Hantu Bloggers @ Envirofest 2009

May 24, 2009

The Hantu Blogs interactive word search puzzles were a huge hit with kids and adults alike! Despite the hot and humid weather, shoppers and browsers stopped by the many booths at the Envirofest 2009 at Toa Payoh HDB Hub to work their way through quizzes for a chance at a lucky dip that could win them anything from a free poster on tropical rainforests to a guided tour of the intertidal reefs of Sentosa!

The theme of this year’s Envirofest was “Family” and it certainly seemed like alot of parents, grandparents and kids, came down to learn about everything under the sun!

The integrated trail at this year’s event, meant visitors got to learn everything from the sea to the shore, mangroves, fresh water systems and rainforests! I was eager to see how the plan would pan out and boy was it an exciting layout!

There was lots of getting up close and personal to the animals that call Singapore home thanks to wonderfully preserved animals loaned from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. Alot of the animals showcased are either rare or endangered so without the help of the museum, ordinary folk wouldn’t have the chance to see in detail and in some cases even feel the texture of these unique and wild animals that need our help to survive!

Staff from Nparks were also busy telling stories of each of the animals on display at their booth. Visitors also got to learn about the different types of plants that we use on a regular basis (in our food and culture) that originate from the forests! Some visitors even asked if they could buy the exhibits on display for cooking or taking home!

Being at Toa Payoh HDB Hub was great and important because we got to meet the people in the heartlands, where most Singaporeans reside, and bring wild Singapore to them! Several of them had not heard about reefs and it was important for them to learn of their existence and how it is important for us to protect them.

Though the Hantu Blog’s main activity is diving, these educational roadshows are integral and purposeful to its work. These roadshows are one of the primary reasons why we dive Hantu on a regular basis and collect data – so it can be shared with the public!

It was a learning experience to meet with the members of the public who will one day make a choice to either save or lose our reefs. We’ve got alot of work to do! Another long day tomorrow!

Posted in Events, Volunteers