Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Threatened sea turtles have Thai navy for protection
Papitchaya Boonngok, Reuters 22 Jun 09;
KHRAM ISLAND, Thailand (Reuters Life!) - Sea turtles have to battle humans hungry for their meat or eggs and fungal infections to survive, but in Thailand, the endangered species have the navy on their side.
Every year, dozens of mature sea turtles come ashore on Khram Island, an isolated island known as the biggest nesting site of sea turtles in the Gulf of Thailand, to lay their eggs.
The turtles born out of these eggs will also eventually return to the same island, some 30 km (19 miles) from the tourist beach town of Pattaya, when it is their time to lay eggs.
But the survival of these eggs, and the hatchlings, is under constant threat, which is why the navy has been protecting them for almost 20 years.
"Sea turtles in Thailand have not reached a critical endangered level," said Captain Aran Jiemyuu, Deputy Director of the Thai Navy's Sea Turtle Conservation Center which was set up in 1992.
"But that's because of our efforts. At Khram Island, we found green turtles, from 15 to 17-years-old laying eggs. It shows that the turtles laying eggs here may be turtles we nurtured and released to the sea or natural-born turtles on the island."
Sea turtles are recognised as an endangered species by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
But Aran said the number of sea turtles in Thailand has increased since the project was set up.
Five species of the sea turtles have been found along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman sea coast, including olive ridley turtle, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead turtle and leatherback turtle.
On the island, navy conservationists use a sharp metal stick to find nests. These are then encircled by protective pens.
The conservationists also put tags on each pen to identify the number of eggs, the date of nesting and the expected birth date. It takes between 45 and 60 days for eggs to hatch.
"We observe the sand. If the sand is softer, we will dig it. If we find turtle eggs, we will move all the eggs to the front beach for further nurturing," said Commander Tosporn Osathanond, chief of staff the conservation center.
Once born, the new baby turtles are collected and moved to tanks where they are fed minced fish and scrubbed to prevent fungal infections.
Some 15,000 green and hawksbill baby turtles are housed at the navy's conservation center each year. The newborns are kept in tanks and once they are strong enough, after about six months, they are released into the sea.
Sea turtles in Thailand are often killed for their meat or eggs, which are regarded as a delicacy. Many sea turtles also die when they are caught in fishing nets.
Killing the creatures and collecting their eggs is prohibited by law and violators risk a fine of up to $1,160 and jail.
Some environmentalists have praised the navy's efforts, saying its only right for the turtles to get human protection since the threats they face are largely man-made.
"Because humans destroy nature, natural conservation practices should begin with humans," said Captain Winai Klom-in, sea turtle specialist.
KHRAM ISLAND, Thailand (Reuters Life!) - Sea turtles have to battle humans hungry for their meat or eggs and fungal infections to survive, but in Thailand, the endangered species have the navy on their side.
Every year, dozens of mature sea turtles come ashore on Khram Island, an isolated island known as the biggest nesting site of sea turtles in the Gulf of Thailand, to lay their eggs.
The turtles born out of these eggs will also eventually return to the same island, some 30 km (19 miles) from the tourist beach town of Pattaya, when it is their time to lay eggs.
But the survival of these eggs, and the hatchlings, is under constant threat, which is why the navy has been protecting them for almost 20 years.
"Sea turtles in Thailand have not reached a critical endangered level," said Captain Aran Jiemyuu, Deputy Director of the Thai Navy's Sea Turtle Conservation Center which was set up in 1992.
"But that's because of our efforts. At Khram Island, we found green turtles, from 15 to 17-years-old laying eggs. It shows that the turtles laying eggs here may be turtles we nurtured and released to the sea or natural-born turtles on the island."
Sea turtles are recognised as an endangered species by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
But Aran said the number of sea turtles in Thailand has increased since the project was set up.
Five species of the sea turtles have been found along the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman sea coast, including olive ridley turtle, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead turtle and leatherback turtle.
On the island, navy conservationists use a sharp metal stick to find nests. These are then encircled by protective pens.
The conservationists also put tags on each pen to identify the number of eggs, the date of nesting and the expected birth date. It takes between 45 and 60 days for eggs to hatch.
"We observe the sand. If the sand is softer, we will dig it. If we find turtle eggs, we will move all the eggs to the front beach for further nurturing," said Commander Tosporn Osathanond, chief of staff the conservation center.
