My Work Attachment in NParks
During my stint at NParks, I was indeed privileged to be given the opportunity to craft e-learning modules, attend educational programmes, activities and guided tours at SBG, Jacob Ballas Gardens, Hort Park, Choa Chu Kang Park (WSQ), Dairy Farm Nature Park, Pasir Ris Coastal Parks and the Mangrove Swamp at Pasir Ris Park, managed by Mr Muhammad Yusoff and headed by Mr Bernard Lim. The span of exposure was of a great diversity and all largely relevant to Science and IT. What was most interesting were the way scientific research studies and surveys were made in NParks with regards to conservation projects. Conducting a survey and observing Fireflies in our very own Mangrove Swamp in Singapore are new learning experiences and opportunities for all teachers and students alike.


At the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, I was fully engaged in guiding pupils to complete hands-on activities and observe how a drama class was conducted for children from ages 5 years to 12 years. It is insightful to note how the teachers were able to arouse and sustain the interests of all the children using well planned lessons with a full package of available teaching resources neatly packed and provided for them for a nominal fee of only thirty dollars of which will be pooled into the Garden’s resource fund. At the end of the lesson, the key takeaway for all these children not only entails the need for them to learn how to conserve and protect the greenery in their environment but they too get to bring home lovely Christmas wreaths to suit the occasion and plants that they have so lovingly landscaped and planted in the course of their lesson. Teachers and pupils alike should head on down to NParks to observe and adopt some of these programmes and activities for their use in schools.


At Hort Park, I got to sit in a buggy to tour the gardens. I was introduced to the Assistant Head, Wendy Seah Su Ling and Shimin. Wall gardens, roof-top gardens, projects to grow temperate plants and terrariums were the highlights of the park. These innovative and creative structures were set up to bring about the awareness of urban greenery to the general public. Amidst the lushes green in the park, a butterfly lodge can be located, where visitors can feel, observe and experience a close-up encounter to these lovely creatures. Interested visitors might also like to know that they have well furnished, air conditioned, carpeted function rooms available for rent by the hour at an affordable rate.
After the tours, I will head back to NParks HQ to read, look through existing e-learning modules to provide a fresh, teaching perspective to the slides to suit a target audience. It was interesting and exciting for me to be able to study the modules and increase my level of awareness in terms of the exigencies and rationale for the need to have urban greenery in Singapore. CUGE- Centre of Urban Greenery and Ecology manages WSQ and most of the research studies that NParks is working on. Kay Pungkothai was helpful in bringing a greater awareness to me with regards to the processes and available certification routes and platforms for collaboration in CUGE.
In SBG- Singapore Botanical Gardens – Botany Centre, there are a number of classes held for new and existing staff to attain a Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) certification implemented by Singapore Workforce Development Agency. At the same time, free guided tours are managed by Mdm Rahimah to target on providing an insight to the different sites available in SBG where Mr Keith Hilliers is the pioneering guide to these tours. A number of guides have come onboard this learning journey and led many tourists and Singaporean families through the Rainforest and Evolution Garden to name a few. Fascinating facts and uses of the flora and fauna on these tours will chance to amaze people of all ages. Teachers can explore possibilities of conducting their own educational tours in SBG for pupils or parents.
Sometime, third week of December, I was also entrusted and given the chance to organise my own fieldtrip to Dairy Farm Nature Park. Raffles Girls’ Secondary took on a project at WELLs to provide free guided tours and engaging activities for children. Interested teachers, geologists, scientists and nature lovers can call up Information Counter (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve) Tel : (65) 64685736 to arrange for a trip to WELLs and learn all about AR Wallace and the secondary forest in Wallace Trail. Singapore Quarry and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve are currently being used as sites for fieldwork studies too. For more information kindly contact Karen Teo Chwee Peng § Senior Outreach Officer (Central Nature Reserve) § National Parks Board § Tel: +65 65545145 § Fax: +65 64553605
In A Nutshell
My experience at NParks cannot simply be relegated or associated with a fieldtrip or outing to a place of interest. It was an experience that helped developed ideas and strategies to engage and arouse children’s participation and interest in Learning Journeys, Project Work, designing meaningful talks and developing new and accessible learning materials based on existing sources of information, It was both fruitful and engaging.
At the same time, as an educator, I believe in keeping abreast with what is current as teaching to me is a lifelong career that will incorporate the pursuit of a continuous learning journey to hone my skills and craft in matters that are related to the crux of teaching and learning as well as matters that will help enhance and create opportunities for me to learn and grow. My NParks experience had definitely culminated all of these within the month of December 2009.
· Please contact Valerie Lee from HRM, for more information with regards to a work attachment in NParks.
Valerie Lee § Section Head, Human Resource Management § National Parks Board § Tel: +65 64717323 § Fax: +65 64722384


Written by LEE LIN-TZE
10 Jan 2010