Here is our talk with R. Raghunathan, CEO, WWF-Singapore.

Can you tell us more about the one million tree project and how we can join as a volunteer? 
We are in close collaboration with the National Parks Board (NParks) to support and facilitate volunteer engagement in community initiatives such as the NParks’ One Million Trees movement. This includes helping with the Community Nursery, undertaking tree planting, and participating in invasive species eradication activities. Restoring, safeguarding, and managing our nature helps to build climate resilience and also helps to preserve our natural biodiversity. You can get involved in tree planting, propagation in community nurseries, invasive management, growth monitoring, and biodiversity surveys here.

Here is a video interview of Mr. R. Raghunathan (CEO, WWF-Singapore) and Mr. Joseph KH Koh (Chairman, Friends of Bukit Timah Forest) with Minister Desmond Lee about the One Million Trees movement and their contributions to the City in Nature initiative and to nature-based solutions for tackling climate change.

Earth hour was started by WWF as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney in 2007. This movement has engaged millions of people in the world to switch off their lights for an hour. Many people think about this movement is to save electricity but actually is a symbol of unity, hope, and power for our earth.

WWF-Singapore Introduced the ‘Singapore Kosong’ plan. Can you tell us more about the ‘Singapore Kosong ‘ Plan? How does it help to achieve a low carbon, climate-resilient Singapore?
The Singapore Kosong Plan, AKA the net-zero emissions plan, aims to help individuals, businesses and organizations, to work together in support of a net-zero emissions Singapore by 2050. The idea is to help people commit to take key climate actions as part of their everyday life that will help Singaporeans collectively progress towards a net-zero future. These climate actions could be simple things that people can commit to like traveling sustainably (taking public transport instead of taxis), eating sustainably (eating a more planet-friendly diet), using renewable energy (opting to use renewable sources of energy), etc. People can formulate their personal Kosong Plan on our digital platform, Earthhour.sg, which also provides suggestions on the climate actions that they can take.  

Any unique and special programme this year for ‘Earth Hour’ in Singapore as an impact of covid-19?
COVID-19 demonstrates the human and economic cost of our broken relationship with nature. As countries rebuild and develop strategies to prevent future health crises, there is a unique opportunity to highlight the critical role of nature in the path to recovery. We cannot miss this window to create systemic change as we rebuild through increased cooperation between businesses, civil society and the government.

Since the pandemic, WWF-Singapore’s Earth Hour has gone digital for the second year, including the ongoing Singapore Kosong Plan campaign. Besides that, on 27 March 2021 at 8.30 pm, Singapore saw a record of 744 locations across the nation switch their lights off as a symbolic gesture of their commitment to preserving our planet! We hope and believe that this is a step towards positive climate actions for a more sustainable future.

As the young generation is the future of our green plan, how does WWF-Singapore involve them?
In Singapore, we conduct school talks on Singapore’s key conservation issues, skills workshops on 21st-century skills for students and teachers, along with complimentary education resources and activities for both in school and at home. 

We run the Eco-Schools Programme, a UNESCO-recognized world-leading Environmental Education framework. This programme equips students with essential knowledge and skills to make changes within their campus.
Through Educator Development, we help guide teaching staff on integrating environmental education into their school curriculum and everyday teaching.

In Singapore, key projects are available for Eco-Schools, where students can work closely with us to establish a change in each school.
– Schools for Climate Action
– Change the way you think about Waste
– Change the way you think about Food

Projects are designed to align with MOE’s curriculum. There will be a dedicated WWF consultant to guide your students.
Please check this link for the WWF School Programme https://www.wwf.sg/edu/school/

Singapore has its unique animals like Raffles’ banded langur, Sunda pangolin, Lesser mousedeer, Leopard cat, Palm civet, and etc. Is there any programme by WWF-Singapore for those Animals?
We have an active programme that focuses on the conservation of critically endangered species. For e.g. we are currently working with WWF-Malaysia to facilitate Raffles’ Banded Langur research and awareness activities in Johor, Malaysia.
We have previously worked in collaboration with NParks to bring out the “Sayang List”: a summary of recovery programmes of 10 threatened species in Singapore.
http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwfxnparks_the_sayang_list.pdf.
We also have in our pipeline, new activities in Singapore that will focus on coral restoration in the waters off Singapore.

If you like to become volunteer for WWF-Singapore, please Sign up to volunteer with WWF-Singapore

Photos and Videos are courtesy of WWF-Singapore

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