Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes Landscape Design

Biodiversity Surveys Project #1

Be a Nature Way Steward

This project will empower youths to "adopt" a stretch of Nature Way and to further understand its connectivity functions. Youths will be involved in the designing, implementing, caring and monitoring of biodiversity of their Nature Way, as well as educating members of nearby communities about the importance of Nature Ways and encouraging them to be a part of this network of stewards.

Location: Nature Ways across the island are available for adoption. Youths will be assigned to the Nature Way based on your preferred geographic location.

Proposed Project Outline i. Conduct site surveys of existing Nature Ways to analyse the species of flora planted, the species of fauna they are intended to attract, and whether these species are present on site ii. Using the data collected from site surveys and online research, design and implement a Nature Way by selecting suitable native species of trees, shrubs and ground covers based on shortlisted road(s) iii. Conduct transect surveys 3 months after establishment of Nature Way to record presence of any new fauna species iv. Organize an engagement session with members of nearby communities to introduce them to the concept of Nature Ways, encouraging them to become stewards

Requirements Time Commitment • Interest in landscape design and Monthly 2hr update meetings urban biodiversity (online and/or on site) on • Ability to identify bird and butterfly weekdays, or adhoc as species is a plus required • Background in field biology surveys is a plus • Able to work independently Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Landscape Design

Edibles Gardening

Biodiversity Surveys Project #2

Creating an Ecological Edible Forest

Youths get an opportunity to learn about pollinators and how to create an edible garden that is ecologically-friendly. Through the project, participants will be asked to build bee hotels, educate volunteer gardeners on the importance of pollinators and how to create conducive habitats for them (e.g. bee hotels), and conduct surveys on insects and pollinators in HortPark.

Location: HortPark

Proposed Project Outline i. Do online research on ecologically-friendly edible garden layouts and plant choices. ii. Conduct site survey of proposed implementation site and biodiversity present in the vicinity. iii. Hands-on implementation works, and subsequent maintenance works iv. Give a talk during e-Gardener’s Day Out on the process and findings. v. Prepare educational signs to be placed in the garden, for people who wish to create ecologically-friendly edible gardens (in terms of layout, plant selection, etc).

Requirements Time Commitment • Interest in landscape design and Once a week update urban biodiversity meetings (online and/or on • Able to work independently site) on weekdays, or adhoc • Able to identify birds, butterflies, pest as required. and diseases is a plus • Art and design skills are a plus Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Playgarden Design

Community Engagement

Project #3

Conceptualising Nature Play Gardens

Youths can help to conceptualise and plan for Nature Playgardens in parks. They can also help gather and analyse feedback from stakeholders, and translate the ideas received towards the implementation of the playgarden and/or programmes.

Location: TBC; 2 parks around . Youths will be assigned to the park based on your preferred geographic location.

Proposed Project Outline Familiarise and understand the concept of Nature Play, the processes of designing and managing Nature Playgardens.

i. Analyse the selected parks (through site recce and online research) to identify and shortlist potential stakeholders for engagement ii. Prepare and facilitate engagement session iii. Study feasibility of ideas generated from engagement session iv. Source for resources to implement feasible ideas on site v. Implement on site vi. Maintenance of site

Requirements Time Commitment • Interest in nature and play Monthly 2hr update meetings • Good communication skills and (online and/or on site) on willing to engage stakeholders weekdays, or adhoc as • Creative, hands on and good in art is required. a plus Engagement sessions may fall on weekends. Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Habitat Enhancement

Biodiversity Surveys

Project #4

Implementing an Insect-themed Garden and Designing Public Walks

This project seeks youths with an interest in greenery and biodiversity to conduct baseline surveys, implement a butterfly flower/puddling garden and bee hotels. An insect nature walk will also be developed.

