Open to the Public - Registration Needed
What
is it like to naturally forage for food along our shores? What if your
playground and community space was along the coast? What is like growing
up connected to our natural spaces?
This
month, the NSS Marine Conservation Group honours our natural heritage
with an online sharing and panel discussion with four Singaporeans who
have spent a large portion of their childhood and lives being deeply
connected to our shores and the waters around us.
Hear
first-hand accounts from Francis Lee, Osman Ali, Richard Kuah and Chua
Yong Liang as they share about their time spent foraging along our
shores and in our mangroves. Discover stories about their sun filled
days frolicking as children and as adults by our shores spending time
connecting with community and to our natural heritage.
Registration
Note:
- Registration is required and limited to 100 spots
- The Zoom link will be sent to you nearer to the event
- Event is free and will be held on Zoom.
About the Speakers
Francis Lee
Francis practiced Law
as a corporate lawyer for over 2 decades before switching to consulting in the
Mergers & Acquisitions sector in the last twenty years. He was extremely
active in the marine leisure scene and in the mid-80s, he became known as a
true agent of change for marine
conservation. Francis carries many accolades from his career, some highlights
include:
●
Serving as the
first Singaporean Commodore of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC)
●
Serving as the President
of Raffles Marina
●
Chairing the Singapore
Reef & Marine Conservation Committee
●
Co-launching the Aseanarean Expeditions Series
●
Co-authoring the Marine Parks of Thailand and the Marine Parks of Indonesia
●
Co-producing the
award-winning Indonesia Beyond the Reefs documentary by National Geographic
Channel (NGC)
●
Chairing Singapore’s
committee for the International Year Of The Reef (IYOR) that produced the
Singapore Blue Plan in 2009
Francis
also received awards for,
●
His contribution to
Indonesian Marine Tourism (by Indonesian Ambassador, in 2000),
●
For Leaders of the
New Millenium (by US Boating Industry Magazine, 2000) and
●
SeaKeeper of
Singapore (by The International SeaKeepers Society, USA, 2017)
Osman Ali
Osman developed his love for nature and Biology at a very young age and
continued to pursue this interest all the way to higher learning. After
graduating with a Science degree in Animal Biology & Cell Molecular Biology
from NUS, Osman joined the pharmaceutical and
health supplements industry. Today he runs his own company, MyLustre Pte Ltd,
specialising in providing quality health supplements.
Osman was
born in 1970 and lived in a kampung called Jalan Guan Choon (known today as Pasir
Ris estate). Osman spent his childhood and early teens there spending much of
his life around the coastal areas fishing and exploring the swamps. Osman is an
avid scuba diver since 1991. He also became a Scuba Diving instructor in 1996
to share his love for the oceans with others.
Richard Kuah
As a young boy, Richard’s father often brought him along to discover
more of Singapore’s southern and western islands. He spent many years of
his childhood with his family exploring as many islands as they could,
including Seletar Island and Coney Island (formerly known as Serangoon Island).
They enjoyed many recreational sea activities and even spent time foraging
around the intertidal mudflats, catching crabs and fishing with simple rods and
lines.
His late father was instrumental in developing his interest in our
islands and knows of many interesting stories from him on exploring areas where
past islanders once lived. These rich life experiences have also inspired
Richard’s young son, and today, as a teenager, has a strong interest and love
for the marine environment. He too enjoys snorkelling and discovering more
about our islands’ heritage. This passing down of our island natural
heritage from generation to generation remains dear to Richard and his family.
Chua Yong Liang (also known to many as Ah
Liang)
Yong Liang was born in 1966 and is a former resident of Pulau
Ubin. He is a third generation islander whose grandparents came from Guang
Dong, China, and were some of the earliest settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1920s.
In the early days, in order to support the family, his parents worked as rubber
tappers, granite quarry workers and subsequently became granite quarry
contractors from the 1960s to the 1980s. About two years before the famous Ubin
Seafood Restaurant began its business, the family started an off shore fish
farm near Pulau Ubin from the 1980s to late 1990s. This fish farm paved way for
the family-owned seafood restaurant business which has since been sold off.
Born and raised on Pulau Ubin, Yong Liang’s childhood were mostly
spent by the seashore and very much connected to the seas. Exploring and
foraging along the coastal areas were just some of his memorable childhood
activities.