Once born, the new baby turtles are collected and moved to tanks where they are fed minced fish and scrubbed to prevent fungal infections.
Some 15,000 green and hawksbill baby turtles are housed at the navy's conservation center each year. The newborns are kept in tanks and once they are strong enough, after about six months, they are released into the sea.
Sea turtles in Thailand are often killed for their meat or eggs, which are regarded as a delicacy. Many sea turtles also die when they are caught in fishing nets.
Killing the creatures and collecting their eggs is prohibited by law and violators risk a fine of up to $1,160 and jail.
Some environmentalists have praised the navy's efforts, saying its only right for the turtles to get human protection since the threats they face are largely man-made.
"Because humans destroy nature, natural conservation practices should begin with humans," said Captain Winai Klom-in, sea turtle specialist.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Day 3: Firetastic Fireflies
Waking up to the majestic sunrise was the best way to start of the day. First thing on hand for the day was to settle the programme for the remanining of the whole trip at River's place. River is a community liaison officer with WWF Maaysia and had offered his place for our sesion. We decided the dates for their mangrove clean-ups, renovation of the houses and our team bonding sessions. Soon after lunch, we made our way to the first house where we will be doing our renovation.
A lot of work would have to be done in the house. That was how bad the shape of the house was. If strong winds and heavy showers come, it would be a disaster in the house. Flooding would occur and living conditions would deteriote. We would have to fix new doors and windows, building of brick wall and also major works to help make their life better. Giving our best is definitely our main priority.
After having a stomach fufilling dinner, we went for a boat ride to have our look at fireflies! To many of us, it was our very first time seeing this wonderful looking insects at their natural habitat. All in all, it was a fruitful day and from here our journey continues and perservering is one factor we truly must have.
Signing Off,
Ashok
Ashok
Sunday, June 21, 2009
New net timer could save sea turtles from drowning
Jay Lindsay, Associated Press Yahoo News 21 Jun 09;
BOURNE, Mass. – Fishery managers trying to protect rare sea turtles from dying in fishing nets have tapped a Cape Cod company to build a device they think can help balance turtle protection with profitable fishing.
The "tow-time logger" is a 7-inch, silver cylinder that attaches to fishing nets and records how long the net stays underwater.
That time is crucial if a turtle gets snared in the nets dragged behind fishing trawlers. Federal research indicates the vast majority of sea turtles survive entanglement — but only if the net is pulled up in less than 50 minutes.
With the logger, regulators can avoid other, potentially more onerous, restrictions on perpetually struggling fishermen — such as shutting down fishing areas or requiring turtle-saving gear that doesn't work well in all nets. In fisheries where they decide time limits would work best, they wouldn't have to depend on an honor system to make sure nets are pulled up in time.
"Turtles have also been around since the time of the dinosaurs," said Elizabeth Griffin of the environmental group, Oceana. "They're cool animals that I think most people want to see continue to exist."
The logger was built under a $25,000 federal contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by Onset Computer Corp., a Bourne-based supplier of data loggers for energy and environmental monitoring. It starts recording water depth every 30 seconds once the net drops below two meters. If the net stays under beyond a preset time limit, the logger records it, and the infraction can be discovered when regulators download its data.
The device's early tests at sea have been successful, and work is ongoing to toughen it for the real-life rigors, such as being banged on fishing boat decks. The company expects it to cost between $600 and $800, an expense that would fall to fishermen.
Even when the logger is perfected, regulators know limiting how long the nets stay underwater is no cure-all as they devise rules, which they hope to propose for public comment by 2010, to meet a new federal requirement to protect sea turtles from trawler fishing nets.
Some environmentalists say turtles shouldn't be kept underwater at all because even relatively short times of being trapped underwater without oxygen hurt them.
Griffin says there's also not enough data on how trapped turtles fare in colder waters, so no one really knows how long they can be kept under and survive.
The data logger at least makes briefer tow times a feasible way to protect turtles, if researchers can sort out what's safe, she said.
Fishermen are skeptical. They say short tows aren't practical in most fisheries, such as those in deeper waters, where a worthwhile catch is impossible if the nets must constantly be pulled up.
"It's a bad idea," said James Fletcher, a veteran fisherman and now head of the North Carolina-based United National Fisherman's Association.
"Nobody's going to love the idea," acknowledged Henry Milliken, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of NOAA. But he added fishermen might prefer limits on how long the net can be underwater to harsher alternatives, such as closing fishing areas.
