Happy new year everyone!

In December, I brought 23 students from National University Of Singapore (NUS) to Chiangmai, Thailand for 3 weeks to do social work and reforestation projects. We planted more than 1,000 fruit, bamboo and teak trees and built water tanks and a shelter. We also spent 1 week at Elephant Nature Park to learn more about elephant care and conservation, and also brought more than 100 kgs of can tabs for the Prostheses Foundation. These will be converted to artificial limbs that are distributed free of charge to anyone who needs them. We had a couple of free days and went trekking, whitewater rafting, bungy jumping and paragliding. All in all, it was a fruitful trip.

We are planning another trip for NUS this year, and also there will be various other projects in the pipeline. - Grant

The butterfly garden at Siglap Secondary School is also taking shape and blossoming, especially the bat lily, lantana, milkweed, cosmos and butterfly plants. We are seeing more varieties of butterflies and the plain tigers have even laid eggs on the milkweed. Here are some pictures:

Hi everyone!

We have just moved to a Green Volunteers facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Green-Volunteers/236893853025006?ref=mf&sk=wall#!/pages/The-Green-Volunteers/236893853025006, please click 'Like' on our page now!

I am away to Chiangmai and will be back to Singapore on 7th Oct.  If you have any urgent matter, please sms me at 968 40950 and leave your name down.

Cheers
Grant W. Pereira
Founder
The Green Volunteers

Green Volunteers August update

AUGUST GREEN UPDATE                                                                                                      

13^th August 2011

1)      BUTTERFLY GARDEN @ PASIR RIS PARK

Our garden at Pasir Ris Park (Carpark C) is thriving very well and has become a popular spot with photographers on weekends.  This beautiful and healthy garden has made possible with help from regular volunteers who are there most Saturdays (10am to 1 pm) to help weed and maintain this section.

Because of its attractiveness and popularity, this butterfly garden is going to be extended soon to 3 times it’s present size, so more volunteers will be needed.  If you can help on Saturdays, please email me.

 

2)      BUTTERFLIES AND BEYOND

As you know, last year we started a butterfly garden at Fort Canning Park.  This theme has been extended to the plot next to the newly renovated Registry of Marriages.

We need volunteers to help maintain these 2 plots once a month (one Saturday a month, 4pm to 6 pm).  We are also going to extend this project by propagating our own butterfly plants.  In conjunction and with support from NPARKS Fort Canning, we are launching project “Butterflies and beyond”.  This project will help/teach volunteers not only how to maintain our butterfly gardens but also start a plant propagation project so that we have a constant supply of healthy butterfly plants to replenish at both the gardens at Fort Canning and Pasir Ris Park.

We are planning our first meeting/demonstration on Saturday 3^rd September, 3 pm at the visitors centre, Fort Canning Park.  Please sign up if you can commit to volunteer once a month.

3)      SIGLAP SECONDARY SCHOOL @ PASIR RIS Drive 10

We have set up a mini butterfly garden and are helping to rejuvenate their eco/spice garden.  Volunteers needed for Saturday afternoons and Sundays.

4)     ENZYME MAKING

20^th August, Saturday, 2.30 pm at Vivo City.  Making enzymes from every day kitchen waste.  It’s great as an organic cleaner or mixed with water as a plant fertiliser.  This class is joint is jointly organized by the Green Volunteers and National Geographic store (Vivo city). 

You have to register at their website http://www.ngsingaporestore.com/exhibits/enzyme_making.html.

     5)      TRASH BAGS

Oglivy and Mater, the world’s leading advertising agency has designed a beautiful trash bag with a subtle message printed on each bag.  These bags were endorsed by the Body Shop so there are 2 logos on the bags – ours and the Body Shop.   This was all made possible by our staunch supporter, Juggi who works for O&M.   He not only designed this bag but also got his company to sponsor these bags – thanks Juggi, you’re a good friend to the Green Volunteers and the causes we believe in.

A sample bag will be given to everyone who attends any of our activities.  One volunteer who received the bag said Quote “they’re too beautiful to use as trash bags” unquote.

