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Channel NewsAsia, 16 Oct 04
HSBC 'adopts' Chek Jawa under NParks scheme
By Pearl Forss

Chek Jawa is the latest nature spot to benefit from NParks' Adopt-A-Park Scheme. Under it, 150 HSBC staff will take on a conservation project, which spans three years.

Fiddler crabs, sea skaters, star fishes, volcano barnacles, and carpet anemones -- these are just some of the inhabitants of Chek Jawa in Pulau Ubin. For the past three years, more than 10,000 people have flocked to this place to catch a glimpse of the wonders of nature.

So far 160 people have volunteered to give guided walks and document the bio-diversity of this place. Today, the Chek Jawa conservation team is joined by another 150 volunteers from HSBC.

HSBC chief executive Paul Lawrence said, "What we're doing here today is really to adopt Chek Jawa for educational purposes, put something back into the community and really develop a place where people can come and learn about the regreening of Chek Jawa."

Besides a reforestation project at the coastal forest area of Tanjong Chek Jawa, some of HSBC's nature enthusiasts would also be trained to conduct guided tours of the place.

"I love nature. I used to come here to bike and camp so it's a great thing to be back here again, and I think this particular conservation project for Chek Jawa is just fantastic," one person said.

"We're just glad to do our part for Chek Jawa and we planted a tree -- my daughter and I and two other colleagues," another said.

"This is actually a very exciting time to be here, so close to nature and it's a very positive step towards the environmental conservation effort in Singapore," said a third person.

To raise public awareness, HSBC also unveiled the Care-For-Nature stamp series, which depicts four of Chek Jawa's unique inhabitants.

 

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