"The idea is that we're looking at providing options to the managers in the future," Milliken said.
As the NMFS tries to determine which steps will or won't work, it's held public meetings this spring from New York to Georgia.
The turtle most frequently caught in trawl nets in the Atlantic is the loggerhead, the threatened 250-pound giants named for their relatively large heads. In U.S. waters, every sea turtle is listed as either endangered or threatened, so any turtle deaths in fishing nets hit the populations hard.
The most common way to protect turtles right now is the Turtle Excluder Device, often a circular, barred frame attached near the front of fishing nets. The bars are big enough for fish and other sea life to slip through, but too narrow for turtles, which bounce out of the net before they get caught.
The excluder devices have had success in some fisheries, including the Southeast's shrimp trawl fishery, but bigger species, such as horseshoe crab, monkfish and flounder, can bounce out along with the turtles and make the nets far too inefficient.
Greg DiDomenico of the Garden State Seafood Association, a New Jersey trade group, said since the new rules will apply to fisheries from Cape Cod to Florida — where the turtles swim — whatever shakes out is bound to be felt industry-wide. That includes "huge negative impacts on some fisheries," he said.
But with regulations coming, DiDomenico said his best hope is that regulators don't broadly force a turtle-protecting solution, including the time logger being developed, on a diverse fleet.
"It's not one-size-fits-all," he said.
BOURNE, Mass. – Fishery managers trying to protect rare sea turtles from dying in fishing nets have tapped a Cape Cod company to build a device they think can help balance turtle protection with profitable fishing.
The "tow-time logger" is a 7-inch, silver cylinder that attaches to fishing nets and records how long the net stays underwater.
That time is crucial if a turtle gets snared in the nets dragged behind fishing trawlers. Federal research indicates the vast majority of sea turtles survive entanglement — but only if the net is pulled up in less than 50 minutes.
With the logger, regulators can avoid other, potentially more onerous, restrictions on perpetually struggling fishermen — such as shutting down fishing areas or requiring turtle-saving gear that doesn't work well in all nets. In fisheries where they decide time limits would work best, they wouldn't have to depend on an honor system to make sure nets are pulled up in time.
"Turtles have also been around since the time of the dinosaurs," said Elizabeth Griffin of the environmental group, Oceana. "They're cool animals that I think most people want to see continue to exist."
The logger was built under a $25,000 federal contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by Onset Computer Corp., a Bourne-based supplier of data loggers for energy and environmental monitoring. It starts recording water depth every 30 seconds once the net drops below two meters. If the net stays under beyond a preset time limit, the logger records it, and the infraction can be discovered when regulators download its data.
The device's early tests at sea have been successful, and work is ongoing to toughen it for the real-life rigors, such as being banged on fishing boat decks. The company expects it to cost between $600 and $800, an expense that would fall to fishermen.
Even when the logger is perfected, regulators know limiting how long the nets stay underwater is no cure-all as they devise rules, which they hope to propose for public comment by 2010, to meet a new federal requirement to protect sea turtles from trawler fishing nets.
Some environmentalists say turtles shouldn't be kept underwater at all because even relatively short times of being trapped underwater without oxygen hurt them.
Griffin says there's also not enough data on how trapped turtles fare in colder waters, so no one really knows how long they can be kept under and survive.
The data logger at least makes briefer tow times a feasible way to protect turtles, if researchers can sort out what's safe, she said.
Fishermen are skeptical. They say short tows aren't practical in most fisheries, such as those in deeper waters, where a worthwhile catch is impossible if the nets must constantly be pulled up.
"It's a bad idea," said James Fletcher, a veteran fisherman and now head of the North Carolina-based United National Fisherman's Association.
"Nobody's going to love the idea," acknowledged Henry Milliken, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is part of NOAA. But he added fishermen might prefer limits on how long the net can be underwater to harsher alternatives, such as closing fishing areas.
"The idea is that we're looking at providing options to the managers in the future," Milliken said.
As the NMFS tries to determine which steps will or won't work, it's held public meetings this spring from New York to Georgia.
The turtle most frequently caught in trawl nets in the Atlantic is the loggerhead, the threatened 250-pound giants named for their relatively large heads. In U.S. waters, every sea turtle is listed as either endangered or threatened, so any turtle deaths in fishing nets hit the populations hard.