6)      POACHING ON THE INCREASE IN SINGAPORE 

On the 31^st July, the Straits Times ran an article called “Poaching problem growing” (home page 10).

Birds, fishes, plants etc are being poached at an alarming rate.  This has to stop.

The butterfly garden at Pasir Ris Park, workers often lay mist nets to catch the endangered jungle fowl.  I regularly walk along the edge of the mangroves to check and confiscate these nets.  Once when I was gathering these nets, I was approached by 2 China workers who demanded that I return their nets, I said “sure after I call the police and you will tell them that the nets are yours” to this they promptly departed. 

These nets are recycled as they make excellent light shed for new saplings or seeds planted.  You’re a Green Volunteer, if you sit back and wring your hands in despair without doing anything than there’s very little hope for our fauna and flora.  Here’s a list of agencies you can report poaching, vandalism to: 

AVA 6227 0670

PUB 1800 284-6600

NPARKS 1800 471 7300

Put these numbers in your mobile – it will only take a couple of minutes to do it.  If you are outnumbered or feel threaten just take a picture of the registration number or vehicle so you can report it – everyone today has a camera – use your mobile.

Let’s start WHISTLE BLOWING on these socially and criminally irresponsible people.

Well, we’re go on a whole lot of activities for you to get your feet wet and hands dirty so hope to see you at one of them.

Cheers

Grant W. Pereira

Founder

The Green Volunteers

www.thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com

www.seashepherd.org

GREEN VOLUNTEERS UPDATE

FREE GUIDED NATURE WALK

Saturday 11th June, 4 pm SHARP meet Fort Canning visitor’s centre. There are some really beautiful old tree at Fort Canning Park. Come join us for this interesting and relaxing walk. Email your name, mobile number and number of people attending if you want to come.


MAKING YOUR OWN ENZYMES

Saturday 18th June 3.00 pm @ Katong Flower Shop, Changi Road. We meet 2.30 pm SHARP Tanah Merah MRT station control and take a 5 minute walk to KFS.

Come and learn how to make this useful enzyme (can be used for household cleaner and plant fertiliser) made from everyday kitchen waste. Places limited to 20 people so please book early, first come first served.


FREE GUIDED NATURE WALK

Saturday 25th June 4.00 pm @ ECO-PARK TAMPINES. This is the newest NPARKS that’s probably the most “natural” park around. They used the natural contours of the land and the existing ponds to create this beautiful park. We meet 3.30 pm SHARP @ Tampines MRT station control and take a 10 minute walk to this park. If you and your friends want to attend this walk, please email your booking.


GARDENING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

For our butterfly garden at Pasir Ris Park every Saturday (10 am – 1 pm). Email if you can help and want to know more about gardening and meet other green volunteers.


FREE BURMA POSTERS (A3 SIZE)

These posters still available, if you need some please email me.


NORTHERN THAILAND TRIP

Planning this for Nov/Dec 2011, about 10 days to do reforestation projects, help build a school dining room at a Karen village about 6 hours from Chiangmai. Also to visit Elephant Nature Park, Prosthesis Foundation, Golden Triangle, trekking/rafting and some free time to explore beautiful Chiangmai.

Prices being worked out, only 10 places available for this trip. If you’re interested in a volunteering vacation, please email me. As the prices are being worked out, there will be no obligations on your part, if you email your interest, please be serious about this trip.


ALUMINIUM CAN TABS
 Many of you are aware that for the last few years the Green Volunteers have been collecting can tabs for the Prosthesis Foundation in Chiangmai. We are now taking our project one step further and intend to use these can tabs to make into walking sticks. These walking sticks will be given away FREE to old folks home, the elderly both in Singapore & the ASEAN region and areas that need them (conflict and natural disaster areas). We are working out details and looking for a sponsor (if you have any idea of possible sponsors please let me know). You can also help by starting to collect can tabs at your office/schools but you will have to keep them for us until we need them.

Here’s your chance to do something simple to help the less fortunate.


