2022 Book Launch

Message by Dr Adrian Loo, Group Director for Wildlife Management

The inspirational Mother Teresa had a famous quote, “Do small things with great love”.  I believe in this and what arises from this is something beautiful and far reaching – just like these books.  I am sure the students who wrote these books would have learnt a lot from the experience.  Another saying goes – “when you teach you learn twice”. That is why teachers are so good at what they do.

Having taught at the then Raffles Junior College way back then, I have seen students who have gone through the Eco-Lit programme become very passionate and inspired about ecology, the environment and conservation.  They have gone on to pursue PhDs or work in related areas all for a cause and that is to improve our care of Nature.  How purposeful.  Where did this come from?  Projects such as these excellent series of books not only serve to spread the awareness through a creative way, they would also have touched the students who were part of the process as well.  And at the very heart of this inspirational process are dedicate teachers like Mr Tan Sijie who has seen this process from the very beginning. 

I enjoyed the friendship of the characters shrimp-goby and snapping shrimp, the trials and tribulations of Cally the water spirit and the close-knit family of otters.  These stories create some wonderful teachable moments and touch readers with a wonderful story arc and a dose of good science as well.  It really resonates with our vision of City in Nature and it’s a wonderful thing to have books like that to make the vision more accessible to the young.  Congratulations students and teachers on yet another wonderful series of books this year! 

Dr Adrian Loo
Group Director for Wildlife Management
National Parks Board

Message by Mr Frederick Yeo, Principal of Raffles Institution

The 12^th year (2022) of the launch of the Raffles Ecological Literacy (Eco-Lit) 28^th, 29^th and 30^th book titles attests to RI’s unwavering commitment towards promoting sustainability education among our young. In line with our conviction in ensuring a sustainable earth for future generations, such as through the “1823 Trees: Rooting for a Greener Singapore” campaign which RI initiated in August 2021 in conjunction with the RI200 celebrations and in support of NParks’ OneMillionTrees Movement, this year’s EcoLit publications similarly underscore the importance of safeguarding Singapore’s rich biodiversity in our urban built environment for future generations.

From the ubiquitous otters that are often sighted in Singapore’s waterways (“An Outing Like No Otter”), to the many waterways meandering through the heartlands of Singapore and frequented by Singaporeans for walks and runs (as narrated through the story of Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park in “Wonders of the Waterway”), and the fascinating intertidal shoreline of Changi Beach in “The Terror of the Intertidal”, our students have deftly and astutely conveyed the wonders and beauty of the diverse natural habitats in Singapore, our City in Nature.     

The 28^th, 29^th and 30^th publications have been borne out of our EcoLit students’ hard work, interlaced with passion, conviction and commitment. I would like to commend them for their immense effort in conducting field research, consulting with the experts, and learning new skills such as story scripting, pictorial illustrations and book publication. In the process, they have grown to become more confident and passionate citizens of Singapore, buoyed by their ideals and beliefs in a more sustainable and more beautiful Singapore to benefit future generations.

I would like to convey my deep appreciation to our expert consultants for journeying with our students in their discovery learning – Mr Max Khoo and Ms Yoon Hui Lian from the National Parks Board, and Dr Zeehan Jaafar from NUS. I would also like to specially thank Dr Adrian Loo, NParks’ Group Director for Wildlife Management, for being a steadfast advocate and supporter of RI’s sustainability efforts, in particular the 1823 Trees campaign. Thank you, Adrian for your words of encouragement and affirmation to our teachers and students in this year’s 12^th edition of the EcoLit publications.      

As per past practice, RI will be gifting the three Eco-Lit titles to all primary schools in Singapore. Copies will also be made available in the children’s section of the National Library branches.  We hope that this year’s publications will continue to intrigue our young readers in the amazing world of Singapore’s rich natural biodiversity, just like past publications.