The most common way to protect turtles right now is the Turtle Excluder Device, often a circular, barred frame attached near the front of fishing nets. The bars are big enough for fish and other sea life to slip through, but too narrow for turtles, which bounce out of the net before they get caught.
The excluder devices have had success in some fisheries, including the Southeast's shrimp trawl fishery, but bigger species, such as horseshoe crab, monkfish and flounder, can bounce out along with the turtles and make the nets far too inefficient.
Greg DiDomenico of the Garden State Seafood Association, a New Jersey trade group, said since the new rules will apply to fisheries from Cape Cod to Florida — where the turtles swim — whatever shakes out is bound to be felt industry-wide. That includes "huge negative impacts on some fisheries," he said.
But with regulations coming, DiDomenico said his best hope is that regulators don't broadly force a turtle-protecting solution, including the time logger being developed, on a diverse fleet.
"It's not one-size-fits-all," he said.
Awareness of sea turtles through God
New Straits Times 19 Jun 09;
Reaching out to the people through God is such a winning formula in Terengganu that WWF is planning to introduce it in Kelantan.
THE sea of faithful Muslims from Ma'Daerah listened keenly as a small wiry ulama with wispy grey beard preached about saving turtles.
Across the South China Sea, an Anglican pastor in Kota Kinabalu urged followers to be more respectful of nature and its resources.
These two men are just some of the holy leaders who are spreading environmental awareness through God's words.
While celebrities have always fronted environment campaigns, lately, it seems religion has found its role in the green movement worldwide.
For British scientist Dr Bernard d'Abrera, "faith is the evidence for things unseen".
"As custodians of the Earth, we have the moral obligation to take care of it in its original form for as long as possible.
"God didn't create Earth as a trap, but a home for us."
Even English environmentalist Sir David Attenborough declared recently that "there should be a morality about living".
Environmentalism has always relied on science, but d'Abrera stressed that "science must be subjected to morality".
"Spirituality is a force for moral good to rule good behaviour."
Langkawi-based conservationist Irshad Mobarak agreed, saying all religions taught respect for nature.
"All religions have many good things to say about man's relationship with his Creator and His creations ... and our position as stewards of nature.
"We must treat Earth with deference."
Irshad described Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia's move to highlight the endangered turtles' plight through sermons in Terengganu as a "good approach" to make people understand that everything was finite.
"You tell them 'hey listen. You're accountable for how you treat the planet. You can escape men's law but not God's punishment'."
Editor of the Herald, a Roman Catholic publication, Father Lawrence Andrew, said that every life needed to be protected.
"The Christian principle of loving thy neighbour also includes animals and plants."
Roman Catholic Churches in Malaysia, he said, include green topics from time to time in the sermons, especially when the occasion calls for it, such as Earth Hour.
"And now with the haze, we encourage people not to conduct open burning," he said.
Reaching out to the people through the new medium is such a winning formula in Terengganu that WWF is planning to introduce it in Kelantan.
"We have tried other ways from education to holding public talks.
"The religion approach is new but it seems to be working," WWF Species Conservation Programme (Peninsular Malaysia) communications officer Sara Sukor said.
The NGO is currently working with the Islamic Understanding Institute of Malaysia to publish a book on spirituality and environmental stewardship.
The compilation of Quranic verses, hadith (collections of sayings and acts of Muhammad and the first Muslims) and sirah (stories of prophets) is expected to be out by December.
Reaching out to the people through God is such a winning formula in Terengganu that WWF is planning to introduce it in Kelantan.
THE sea of faithful Muslims from Ma'Daerah listened keenly as a small wiry ulama with wispy grey beard preached about saving turtles.
Across the South China Sea, an Anglican pastor in Kota Kinabalu urged followers to be more respectful of nature and its resources.
These two men are just some of the holy leaders who are spreading environmental awareness through God's words.
While celebrities have always fronted environment campaigns, lately, it seems religion has found its role in the green movement worldwide.
For British scientist Dr Bernard d'Abrera, "faith is the evidence for things unseen".
"As custodians of the Earth, we have the moral obligation to take care of it in its original form for as long as possible.
"God didn't create Earth as a trap, but a home for us."
Even English environmentalist Sir David Attenborough declared recently that "there should be a morality about living".
Environmentalism has always relied on science, but d'Abrera stressed that "science must be subjected to morality".
"Spirituality is a force for moral good to rule good behaviour."