Location: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

Proposed Project Outline i. Youth will be involved in conducting pre-surveys of the area before implementation of insect-themed garden ii. Youth will be able to observe and understand the process of building and landscaping a garden in a nature reserve iii. Following the implementation of the garden, youths will be involved in surveying bees, butterflies and other insects for monitoring purposes

Requirements Time Commitment • Background in field biology surveys, Preferably once a week basic butterfly and bees identification survey, but depending on skill is a bonus applicant's schedule may be • Landscaping background is a bonus possible for fortnightly survey • Must be able to work independently, Monthly update meetings as well as in a team • Must be comfortable being in an outdoor environment Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Habitat Enhancement

Community Engagement Project #5

Be a Habitat Enhancement Steward

This project seeks youths with a keen interest in forest ecology, restoration and public outreach to help manage community habitat enhancement projects in Thomson Nature Park by preparing species lists, coordinating community planting events and monitoring sites after enhancement.

Location: Thomson Nature Park

Proposed Project Outline i. Select and assist to prepare suitable sites for habitat enhancement works ii. Gather information online and from experienced staff to prepare a list of suitable native species of trees, shrubs and ground covers specific to each enhancement site iii. Coordinate and assist in planting and habitat enhancement events with the community iv. Prepare information of the species planted at each site and tabulate planting figures v. Participate in NParks-organised nature guiding for Thomson Nature Park to share about habitat enhancement projects vi. Monitor sites after planting events and identify impediments to a successful habitat enhancement to come up with strategies to overcome them

Requirements Time Commitment • Background in forest ecology is a plus Planting events occur every month • Knowledge in native plant ecology is for 6 months. Planting events are a plus mostly held on weekdays but there • Able to work independently may some events conducted on • Willing to participate in nature weekends. guiding and to communicate with Monthly 1hr update meetings over public 6 months Ad-hoc meetings and site visits on weekdays as required Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Human-wildlife Coexistence

Community Engagement

Social Perception Surveys

Project #6

“No Feeding of Wildlife” Campaign

This project seeks youth with an interest in the topic of human-wildlife co-existence to embark on a nation-wide "No Feeding of Wildlife" campaign covering species such as birds, long-tailed macaques and wild boars.

Location: Various locations around the island

Proposed Project Outline i. Conduct social surveys and observations at identified feeding hotspots to understand human-wildlife interactions with a primary focus on feeding (e.g. awareness of legislation against feeding of wildlife, motivations behind feeding behaviour) ii. Conduct site surveys to record existing species of flora and fauna present in the natural environment iii. Using the data collected from surveys to design and implement targeted outreach activities and collaterals (e.g. outreach booths, awareness walks, social media campaigns) iv. Specifically for recalcitrant elderly feeders, design and implement an outreach activity which will meet their interests and needs v. Evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign

Requirements Time Commitment • Willingness and openness to understand Weekly surveys case studies of recalcitrant feeders Outreach sessions with public • Willingness to engage members of public as required • Willingness and openness to engage Monthly update meetings recalcitrant elderly feeders over 6 months • Background in ecology/social Ad-hoc meetings on sciences/biodiversity is a plus weekdays (either online or on • Able to work independently and in a team site) as required Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Human-wildlife Coexistence

Biodiversity Surveys

Project #7 Social Perception Surveys

Understanding Human-wildlife Interactions of the Long-tailed Macaque

This project seeks youth with an interest in the topic of human-wildlife co-existence to conduct a monkey census of urban monkey troops. Youth will also be involved in conducting social surveys on ground sentiments towards wildlife including but not limited to macaques, such as civets and birds to understand public perceptions of our urban wildlife.

Location: Various monkey hotspots around the island

Proposed Project Outline i. Conduct site surveys at macaque hotspots to track their movement and activity patterns, as well as estimate troop size and structure. Summarise findings into a data book with a map of the urban monkeys troops surveyed. ii. Conduct social surveys to understand residents’ attitudes towards urban wildlife. Analyse the data collected to measure tolerance levels between residential estates.

