habitat enhancement events with the
community
iv. Prepare information of the species planted at each site and tabulate
planting figures
v. Participate in NParks-organised nature guiding for Thomson Nature Park to
share about habitat enhancement projects
vi. Monitor sites after planting events and identify impediments to a
successful habitat enhancement to come up with strategies to overcome
them
Requirements Time Commitment
• Background in forest ecology is a plus Planting events occur every month
• Knowledge in native plant ecology is for 6 months. Planting events are
a plus mostly held on weekdays but there
• Able to work independently may some events conducted on
• Willing to participate in nature weekends.
guiding and to communicate with Monthly 1hr update meetings over
public 6 months
Ad-hoc meetings and site visits on
weekdays as requiredYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Human-wildlife Coexistence
Community Engagement
Project #6 Social Perception Surveys
Designing Outreach Projects for
Recalcitrant Bird Feeders
This project seeks youth with an interest in the topic of human-wildlife co-existence
to design outreach projects to engage recalcitrant bird feeders. Youth will be guided
by an NParks officer to understand the perspectives of recalcitrant bird feeders, and
curate and design programmes to target their interest and needs, such as nature
walks to feature natural behaviour of birds and other wildlife. Youth will also be
involved in conducting social surveys on ground sentiments towards wildlife feeding
to understand public perceptions of our urban wildlife and interactions.
Location: Various locations around the island
Proposed Project Outline
i. Conduct site surveys of known feeding hotspots in residential areas to
record the species of flora and fauna present
ii. Using the data collected from site surveys and online research, design and
implement an urban nature walk which features natural behaviour of birds
and other wildlife
iii. Propose suitable programmes which can be implemented in the hotspots
for the feeders
iv. Conduct social surveys to understand residents’ attitudes towards urban
wildlife feeding. Analyse the data collected to measure tolerance levels
between residential estates.
Requirements Time Commitment
• Willingness and openness to understand 2 weekly surveys
case studies of recalcitrant feeders Monthly update meetings
• Willingness to engage members of public over 6 months
• Background in social sciences/biodiversity Ad-hoc meetings on
is a plus weekdays (either online or on
• Able to work independently and in a team site) as requiredYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Human-wildlife Coexistence
Biodiversity Surveys
Project #7 Social Perception Surveys
Understanding Human-wildlife
Interactions of the Long-tailed
Macaque
This project seeks youth with an interest in the topic of human-wildlife co-existence
to conduct a monkey census of urban monkey troops. Youth will also be involved in
conducting social surveys on ground sentiments towards wildlife including but not
limited to macaques, such as civets and birds to understand public perceptions of
our urban wildlife.
Location: Various monkey hotspots around the island
Proposed Project Outline
i. Conduct site surveys at macaque hotspots to track their movement and
activity patterns, as well as estimate troop size and structure.
ii. Summarise findings into a data book with a map of the urban monkeys
troops surveyed.
iii. Conduct social surveys to understand residents’ attitudes towards urban
wildlife.
iv. Analyse the data collected to measure tolerance levels between residential
estates.
Requirements Time Commitment
• Willingness to conduct field surveys and 2 weekly surveys
observations of macaques in forest Monthly update meetings
fringes/urban environments over 6 months
• Willingness to engage members of public Ad-hoc meetings on
• Background in ecology/biodiversity/social weekdays (either online or on
sciences is a plus site) as required
• Able to work independently and in a teamYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Community Engagement
Therapeutic Horticulture
Project #8
Co-facilitating Therapeutic
Horticulture Programmes in
Community Organisations
As part of this project, youths will learn about therapeutic gardens and technique of
appropriate adaption and assistance applied in therapeutic horticulture sessions at a
community organization to improve the well-being of beneficiaries. Youths will also
co-facilitate therapeutic horticulture programme.
Location: Various community organisations around the island
Proposed Project Outline
i. Learn about therapeutic gardens and how they assist in improving mental
well-being.
ii. Assist in facilitating therapeutic horticulture (TH) sessions in nursing homes
and elder care centres.
iii. Learn and appreciate how TH sessions are carried out.
iv. Coordinate and assist with logistics required to carry out TH sessions.
Requirements Time Commitment
• Able to understand the requirements of Commitment for 2 sessions
working with the elderly. per month of two hours each
• Able to communicate well and engage either in the morning or in
participants during TH sessions. the afternoon
• An interest in horticulture, greenery and
gardening would be a plus pointYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Community Engagement
Park Design
Project #9
Co-creating parks with the
community through the Friends of
the Parks Engagement Programme
Youths will help to plan and execute engagement sessions with the community to co-
create parks that meet the citizen’s needs. They will also help to analyze and
translate the feedback received into design guidelines and principles to guide the
development of the park.
Location: Various locations around the island
Proposed Project Outline
i. Co-create park designs by producing park design principles through
engagements with stakeholders
ii. Successfully conduct Ideation and Prototyping workshops with stakeholders
and test Minimum Viable Products with community
iii. Able to gain insights on the needs of stakeholders through focus group
discussions, interviews, and site observations
iv. Produce engagement plans based on scoping sessions and identifying &
prioritising stakeholders
v. Learn the concepts of Human-Centred Design and Design Thinking and
shape mindsets to think openly and creatively
Requirements Time Commitment
• Have a keen interest in engaging citizens Engagement sessions with
• Able to think openly without judgement residents and stakeholders
• Keen to learn about facilitating will usually happen during
conversations/interviews weeknights and weekends.
• Good command of the English language
• Added advantage in being able to Planning/prep work and site
converse in native tongue observations will mostly
• Loves to think out of the box happen on weekdays.