Langkawi-based conservationist Irshad Mobarak agreed, saying all religions taught respect for nature.
"All religions have many good things to say about man's relationship with his Creator and His creations ... and our position as stewards of nature.
"We must treat Earth with deference."
Irshad described Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia's move to highlight the endangered turtles' plight through sermons in Terengganu as a "good approach" to make people understand that everything was finite.
"You tell them 'hey listen. You're accountable for how you treat the planet. You can escape men's law but not God's punishment'."
Editor of the Herald, a Roman Catholic publication, Father Lawrence Andrew, said that every life needed to be protected.
"The Christian principle of loving thy neighbour also includes animals and plants."
Roman Catholic Churches in Malaysia, he said, include green topics from time to time in the sermons, especially when the occasion calls for it, such as Earth Hour.
"And now with the haze, we encourage people not to conduct open burning," he said.
Reaching out to the people through the new medium is such a winning formula in Terengganu that WWF is planning to introduce it in Kelantan.
"We have tried other ways from education to holding public talks.
"The religion approach is new but it seems to be working," WWF Species Conservation Programme (Peninsular Malaysia) communications officer Sara Sukor said.
The NGO is currently working with the Islamic Understanding Institute of Malaysia to publish a book on spirituality and environmental stewardship.
The compilation of Quranic verses, hadith (collections of sayings and acts of Muhammad and the first Muslims) and sirah (stories of prophets) is expected to be out by December.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Malaysian police seize smuggled turtle eggs
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) — Malaysian authorities have said they had seized 2,900 turtles eggs and detained a Filipino who tried to sell them in a market on the island of Borneo, where they are considered a delicacy.
Saizal Hussin, an official with the marine police unit in Sandakan, in Borneo's eastern Sabah state, told AFP the eggs worth around 5,200 ringgit (almost 1,500 dollars) were smuggled from the southern Philippines.
Police arrested the man and intercepted two boats believed to be involved in the smuggling operation on Tuesday, Saizal said.
He said that officials expected such smuggling operations to increase in the coming months, with the egg-laying season stretching from June until September.
"We expect more smugglers to enter Malaysia to sell turtle eggs as they fetch higher prices here amid strong demand," he said.
Saizal said the turtle eggs had been handed to the wildlife department who may release any hatchlings that survive back into the sea.
In April environmental group WWF launched a campaign to stop Malaysians eating turtle eggs, in a bid to help save stocks of the marine creatures.
Turtle eggs are openly sold in markets in parts of Malaysia. Turtles once arrived in their thousands to lay their eggs on Malaysian beaches, but are now increasingly rare due to poaching and coastal development.
Under Malaysian law, it is illegal to collect turtle eggs without a permit from the fisheries department, but steady demand for turtle products and eggs in Southeast Asia continues to drive the trade.
Saizal Hussin, an official with the marine police unit in Sandakan, in Borneo's eastern Sabah state, told AFP the eggs worth around 5,200 ringgit (almost 1,500 dollars) were smuggled from the southern Philippines.
Police arrested the man and intercepted two boats believed to be involved in the smuggling operation on Tuesday, Saizal said.
He said that officials expected such smuggling operations to increase in the coming months, with the egg-laying season stretching from June until September.
"We expect more smugglers to enter Malaysia to sell turtle eggs as they fetch higher prices here amid strong demand," he said.
Saizal said the turtle eggs had been handed to the wildlife department who may release any hatchlings that survive back into the sea.
In April environmental group WWF launched a campaign to stop Malaysians eating turtle eggs, in a bid to help save stocks of the marine creatures.
Turtle eggs are openly sold in markets in parts of Malaysia. Turtles once arrived in their thousands to lay their eggs on Malaysian beaches, but are now increasingly rare due to poaching and coastal development.
Under Malaysian law, it is illegal to collect turtle eggs without a permit from the fisheries department, but steady demand for turtle products and eggs in Southeast Asia continues to drive the trade.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Meeting 6
Venue: Sakura Restaurant
Discussion
1) Final collection of passport copies, medical declaration and international forms
2) Logistics check
- Individual packing list
- Team packing list
3) Post-Event and R&R brief
4) AOB
- Sponsorship updates by Co-Leader
- Treasury to-do-list
5) Final project brief by Team Leader
Discussion
1) Final collection of passport copies, medical declaration and international forms
2) Logistics check
- Individual packing list
- Team packing list
3) Post-Event and R&R brief
4) AOB
- Sponsorship updates by Co-Leader
- Treasury to-do-list
5) Final project brief by Team Leader
Busy shopping for books
After we completed the Project GREASE workshop in RGS, some of us headed to Bras Basah Complex to buy some logistics for the kids at Terrenganu!