Requirements Time Commitment • Willingness to conduct field surveys and 2 weekly surveys observations of macaques in forest Monthly update meetings fringes/urban environments over 6 months • Willingness to engage members of public Ad-hoc meetings on • Background in ecology/biodiversity/social weekdays (either online or on sciences is a plus site) as required • Able to work independently and in a team Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Community Engagement

Therapeutic Horticulture Project #8

Co-facilitating Therapeutic Horticulture Programmes in Community Organisations

As part of this project, youths will learn about therapeutic gardens and technique of appropriate adaption and assistance applied in therapeutic horticulture sessions at a community organization to improve the well-being of beneficiaries. Youths will also co-facilitate therapeutic horticulture programme.

Location: Various community organisations around the island

Proposed Project Outline i. Learn about therapeutic gardens and how they assist in improving mental well-being. ii. Assist in facilitating therapeutic horticulture (TH) sessions in nursing homes and elder care centres. iii. Learn and appreciate how TH sessions are carried out. iv. Coordinate and assist with logistics required to carry out TH sessions.

Requirements Time Commitment • Able to understand the requirements of Commitment for 2 sessions working with the elderly. per month of two hours each • Able to communicate well and engage either in the morning or in participants during TH sessions. the afternoon • An interest in horticulture, greenery and gardening would be a plus point Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Community Engagement

Park Design Project #9

Co-creating parks with the community through the Friends of the Parks Engagement Programme

Youths will help to plan and execute engagement sessions with the community to co- create parks that meet the citizen’s needs. They will also help to analyze and translate the feedback received into design guidelines and principles to guide the development of the park.

Location: Various locations around the island

Proposed Project Outline i. Co-create park designs by producing park design principles through engagements with stakeholders ii. Successfully conduct Ideation and Prototyping workshops with stakeholders and test Minimum Viable Products with community iii. Able to gain insights on the needs of stakeholders through focus group discussions, interviews, and site observations iv. Produce engagement plans based on scoping sessions and identifying & prioritising stakeholders v. Learn the concepts of Human-Centred Design and Design Thinking and shape mindsets to think openly and creatively

Requirements Time Commitment • Have a keen interest in engaging citizens Engagement sessions with • Able to think openly without judgement residents and stakeholders • Keen to learn about facilitating will usually happen during conversations/interviews weeknights and weekends. • Good command of the English language • Added advantage in being able to Planning/prep work and site converse in native tongue observations will mostly • Loves to think out of the box happen on weekdays. • Knows how to have fun through lively interactions Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Botany

Horticulture

Arboriculture Project #10

Be a part of long-term research at the Singapore Botanic Gardens

SBG maintains an extensive collection of living plants, including specimens and collections that date back over a hundred years. Youths will participate in several long-term research projects on these collections: tracking patterns of plant growth over time (e.g. flowering, flushing of leaves, growth rates), studying the impact of climate change on plant phenology, analysing population trends in our patch of primary rainforest, and surveying biodiversity to assess and improve habitat restoration. Youths with gain experience in field surveys, using technology such as Lidar, and data analysis.

Location: Singapore Botanic Gardens

Proposed Project Outline i. Participants will assist in collecting data for the research project ii. Learn database management for querying data for research iii. Learn the use of Lidar, georeferencing and mapping iv. Photography as a means of documentation v. Tree planting and techniques vi. Interpretation and labelling vii. Botany and Horticulture basics

Requirements Time Commitment • Love for nature and the outdoors, as there Weekly 2 hours. Meetings will be many outdoor sessions and site visits as and when • Basic photographic skill required. Some projects are • Willing to learn new things, and a drive for long term, such as tree nature conservation and research. growth monitoring. Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Community Engagement

Biodiversity Surveys

Project #11

Floating Wetlands Habitat Enhancement at Pekan Quarry

Youth will learn more about habitat enhancement projects like the floating wetlands at Pekan Quarry and contribute to the monitoring of fauna and conducting of public outreach.