• Knows how to have fun through lively
interactionsYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Botany
Horticulture
Arboriculture
Project #10
Be a part of long-term research at
the Singapore Botanic Gardens
SBG maintains an extensive collection of living plants, including specimens and
collections that date back over a hundred years. Youths will participate in several
long-term research projects on these collections: tracking patterns of plant growth
over time (e.g. flowering, flushing of leaves, growth rates), studying the impact of
climate change on plant phenology, analysing population trends in our patch of
primary rainforest, and surveying biodiversity to assess and improve habitat
restoration. Youths with gain experience in field surveys, using technology such as
Lidar, and data analysis.
Location: Singapore Botanic Gardens
Proposed Project Outline
i. Participants will assist in collecting data for the research project
ii. Learn database management for querying data for research
iii. Learn the use of Lidar, georeferencing and mapping
iv. Photography as a means of documentation
v. Tree planting and techniques
vi. Interpretation and labelling
vii. Botany and Horticulture basics
Requirements Time Commitment
• Love for nature and the outdoors, as there Weekly 2 hours. Meetings
will be many outdoor sessions and site visits as and when
• Basic photographic skill required. Some projects are
• Willing to learn new things, and a drive for long term, such as tree
nature conservation and research. growth monitoring.Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Community Engagement
Biodiversity Surveys
Project #11
Floating Wetlands Habitat
Enhancement at Pekan Quarry
Youth will learn more about habitat enhancement projects like the floating wetlands
at Pekan Quarry and contribute to the monitoring of fauna and conducting of public
outreach.
Location: Pulau Ubin
Proposed Project Outline
i. Monitoring (once every 2 weeks), photography, observation of the herons,
understanding of the floating wetland system
ii. Final outcome is for group to manage a booth space at Pekan to engage
with public
Requirements Time Commitment
• Comfortable with being outdoors (sun, 2hr every 2 weeks.
heat etc) Updating of data after every
• Able to use binoculars, familiar with the session
use of SLR cameras.
• Having experience in nature surveys
would be beneficial. Able to work
independently and source for information.Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Biodiversity Surveys
Project #12
Asian Small-clawed Otter Species
Recovery at Pulau Ubin
This project seeks youth interested in species recovery of the Asian small-clawed
Otter through involvement in camera trap surveys, including the deployment,
maintenance of camera traps and data cleaning and analysis of camera trap data.
Location: Pulau Ubin
Proposed Project Outline
i. Monitoring (once every 2 weeks) of otter holts using camera traps
• To plan for battery and SD card changes
• To look through data and footage collected over the 6 months
ii. Carry out simple maintenance within the site
iii. Final outcome would be a report on the images collated
Requirements Time Commitment
• Comfortable with being outdoors 2-3hr session once every 2
• Familiar/comfortable to handle devices weeks
like camera traps, SLR cameras and
binoculars etc
• Having experience in previous camera trap
surveys would be beneficial. Able to work
independently and source for information.Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes
National Parks Board
Biodiversity Surveys
Project #13
Straw-headed Bulbul Monitoring
Surveys
This project seeks youths with a keen interest in birdwatching and avian ecology to
conduct surveys of Straw-headed Bulbuls at various sites across Singapore.
Location: Various sites around Singapore with Straw-headed Bulbul populations
Proposed Project Outline
i. Obtain a current population estimate of Straw-headed Bulbuls in various
parks and nature parks
ii. Identification of possible hotspots in various parks where the bulbuls
regularly frequent
iii. Collection of basic environmental variables associated with these hotspots
(e.g. canopy cover, vegetation complexity)
Requirements Time Commitment
• Background in field biology surveys a bonus 2h surveys in the early
• Must be able to wake up early to conduct morning twice a week for 3
bird surveys months on weekdays
• Must be able to work independently (*during breeding season
outdoors b/w Feb and Apr)
• Familiarity with Straw-headed Bulbuls and Monthly 2hr update
their vocalisations is an advantage meetings over 6 months
Ad-hoc meetings on
weekdays as requiredYouth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects
National Parks Board
FAQ
Who can take part?
• Due to the nature and commitment required for the project, we are mainly
inviting youth aged 18 – 25 who have some experience and interest in the
project topics, such as conservation, horticulture, or landscape design.
Nonetheless, if you show that you are fully capable to learn and commit to
the project, we welcome you to take on the challenge!
How will I be assigned projects?
• You will be able to rank your top three projects, and are encouraged to do so.
We will match you to the projects based on your preference, interest and
suitability to the project (both time and experience/background). If you are
only interested in doing one project and are not open to taking on other
projects, you may leave the two other options blank.
Will I be embarking on the project myself?
• You will be taking up the project either individually or as a small group of 2-3.
This depends also on the number of interested youth in the chosen project.
Will I have to do all the points stated in the project outline?
• The project outlines are proposed; you will be able to discuss and further
scope out the project during the YSN Opening Orientation Session with the
Project Coordinator you will work with. Depending on your group mates, you
may also choose to focus on coordinating different aspects of the projects, as
a team effort.
I am not confident of the skills required. Will I be able to take part?
• Fret not! You will work closely with a Project Coordinator, who is the main
point of contact for you. You will also have access to a panel of resource
persons within NParks, who can provide expertise on various subject matters,
e.g. horticulture, faunal and floral identification. As long as you have a good
attitude to learn, we’re willing to show you the ropes.
I am a student attending classes full-time. Will I be able to commit?
• If you have reservations about the weekday requirements, please indicate
them in your availability. There may be an option for some projects to scope
your involvement mainly to weekends or meetings to late afternoons.
• Time commitment stated here does not include preparation workYou can also read
