CHIJ Katong Primary is one of the many schools which has benefited from its collaboration with NSS. Students have participated in various Fun With Nature programmes and set up a butterfly patch. The aim is to make science come 'alive' and to provide pupils with handson activities.
CHIJ Katong Primary is one of the many schools which has benefited from its collaboration with NSS. Students have participated in various Fun With Nature programmes and set up a butterfly patch. The aim is to make science come 'alive' and to provide pupils with handson activities.
CHIJ Katong Primary is one of the many schools which has benefited from its collaboration with NSS. Students have participated in various Fun With Nature programmes and set up a butterfly patch. The aim is to make science come 'alive' and to provide pupils with handson activities.
CatholicNews ■ Sundays June 6 and June 13, 2004 11
“God destined the earth and all it contains for the use of every individual and all peoples”.
poster that way each time she spots a
different butterfly. I’m so glad she’s become more conscious of butterflies now.” From the East Photo: Sr Wendy Ooi, fsp
CONVENT of the Holy Infant Jesus
(CHIJ) Katong Primary is just one of the many schools which has benefited from its collaboration with NSS. With the help of Dr. Vilma D’Rozario and other volunteers of the NSS, students have participated in various Fun With Nature programmes, set up a butterfly patch and gone for nature walks to learn more about the flora and fauna along East Coast Park. Photo: Sr Wendy Ooi, fsp Angela Poh, Head of the Science Dr. Juliana Kiu, is also from St. Mary of the STUDENTS of CHIJ Katong Primary relax at the school’s butterfly patch. Department and a parishioner of Our Lady of Angels.She helped to set up a booth during Perpetual Succour explains why she chose to the Earth Day activities in the parish. She is a work closely with NSS. “The aim is to make science come ‘alive’ and to provide pupils with hands- Our nature lovers native of Sarawak. “When I first came to Singapore, I was very impressed with the neatness of the trees compared to the dirty and untidy trees in Malaysia. But I’ve just on activities. It also aims to evoke a Catholic, committed and loving it started to realize that they are pumping lots of pesticides on the trees, pruning them, so sense of importance By Sr. Wendy Ooi, fsp they are neat but also artificial. The trees in for the need for Malaysia however are pesticide-free, more nature conservation natural and create a healthy environment. and develop pro- the Bukit Batok Nature Reserve. Last December when I went home to environmental issues among the pupils.” Carol and Eugene share their Sarawak, it was the first time to be in the CHIJ Katong Primary is now a member discoveries and experiences of the countryside with the whole family and it was of NSS and Angela is grateful for their Earth Day activities. a rediscovery of nature for me.” alliance. “We’ve collaborated with NSS for Juliana also discovered a plant native to three years already and I’ve learned a lot Carol: “The Earth Day exercises Sarawak and also native to Singapore, but from them. The next time we hold a jumble was a nice experience with the which is increasingly becoming sale, we plan to give the proceeds to NSS.” family which we don’t consciously endangered, the Pitcher plant. Juliana do. Usually it’s just a trip to the ordered 100 Pitcher plants for the church. Steven Chua, father of Angela, comes to the shopping centre. If everyone had the Known as nepenthes or “carnivorous school opportunity to be involved, it can be plants” they eat flies, mosquitoes and even three quite rewarding to get in touch with cockroaches which fall into their pitchers, times a nature, as St. Francis did. Children shaped like tubes, tubs, or drums. The Photo: Sr Wendy Ooi, fsp week to are pampered and take many things plant’s fluids dissolve the insects which help for granted. I realized that our kids are become nutrients and are then absorbed by maintain the And the West more concerned about getting dirty and being messed up. Our environment is so the plant. By introducing the Pitcher plants which are very popular with the young butterfly Carol Seow and Eugene Lee (above) are well taken care of, paved walkways from boys, including her own son, Juliana hopes patch as parent-volunteers at the St. Francis Kids the shaded bus-stop to the flat, from the to stir up their love for nature. well as Club in the parish of St. Mary of the air-con bus or car to the home. They are an Angels. The club provides faith formation not used to sweatiness and the heat. The aviary for preschoolers between the ages of 3 and eco-farm was like going back to basics, we the 6. To commemorate Earth Day (April 22) ate everything out of vegetables. There were no burgers for the kids. To the North school this year, Jocelyn Lee, the club’s main recently set up. The retiree happily shares, Photo: Sr Wendy Ooi, fsp coordinator, organized a series of activities The parents were more enthusiastic at Wilfred Abrigo, a Filipino Catholic who “I love nature and I love planting so I for the children. With St. Francis as patron the eco farm. The kids were complaining, attends church services at the Cathedral of volunteered to take care of the plants and saint of ecology, the goal was to inculcate ‘it’s so hot’ or ‘so many mosquitoes.’ But the Good Shepherd, is an employee of the aviary, just to occupy my time. I make in the children a love and care for creation. there were also younger children who were Agilent Technologies, a global technology the children happier and make the place This included setting up a butterfly garden very interested in the farm animals.” company. This year Agilent launched a greener.” In the process, Steven also says that with Dr. Vilma D’Rozario, a visit to an worldwide community effort on the he is learning a lot from his work, like the ecological farm (the Green Circle Eco Eugene: “When we were younger, we had environment among its staff. 1700 name of the various plants under his charge. Farm), and bird watching with the NSS at more opportunity to be with nature. Nature employees around the world organized and was just outside our doorstep. Most of the volunteered in events such as tree-planting, time we run out of the house. Now that beach and river clean-ups, and restoring we’re older, we don’t have much time and native vegetation to wetlands. Agilent so may forget to introduce that to the Singapore conducted a beach clean-up at children. Now everything is at home, and Sembawang Park. More than 25 bags of kids play with their Play Station or trash, including non-biodegradable plastics Gameboy. We now take nature for granted. were collected during the activity which We don’t even think about it if not for was in the form of a competition. awareness days like Earth Day. We must Among the 80 employees participating take part in nature activities more often were several Catholics including Wilfred until it becomes natural for the child to be who was overwhelmed at the garbage he aware of nature. Exposure to nature is very collected, “Attending the Sembawang precious now, and there’s not much that’s Beach Clean-Up project opened a left behind. We think it’s important to bring floodgate of opportunities for me. I learned this issue to the children. a great deal on how we should take care of our environment and preserve the natural Carol: “After attending the talk of Dr. beauty of mother earth. The activity also Vilma on the life-cycle of the butterfly and teaches me the value of Responsibility – after the butterfly garden was set up at St. making things right for the environment, Mary’s, our six year old daughter, Janelle Orderliness – with its rewards of peace, saw a butterfly at our house. She achievement and enjoyment, and Initiative immediately ran to a poster we bought with – being part of the solution and helping the different species of native butterflies and others. I thought this was a very nice stuck a 3M Post-It. She plans to mark the project. It puts things into perspective.” ■