TERRARIUM MAKING CLASSES

We have plans to conduct these classes soon (on a Saturday afternoon) price being worked out, if you are interested in this, please email.


SCHOOL/COMPANY TALKS AVAILABLE

Want to learn more about our environmental/global warming or the volunteer work or projects that the Green Volunteers do? I am available to give these talks/presentation. There will be a $50 charge to offset transport and other expenses. Email if your company or school needs this talk.


THE GREAT SINGAPORE SALE

Is now on, so let’s have a “BUY NOTHING MONTH”. For the whole of the June, let’s not buy anything that not absolutely necessary. Everything manufactured that we buy contributes to global warming so let’s cut down our consumption for the month of June.

Hope to see you on one of our many activities and a belated greetings for World Environment Day.


Cheers,
Grant W. Pereira
The Green Volunteers

Mobile: +65 968 40950

http://www.thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com/http://www.facebook.com/search.phpq&init=quick&tas=0.2943151085139533#!/group.phpgid=48062238603


http://www.sebanahornbills.blogspot.com/
http://www.seashepherd.org/


The considerate man changes himself to suit the world,
the inconsiderate man changes the world to suit himself.
Therefore all change comes from the inconsiderate man.

MARCUS AURELIUS

GREEN VOLUNTEERS UPDATE

April was a very busy month for The Green Volunteers (see blowing our green horn).


ADEX 2011

We had a booth at ADEX 2011 (Asia Diving Expo) at Suntec 22nd April (Good Friday) to 24th April. To help Sea Shepherd’s Anti Bluefin campaign (operation Blue Rage). We launched our tuna awareness campaign called “When you see Tuna – Think Panda”. The logic behind this being the Bluefin tuna is as endangered as the Panda and since you’ll never eat a Panda why should we eat Bluefin tuna.


We disguised our booth and called it “Bamboo forest products” and offered a sampling of “Panda” meat (actually vegetarian mock meat) and invited people to taste it. We were surprised at the number of people who willingly agreed to try the “meat” of an endangered animal (both locals and ‘Ang mohs’). Many were horrified that we were offering “panda” meat and reactions ranged from rage to threats to call the police, one woman burst out crying and we had to convince her this was not Panda meat.


We did manage to get this message across that the Bluefin tuna is just as endangered as the Panda so they should avoid odering them at Japanese restaurants.


If you can help secure a high traffic public venue eg shopping mall for this awareness campaign please let me know.




FREE GUIDED NATURE WALK @ PASIR RIS PARK (May)

21st May, Saturday guided nature walk at Pasir Ris Park. About 1 ½ hours to 2 covering our butterfly garden, native trees and mangroves. Meet 9 am SHARP at Pasir Ris MRT station control. If interested, email me your name and number of people attending.




THANK YOU BODYSHOP

Bodyshop has just sponsored the new batch of Green Volunteers’ flyers in full colour and on recycled paper. Thank you Bodyshop. Bodyshop has been a pioneer in advocating fair trade, women’s rights and anti-child labour practices. For more information on the good work they do, please visit their website.


http://www.free2work.org/


Talking about slave labour and child exploitation etc, visit this interesting website. They actually grade major companies on their Corporate Social Responsibilities. Some really interesting and unexpected insights for instances Adidas gets a C minus. You could use this website as your buying guide and shun. Big name companies that are socially irresponsible and greedy.


Tell your friends about this site, it’s time we put a stop to exploitation especially of children.




GARDENING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED…

At our butterfly garden at Pasir Ris Park (near carpark C) every Saturday from 10 am onwards to 1 pm. We will supply gardening tools but please bring cotton gloves, plenty of drinking water and positive attitude.



CAN TABS FOR ARTIFICIAL LIMBS

The Singapore Buddhist Federation and Kong Meng san Phor Kark monastery have started collecting can tabs for the PROSTHESES FOUNDATION at Chiangmai. These are melted down and made into parts for artificial limbs and given free of charge for those who need them. They are custom made for the needy irrespective of nationality, race or religion (this kind of organization I will always help) and they have so far supplied lower limbs to amputees in Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Laos and even Malaysia.


