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NewsAsia, 4 Dec 04 Sungei Buloh open resource centre for visitors By Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia SINGAPORE : A resource centre has been built at Singapore's first and only wetland reserve, Sungei Buloh, so visitors can read up and learn more about the flora and fauna there. Fifteen-year-old Gabriel Wong's passion for nature started three years ago when he joined the Green Club. His school, Commonwealth Secondary, adopted the Mangrove Board Walk at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in 2001. Since then, Gabriel has become one of 20 active nature guides who bring tourists and students along the one kilometre route. If you think knowing the millions of species of birds, insects and plants by name is no mean feat, you're right. So the resource centre will definitely come in useful for a naturalist like Gabriel. A once-vacant room that has been transformed into a cosy and comfortable reading room, the Nature Cove is a one-stop resource centre filled with some 60 titles dedicated to wetland conservation and nature-related activities. "When we go outside and see some species that we don't know, we can come back here and refer to books," Gabriel said. "I feel quite excited because I spot new species of birds and reptiles everytime I come here and when I spot them, I'll be quite excited to look up their data files," another student said. Annie Lim, teacher in charge at Commonwealth Secondary's Green Club, said, "I'm very glad that I always have very passionate student guides and this will be a very good resource area where they can find, read, research on new species of plants so that they can talk about them when they take people out." Sungei Buloh is also a source of inspiration for 15-year-old Rida Nisar of Hillgrove Secondary. She is an an avid photographer who frequents the reserve and she cross-references her subjects back at the resource centre. Professor Leo Tan, chairman of the National Parks Board, said, "It's not just a resource for visitors to Sungei Buloh. I think it's very significant in that Singaporeans now have a dedicated space and place for them to come to within a nature area to enrich their knowledge, awareness about the environment they live in. "We always have to ensure that the future generation will have the best resources to enable them to make good decisions as they grow up." The beautiful 130 hectare Sungei Buloh reserve is home to an amazing variety of interesting plants, animals and mangroves. - CNA The Straits Times, 8 Dec 04 Nature's Resoure VISITORS who are curious to know more about the plants and animals they see at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve can now check out the park's new resource centre. Called Nature Cove, the mini-library stocked with about 60 books on nature was opened officially on Saturday by Professor Leo Tan, chairman of the National Parks Board. The new centre was built with a $19,000 grant from the Singapore Press Foundation. The funds were used to renovate and equip a previously underused sitting room at the park's visitor centre to house Nature Cove. The Singapore Press Foundation, a non-profit organisation, was set up in January last year to help encourage lifelong learning in Singapore. Besides providing financial assistance to welfare organisations and charities, the foundation also runs programmes to promote reading. links Fact sheet on Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve has more links. |
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