News Room

Mr Ng Lang
Chief Executive Officer, NParks

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

       A very good morning to all of you.  Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity, an occasion designated by the United Nations to enhance the global understanding of biodiversity issues.  Joining other countries worldwide, Singapore celebrates this special day with the launch of our ‘BiodiverCity’ photography exhibition.

2     Let me first commend NParks and the Photographic Society of Singapore for organising this exhibition right here in the heart of Orchard Road.  Next month, the exhibition will be moved to the World Cities Summit venue, before travelling to different parks all over Singapore.  This will enable Singaporeans and visitors the opportunity to learn about our rich natural heritage.

Singapore - a Haven for Biodiversity
3     The exhibition features the interesting plants and animals found within our small city state, as seen through the photographic lenses of our people.  More than 700 participants submitted about 2,200 entries for the ‘BiodiverCity’ photography competition.

4     NParks told me that Mr Steven Tor, the grand prize winner of the Open category, spends almost every weekend at our nature reserves taking photographs.  At the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, he successfully got a shot of a smooth otter leaping out of a pond to capture a crab.  This photograph is hard to come by, as smooth otters are a critically endangered species and are always on the move.  Mr Pan Ken Nie from LaSalle College of the Arts, the winner of the Student category, is equally enthusiastic.  For his winning entry, he kept watch on the Long-tailed Shrike for about a month before he was able to take a photograph of it feasting on a lizard.

5     The high quality of the entries testifies to the perseverance of these photographers, and their passion for nature and the biodiversity in Singapore.  Such photographs are also a testimony to our rich biodiversity.  Flora and fauna have been able to flourish in Singapore as a result of our careful planning and painstaking efforts to balance biodiversity protection with economic development.

6     NParks has also been actively engaging the community to play a part in nature conservation.  Volunteer groups such as the Blue Water Volunteers, ButterflyCircle, Dragonfly Study Group, Nature Society, Nature Trekker, ToddyCats and WildSingapore work side by side with researchers from our tertiary educational institutions and NParks in wildlife surveys, research and conservation projects.  I am equally pleased that our corporations are also donating generously to fund these efforts.

Conclusion
7     Besides the ‘BiodiverCity’ photography exhibition, we can look forward to a series of activities to mark the International Year of Biodiversity.  I hope that through these activities, we can become closer to nature, and gain a better appreciation of our rich natural heritage.  It is also my hope that more people will take the additional step of volunteering their time and energy to our nature conservation efforts.

8     It is now my pleasure to declare the BiodiverCity Photography Exhibition open.