This was originally written as a guest post for the Science Centre Singapore blog, found here.
When I tell people that I am part of a group whose mission
is to raise awareness of the Butterfly Trail @Orchard in Singapore, I almost
always get blank looks in reply, followed by comments about how it’s a waste of
my time. Even more so, when I inform them that we target our education at
children, because ‘children are unable to understand or make any difference
towards the situation’.
Looking at the ‘Playing on Wings’ workshop we held on 16
June at Singapore Science Centre, I cannot see how people underestimate
children so much.
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| We entertained them with some origami before the workshop began. |
With a group of about 30 children and their parents, the
programme was a meant to be a brief lesson about the importance of butterflies
and urban nature in Singapore, and the dangers they face. Naturally, the activities,
such as making origami butterflies and finding camouflaged butterflies in their
natural environment, were uncomplicated and unable to touch on many of the very
real problems butterflies and urban nature face in Singapore, such as lack of
awareness and action. Somehow though, the kids got the message.
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| "If it's good for us, why don't we care more?" |
“If it’s good for us, why don’t we care more?” A child,
maybe eight or nine, asked us.
The overly simplistic mind of a child is a unique insight
you will not find anywhere else. No matter how much research we do regarding
the matter, how many reports and essays we write about the multiple complicated
causes behind the issues urban nature face in Singapore, it will never quite
cover the crux of the problem quite as elegantly as the unassuming words of a
child.
“If it’s good for us, why don’t we care more?” Good
question. The environment is important towards us, both as creatures who live
off the Earth and her resources, and as practical humans who require natural
resources for our own purposes. So why don’t we worry more about how it’s
doing, about what we can do in return for it?
It was a tough question to answer. We eventually came up
with something about how adults have a lot of issues to deal with, and maybe
sometimes forget about nature, which is why we want to remind them about it.
The answer came quickly, without deliberation. “So you just
have to make them remember, that’s all?”
The girl was eerily accurate. After all, the main aim of our
project is to increase awareness of urban nature in Singapore. “And what
purpose does that serve?” you might ask. “What can we do? We’re not
policymakers. We’re not people with money to spend. How can we change
anything?”
Who says it’s merely the big, grand actions that make a
difference? Appreciate the nature around you. Take a walk along Orchard Road
and notice the seamlessly placed butterfly gardens. Perhaps take a stroll
inside and find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer vibrancy of the flora and
fauna around you, things you miss with your eyes glued to a screen. Plant a
plant, take a picture, and if you like it, if you think it belongs in
Singapore, if you think it’s important that your children is able to see it
with their own eyes, spread the message. Let everyone know. Everything and
everyone can make a difference.
When we started this project, we were but a few teenagers
with a goal and nothing else. Now, we’re working with Nature Society Singapore
(who founded the Butterfly Trail @Orchard), we’ve hosted a workshop with
Singapore Science Centre, we’re in collaboration with schools from other
countries and, to me, this is proof that all it takes is passion and sincerity
to make a difference.
Our goal may be merely to get people to know about the
Butterfly Trail @Orchard and appreciate it, but awareness is a step towards the
bigger question of, “What are we doing to protect urban nature in Singapore?
What are we doing to make sure that our country’s rich biodiversity does not
die out? What are we doing to ensure a balance between our cityscape and our
flora and fauna?”
That day, twenty kids (and their parents) left the workshop
having learnt about nature and butterflies in Singapore. That may be it, but I
believe it made a difference. Maybe one day, one of those children may be the
ones standing up and asking these questions and starting actual change. Or
maybe not. I don’t know. But I’m not going to give up.
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| Going through the slides |
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| Mom and child showing off their origami |
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| Her other kid :D |
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| Another family! |
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| And another... |
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| Butterfly camouflage! |
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| All wanting to answer our questions :> |
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| Getting a sweet for her correct answer |
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| Skit! |
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| Watching attentively |
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| More watching peoples :D |
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| Preparing the cups of soil for planting! |
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| Shayna demonstrating how to put in seeds |
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| Kate's turn! |
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| Explaining the different seeds |
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| I see Wang You :) |
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| Happy family! |
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| Adorable kids haha |
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| Posing for a picture! |
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| Awww showing off their artwork |
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| Displaying their drawings! |
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| Adorable pictures! |
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| Wang You's butterfly and caterpillar tutorials |
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| Some of their feedback that we pasted onto a tree-shaped board |
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| Family who wanted a picture with us! |
The Butterfly Trail
@Orchard is a project started by Nature Society Singapore, involving 15
butterfly gardens along Orchard Road. Do check out the NSS website for more
details, here.
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