The Green Volunteers started collecting can tabs for the Prostheses Foundation more than 6 years ago but had to depend on our service learning groups going to Northern Thailand to bring them up for us. Now there is a more reliable way of sending them up through the Singapore Buddhist Federation. We all drink canned drinks so it’s easy to collect the tabs, start collection at your office or school.


For more information go to http://youth.kmspks.org/. A real win/win situation recycling and helping a really worthy cause.




BLOWING OUR GREEN HORN

IKEA – 2nd, 3rd, 16th and 17th April at IKEA Tampines and Alexandra gave talk/demo on how to make organic enzymes and insect repellent. Very good turn out.




FORT CANNING PARK WALK

Gave our free walk, about 30 people attended. (Next, 11th June, Saturday 4 pm meet at Fort canning visitors centre)




MACPHERSON PRIMARY SCHOOL

19th April (Tuesday) gave general assembly to entire school of about 1,200 students. Very challenging.




ADEX SHOW SUNTEC

22nd (Good Friday) to 24th April, Suntec. We launched our “When you see Tuna – Think Panda” campaign to support Sea Shepherd’s anti-bluefin campaign “Blue Rage”. An article and pictures will soon be posted on the Green Volunteers Blog.


We hope to see you at one of our walks or at our butterfly garden. If you have an interesting green project or need help/advice on one you are doing, we would be happy to help in any way we can.



I’M AWAY

From 8th to 18th May, I am bringing a group of student leaders from NUS to recce Northern Thailand for a group to go in December to do reforestation and work in the hilltribes. Probably no access to internet, if urgent you can try sms as sometimes we get signal.



Cheers
Grant W. Pereira
Founder
http://www.thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com/

Mobile 968 40 950

Flying fairies at Pasir Ris Park

THE GREEN VOLUNTEERS UPDATE (February)

GARDENING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED


At our Pasir Ris garden (carpark C, 5 mins walk from Pasir Ris MRT). Every Saturday 10 am onwards, come learn more about gardening, medicinal plant, butterflies etc. Tools provided just bring cotton gloves, drinking water and a cheerful attitude. SMS Donald (96494043) if you and your friends want to help.


VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers needed at a volunteer fair at Orchard road, on 26th and 27th March (Sat/Sun) 11 am to 8 pm. If you want to help man our booth, please email me (also which day you can help).


BE A WHISTLEBLOWER

Today, protecting our fragile environment has become even more important and pressing. We can no longer sit back and watch bad things happening and hope that “the other” person will report this offence/abuse to the authorities.

We have to take a more proactive approach and in some case confront the offenders/abusers or polluters head-on.

We started the “Whistleblower project” some years back but for the benefit of our many new Green volunteers here are some useful numbers to report pollution/littering/cruelty and endangered animals (put these numbers in your mobile).

When you call, make sure you get the name of the person/offender you’re are talking to and say you need someone to call you back with feedback on what action has been taken.

National Environment Agency (NEA) – 1800 2255 632

PUB (Water) – 1800 284 6600

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) – 6287 5355

Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) – 9783 7782

Police - 999


BLUEFIN TUNA CAMPAIGN

We have just started a 3 postcard campaign to highlight the endangered Bluefin Tuna. The tagline for this campaign is called “when you see TUNA – think Panda” to show that Bluefin Tuna could be even more endangered than the Panda. To see these really cool postcards, go to our blog http://www.thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com/. Thanks Juggi for your brilliant work and support.


ECO/and FISHING MAGAZINES

I have a lot of fishing/eco magazines containing articles that I’ve written. If you are interested please sms me so I can meet you at Pasir Ris MRT to hand them to you.


SOMEONE IS POLLUTING SG. API API

Sungei Api Api is usually teeming with aquatic life. I live near drive 3 and stop there regularly to observe the activities. There are huge numbers of Tilapias and grey mullets and at the edges you’ll observe plenty of mud skippers and a variety of crabs.