Getting flashcards...
many things to learn!!
Sijie and Nicholas
Things on our shopping list include educational posters, flashcards, English storybooks, stationary and many more!I think we are going to have a lot of fun with the villagers both adult and young ones alike!!
Can't wait for the day to come to interact with the kids and teach them read! That would be an accomplishment for the team!
Signed off,
May Lwin
May Lwin
2nd Pre-Event at Raffles Girls' School
It was a cloudy Saturday morning where we Project Orion Rovers went for our second pre-event at Raffles Girls School. Our main objective was to learn how to reuse used cooking oil into making soap. And by learning this, we hope we can introduce it to those in the village at Setiu and use this opportunity to generate more revenue. The workshop, which is called Project Grease, was facilitated by Secondary 3 girls from Raffles. Here are some of the photos taken from the event this morning.
Our demonstrator, Brenda
Our demonstrator, Brenda
Materials needed. That was cooking oil by the way, not tea~
Sodium Hydroxide
Pour into the water.
Temperature risinggg~
Concentrating on stirring the solvent. 
And we kept stirring....
and stirring...
waiting for the oil to hit the same temperature as the solvent...
preparing for the next step!
pour the solvent into the cooking oil!
list of fragrances to add in the mixture
tada~ waiting for the mixture to mould
packing the team's soaps for our trip! 
Project Orion with Mrs Lee, Mentor of the Project Grease and a group of students from RGS!From starting to end, we had great fun as we were learning something not taught from our textbooks. All in all it was a fruitful event and we really hope to make full use of the opportunity to share this with the people in Setiu.
Signed off,
Ashok
Secretary
Captions by: May Lwin
Captions by: May Lwin
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Fillmore the Sea Turtle - Sherman's Lagoon
Fillmore
Sherman's pensive sidekick provides the anchor of sensibility to an otherwise eccentric cast. Not that Fillmore is a normal, well adjusted sea turtle; far from it. He's bookish and slightly pompous, however he's sensitive and principled, and right most of the time. He likes to wax philosophical and longs for an intellectual soul mate, preferably a she-turtle. Though at times he finds it unbearable to keep company with a shark who eats the gum off the bottom of theater seats, Fillmore secretly envies Sherman's complete lack of self-awareness.
Sherman's pensive sidekick provides the anchor of sensibility to an otherwise eccentric cast. Not that Fillmore is a normal, well adjusted sea turtle; far from it. He's bookish and slightly pompous, however he's sensitive and principled, and right most of the time. He likes to wax philosophical and longs for an intellectual soul mate, preferably a she-turtle. Though at times he finds it unbearable to keep company with a shark who eats the gum off the bottom of theater seats, Fillmore secretly envies Sherman's complete lack of self-awareness.
Taken from Sherman's Lagoon.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Mr. Ricky Sim, Honorary Secretary, Scout Council
Project Orion Sponsor
Mr Ricky Sim is the Managing Director of Chesterton Suntec International Pte Ltd and Chief Operating Officer of Suntec Investment Group of Companies.
He is a nature lover and strongly feels that it is everyone’s responsibility to care for and protect the world we all live, work and play in. He is hopeful that as the world becomes increasingly concerned over the effects of climate change, more will come forward to play their part in nature conservation and shaping the long term future of our biodiversity.
The world’s turtles are disappearing as a result of habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation, collection for food and folk remedies and collection for the pet trade. The dwindling population of sea turtles will cause the commercial value of its meat, shell and eggs to rise even further, thereby creating a viscous cycle. Hence, Ricky is keen to personally contribute to the worthy cause of Project Orion - Rovering with Turtles project.
Apart from playing an active role in the Singapore Scout’s Association as its Honorary Secretary, Ricky Sim is also contributing his time and effort in the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), Social Innovation Park (SIP) and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) to name a few.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tan Chin Tuan Foundation
Project Orion Sponsor
“I get a lot of satisfaction helping people. If you do things for people, these deeds they will not forget.”