Location:

Proposed Project Outline i. Monitoring (once every 2 weeks), photography, observation of the herons, understanding of the floating wetland system ii. Final outcome is for group to manage a booth space at Pekan to engage with public

Requirements Time Commitment • Comfortable with being outdoors (sun, 2hr every 2 weeks. heat etc) Updating of data after every • Able to use binoculars, familiar with the session use of SLR cameras.

• Having experience in nature surveys would be beneficial. Able to work independently and source for information. Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Biodiversity Surveys

Project #12

Asian Small-clawed Otter Species Recovery at Pulau Ubin

This project seeks youth interested in species recovery of the Asian small-clawed Otter through involvement in camera trap surveys, including the deployment, maintenance of camera traps and data cleaning and analysis of camera trap data.

Location: Pulau Ubin

Proposed Project Outline i. Monitoring (once every 2 weeks) of otter holts using camera traps • To plan for battery and SD card changes • To look through data and footage collected over the 6 months ii. Carry out simple maintenance within the site iii. Final outcome would be a report on the images collated

Requirements Time Commitment • Comfortable with being outdoors 2-3hr session once every 2 • Familiar/comfortable to handle devices weeks like camera traps, SLR cameras and binoculars etc

• Having experience in previous camera trap surveys would be beneficial. Able to work independently and source for information. Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects Themes National Parks Board Biodiversity Surveys

Project #13

Straw-headed Bulbul Monitoring Surveys

This project seeks youths with a keen interest in birdwatching and avian ecology to conduct surveys of Straw-headed Bulbuls at various sites across Singapore.

Location: Various sites around Singapore with Straw-headed Bulbul populations

Proposed Project Outline i. Obtain a current population estimate of Straw-headed Bulbuls in various parks and nature parks ii. Identification of possible hotspots in various parks where the bulbuls regularly frequent iii. Collection of basic environmental variables associated with these hotspots (e.g. canopy cover, vegetation complexity)

Requirements Time Commitment • Background in field biology surveys a bonus 2h surveys in the early • Must be able to wake up early to conduct morning twice a week for 3 bird surveys months on weekdays • Must be able to work independently (*during breeding season outdoors b/w Feb and Apr) • Familiarity with Straw-headed Bulbuls and Monthly 2hr update their vocalisations is an advantage meetings over 6 months Ad-hoc meetings on weekdays as required Youth Stewards for Nature 2021 Projects National Parks Board

FAQ

Who can take part? • Due to the nature and commitment required for the project, we are mainly inviting youth aged 18 – 25 who have some experience and interest in the project topics, such as conservation, horticulture, or landscape design. Nonetheless, if you show that you are fully capable to learn and commit to the project, we welcome you to take on the challenge!

How will I be assigned projects? • You will be able to rank your top three projects, and are encouraged to do so. We will match you to the projects based on your preference, interest and suitability to the project (both time and experience/background). If you are only interested in doing one project and are not open to taking on other projects, you may leave the two other options blank.

Will I be embarking on the project myself? • You will be taking up the project either individually or as a small group of 2-3. This depends also on the number of interested youth in the chosen project.

Will I have to do all the points stated in the project outline? • The project outlines are proposed; you will be able to discuss and further scope out the project during the YSN Opening Orientation Session with the Project Coordinator you will work with. Depending on your group mates, you may also choose to focus on coordinating different aspects of the projects, as a team effort.

I am not confident of the skills required. Will I be able to take part? • Fret not! You will work closely with a Project Coordinator, who is the main point of contact for you. You will also have access to a panel of resource persons within NParks, who can provide expertise on various subject matters, e.g. horticulture, faunal and floral identification. As long as you have a good attitude to learn, we’re willing to show you the ropes.

I am a student attending classes full-time. Will I be able to commit? • If you have reservations about the weekday requirements, please indicate them in your availability. There may be an option for some projects to scope your involvement mainly to weekends or meetings to late afternoons.

• Time commitment stated here does not include preparation work