Raffles Girls’ School Wallace Environmental Learning Laboratory finally opens yesterday, 5 Sept together with the opening of the Wallace Education Center in the 63 hectare Diary Farm Nature Park.
This lab serves to provide field studies education for schools and is has the capability to house a class of 40 or more at each time. Courses in basic or advanced environmental studies such as soil studies, aquatic invertebrate studies, quadrat sampling, forest studies can be conducted there.
The environmental laboratory has a nice library with a good selection of natural history and environmental titles and also a good series of documentaries.
This laboratory was conceptualised last year August (could still vividly the stress and nervousness when we presented the concept to the sponsors) and took a year of painstaking preparation. Till Friday evening we were all still setting up for the official opening on 5 Sept.
Looking forward to having my classes there very soon. Still more work to be done but happy work.
Report on Opening of Dairy Farm Nature Park by National Parks Board, Singapore.
Landed right back into work after 2 weeks away and it felt as if all the days in Tekong did not happen. Right back where I left things and you need all your focus there.
Now on a 3 day course learning about Treffinger’s Levels of Service and Creative Problem Solving, conducted none other than Dr Treffinger himself. He is a very dynamic person and inspiring speaker full of energy and wisdom. Hope to be like him toward the end of my career.
Did not get the PTA, well seeing the 4 recipients, I got some ways to go before I am at their level.
On a lighter note – Snow Leopard finally cometh.
5th Year in teaching service. Still remember the first year in 2004, went Phuket in December and fortunately returned to begin my teaching career.
If I can sum up 5 years, it would have to be the continual learning, learning about myself, learning about the craft, learning about how to live in this little community that is sometimes so insular you might lose track of reality and practicality. I suppose schools are a good place to start building ivory towers for some. Which is why I love or insist on working with/ talking to people from other professions. And there again, you learn.
Of course I met alot of remarkable people thus far, they are my friends and mentors who guided me, either through sound advice or simply by showing how things can be done better. Of course there the students, those whom I had the priviledge of meeting, of sharing what I know, of discussing certain issues, or engaging in service learning together.
All I can say is it has been challenging and enriching. As my reply to an impromptu radio interview this afternoon. The DJ asked, “Why do you teach?” I replied,”This is the probably the job I know I can do well in.” At least for the next few years.
Next year will have very different challenges. Will have to start preparing for it soon.
After a 2 week stint amongst pioneer plants and shrub land it really feels strange to be back to work again. In fact I was getting this sense of detachment as I was taking the daily lorry ride to the training site during the last few days of training. This sense of you doing work in the background so that the rest of the civilised world can lead their daily lives. Not that I am doing something terribly important there, but the act of putting on the uniform and going for training does change one’s mind a little.
Glad that the weather was kind for the past few days but still got a nice tan for all the time out in the sun. Met alot of interesting people as well, a DJ, bankers, someone from Borneo Motors and a guy in the fertiliser business.
Some things of interest – Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard is out! And otterman already has his hands on a copy.
I am going to order my copy soon. Will wait for next week when I am back in school.
Something noteworthy as well. The Department of Biological Sciences are celebrating their 60th Anniversary with a series of public lectures. Will be going for a few. Details below:
All lectures @ LT 31: 6.30pm – 8.00pm
Register at: http://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg/60anniversary/public_lectures.html
Tues, 18 August 2009
Prof. Paul Matsudaira – ‘Movement is Life’
Prof. Leo Tan – ‘Confessions of a Nature Addict’
Tues, 1 September 2009
Assoc. Prof. Hugh Tan – ‘Cultivating the Native Plants of Singapore’
Dr. Chew Fook Tim – ‘Your Sweat: Wound Healer, Virus Inhibitor and Bacteria Killer’
Tues, 15 September 2009
Prof. Richard Corlett – ‘Plants on the Move: Seed Dispersal and Climate Change’
Assoc. Prof. Lim Tit Meng – ‘Programmed Cell Death: What Happens When the Programme Fails?’
Tues, 29 September 2009
Adj Assoc. Prof. Stella Tan – ‘CSI: NUS – Forensic Science and the Law.’
Prof. Peter Ng – ‘Climate Change and Marine Biodiversity – Lessons from a Small Red Dot’
Got this off an email from a ex student. Certainly worth thinking about.
1. When was the last time you felt your life was most meaningful?
2. When do you feel that you are offering the best of yourself to others?
3. When do you find yourself the happiest and what were you doing?
4. How do you express the best of yourself to others?
5. What past three experiences have brought you joy and happiness into your life?
6. What comes naturally and effortlessly to you?
7. What do others think come naturally and effortlessly to you?
8. What are some of your hobbies and what do you do for fun?
9. What activities have brought fulfillment and passion to your life?
Have been away for 2 weeks, back to reservist training. What I do is not something highly classified, just back as a trainer. My job involves plenty of time outdoors, walking around and assessing recruits. This nice mixture of exercise and outdoors really does wonders for the soul.
Now having a short break before going back again tomorrow, hence catching up on my reading.
A few good articles worth mentioning:
One on the current state of the science of taxonomy. Some call it an art, but taxonomy is able to make predictions, so I think its a science, an important one too. See the article by Carol Kaesuk Yoon:
Reviving the lost art of naming the world.
Carl Zimmer has an excellent series on the evolution of Eukaryotes and warming of the earth. On the origin of Eukaryotes
On global warming and evolution
We are all just microbes within microbes? No, we are microbes within microbes within microbes according to Carl Zimmer in Science.
Got this off Louise’s email. Very true.
“I expect to pass through this world but
once.
Any good thing, therefore, that I can do
or any kindness I can show to anyone
let me do it now.
Let me not deter nor neglect it;
for I shall not pass this way again.
–Anonymous
Found this bug at edge of rice field in Malaysia. Taken with a Canon Ixus.
A colleague popped over and alerted me to a tree shrew and a giant snail found near the field. Naturally I brought my D10 and went over for a look.
Here’s the baby shrew. It was breathing quickly (think normal for tree shrews, they have high metabolic rates) and seemed in slight shock.
Some facts about tree shrews in Wildsingapore page.
Here’s a nice closeup in the website.
Here’s the little fella in campus. Its now safe.