– Tan Sri (Dr) Tan Chin Tuan
– Tan Sri (Dr) Tan Chin Tuan
The Tan Chin Tuan Foundation in Singapore was set up in 1976 by the late Tan Sri (Dr) Tan Chin Tuan to help the poor and needy. Tan Sri Tan, a staunch supporter for education and a great philanthropist, was Singapore’s first and only Deputy President of the Legislative Council and Chairman and subsequently Honorary Life President of several blue-chip companies including OCBC Bank.
Among his many philosophies in life, Tan Sri Tan believed very much in leading a happy and purposeful life, and in sharing this happiness with the less fortunate. This became a basis from which the Foundation conducts its activities, seeing to it that gifts of money are wisely allocated to the deserving, and that there is social outcome to the donation given.
Tan Sri Tan was born in 1908 and passed away in 2005, at the age of 97.
Chesterton Suntec International Pte Ltd
Project Orion Sponsor
Founded in the United Kingdom in 1805, the Chesterton Brand has grown into a global real estate consultancy with more than 100 associated and alliance offices worldwide to provide a full range of expert localized real estate related services.
Chesterton Suntec is a client-focused company committed to help clients realize their real estate objectives by providing the following services:
· Leasing and Sale of commercial, retail, residential and industrial properties
· Valuation & Appraisal of properties, businesses and equipment
· Investment & Research Consultancy
· Property, Assets & Facilities Management
· Energy Audit & Management
· Middle East Cross Border Investments/Islamic Finance
· Project Management & Security Consultancy
Their objective is to provide their clients with innovative and comprehensive solutions; and they aim to be your preferred choice in all their client’s real estate needs.
Chesterton Suntec is a strong believer in corporate social responsibility and has been a regular sponsor and supporter for many years to the Singapore Scouts Association, Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), Social Innovation Park (SIP) and the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) to name a few.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Citra Ria Gemilang Sdn. Bhd.
Project Orion Affiliated Partner
Citra Ria Gemilang Sdn. Bhd. (CRG) was founded by a group of visionary entrepreneurs with over 20 years of experience in corporate gifts distributions, corporate event management and public relations multimedia promotion.Accompanied by a strong team of marketing force and backed by a professional production team, they strive to fulfill the teams of their valued customers. If uncertainties occur from the customer regarding the choices of premium to choose from, the sales team will provide ideas to assist them in determining the best choice of products.
CRG also provides clients with very unique and highly successful promotional programmes and event services.
Creative, effective and efficient
Refined and renowned name for corporate merchandise
Gracious event management and multimedia promotion
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Zonice Rovers
Project Orion Affiliated Partner
They aim to:
- Provide a training centre to facilitate youth development and social integration;
- Unite fellow scouts and friends regardless of race, age and gender;
- Share their knowledge and resources for the benefit of their youths and society;
- Work together so that everyone can progress;
- Develop further their scouting passions into a substantial profession, and
- Enjoy the rewards and achievements together.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Meeting 5
Venue: Vivo City
1) Recee Trip Updates
- Questions from previous meeting answered
2) Operations Update
- Programme for Project Orion
- English Introductory Sessions
- Mangrove Replanting
- Post-Event Updates
- R&R Updates
3) Logistics Update
- Additions to team and personal packing list
- Stuff to buy for lessons and WWF Info Centre
- Stuff to buy for beach patrol and mangrove replanting
4) Sponsorship Updates
5) AOB
- Bicycles or car?
- The merchandise and transport discussion
- Liaisons with WWF and Malaysian Scouts
Associate Professor Diong Cheong Hoong
Project Orion Supporter
Dr. Diong Cheong Hoong, from National Institute of Education, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Science Education, is a leading sea turtle researcher in Singapore. Dr. Diong received his BSci (Hons) degree from the University of Malaya, before moving on to obtain his MSci and PhD degrees from the University of Hawaii.Dr. Diong’s professional affiliations include the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, The Wildlife Society, The Herpetologist League, International Sea Turtle Society and the Institute of Biology, Singapore. Dr. Diong was the Chairman for Year of Turtle (YoT) Singapore in 2006 and a Scientific Observer for the 16th IBO held in Peking University, Beijing in 2005, amongst many others.
Apart from his interests in environmental science education and vertebrate ecology, Dr. Diong also has an immense interest in sea turtle nesting ecology and conservation. He showed his support for the project by taking time off from his busy schedule on a weekend to present his research and chat with the team during our pre-event visit to UWS.
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