A few months ago, all this aquatic activity disappeared completely. The water turned grey and smelt putrid and was totally devoid of life I contacted the authorities who said they would investigate. They said that the putrid smell was that the river bank baking in the strong sunlight (after all these years of conservation work, one would at least credit me the intelligence of knowing the difference between a natural smell and pollution).

The strange part was that a couple of weeks after my report, the river slowly started returning to life. Last week, the same thing happened again and all the aquatic life disappeared.

I reported this again to PUB and NEA and got the usual reply that they would investigate. I think it’s time the Green Volunteers, took matters into our hands investigate the source of this pollution ourselves.

I need some volunteers who can spend time back tracking drains to trace the source of this pollution. We will work out a grid so that we can methodically cover this area. I have a rough idea who is polluting Sg. Api Api but we need to catch them red-handed, take photos and call our friends in the press.

I am also looking for a company that can sponsor us in doing chemical analysis of water samples that we take – please let me know if you have friends who can help. If you want to help, please email me (with subject Sg. Api Api).


ONLINE INTERVIEWS

I recently did 2 online interviews, one with NVPC Salt online magazine and the other with The online citizen. They are both on our blog http://www.thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com/.


FREE GUIDED NATURE WALK PASIR RIS PARK

A free guided nature walk at Pasir Ris park Saturday, 12th March 2011. We meet 9.30 am SHARP Pasir Ris MRT, walk covers herb/vegetable garden, mangroves, native trees. If you want to attend please email your name, mobile and number of people attending (subject Pasir Ris walk). If you have binoculars please bring them as there are some interesting birds to see.


CALLING ALL BIRDBRAINERS…..

A section of Pasir Ris Park (near carpark C) is now a “hotspot” for bird watchers and photographers. I recently followed some keen photographers and we spotted a spotted wood owl and a fledging. There were green pigeons galore feeding on the fruit of Java plum. I saw a Barbet and to me the most interesting pair of Oriental pied hornbills. Someone said they were released pets but I would like to believe that they came across from Pulau Ubin. One person said he even saw a rare Hawk-cuckoo.


SUNGEI TAMPINES CLEAN-UP

On Saturday 22nd Jan, 18 staff members of Watami Japanese restaurant took part in cleaning up the mouth of Sg. Tampines. In 2 hours, they collected 18 large trash bags of plastics, one raft and one fridge? Thank you everyone for helping to clean Sg. Tampines. For pictures, please go to our blog http://www.thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com/.


BUTTERFLY WALK SATURDAY 5TH MARCH

We are doing a butterfly walk on Saturday 5th March at Pasir Ris Park. S.K. Khew a butterfly expert (see book review below) has kindly consented to lead this walk. If you want to attend this interesting walk and learn more about these “flying flowers” please email me (subject: Butterfly walk) walk confined 12 participants.


BOOK REVIEW

S.K. Khew has just written a great butterfly book called “A field guide to the butterflies of Singapore”. It is really informative book both for the beginner and advance hobbyist. It retails at $40 a copy but S.K. is offering members of the Green Volunteers a special rate of $35 per copy. If you want to buy this useful reference book, please email be (subject Butterfly book). Priority will be given to those attending the butterfly walk on 5th Mar.


LIME PLANTS....

During the CNY season many people buy lime and mandarin orange plants. But many are abandoned or discarded after the Chinese New Year season.

These are host plants to a number of lime butterflies... so if you have any or see them abandoned can give them for our Pasir Ris garden.

If they are heavy just remove the soil and just bring the plant.. I can collect them at Pasir Ris MRT station''

If they are heavy just remove the soil and just bring the plant.. I can collect them at Pasir Ris MRT station''


I’M AWAY

I’ll be away 14th Feb to 1st March going to Northern Thailand with a Thai school to help do a vegetable and mushroom garden at a hilltribe school in the North.

Wishing everyone a Happy Prosperous and safe Chinese New Year holiday.

Cheers,

Grant W. Pereira

The Green Volunteers

Mobile: +65 968 40950



www.thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/search.phpq&init=quick&tas=0.2943151085139533#!/group.phpgid=48062238603



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www.seashepherd.org