Dear Friends,
OVERVIEW
“Straws still a Problem!”
During one of the CSR programmes our participants picked up about 200 straws from a spot along the Stadium Riverside Walk (see photo above). This points to the fact that straws, like many other litters, are often not disposed of properly. People may think that ‘it is a small straw’ but they are damaging both to animals that end up eating them, to people and to the environment. In the ocean, plastic straws break down into microplastics over time, which are eaten by fish and shellfish. When we eat the fish, these microplastics wind up in our bodies as well which may be harmful to our health. On land, these microplastics may be taken as food by the birds and other land animals.
These seemingly harmless straws are made from petroleum and are inherently damaging to the environment. Plastic straws are not biodegradable and are difficult to recycle. The simple answer to this problem is to stop using plastic straws but, it is easier said than done. Regardless of the difficulty of stopping the usage of plastic straws, we must continue to educate ourselves to know the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and on our life health. In addition, we must step up on the enforcement effort to ensure our environment is kept clean and safe.
In summary, the following activities were done for this week:
- We conducted 7 CSR programmes which were attended by 218 participants and together they collected a total of 347 kg of litter. The programmes included 3 Boat clean up, 5 Kayak clean up and 3 Pedal Boat clean up.
- We conducted an onsite Story-telling session for about 50 children at a Corporate office.
- President Joo Kek conducted 2 virtual training sessions for our facilitators and members on how to handle or manage the situation when encountering wildlife.
- We conducted the Annual General Meeting 2022 which was attended by 90 members. (Virtual-61, Physical-29). We had a quorum for this AGM. The AGM went well and all items requiring approval were passed. Thank you for your support. Our Annual Report will be shared soon.
- This week a total of 94 members were involved for CSR/VIA programmes, talk, patrols, administration, housekeeping duties and training and, the total trash collected = 395 kg.
- Boat Patrol. A total of 4 Boat patrols were carried out; 2 at Marina and 2 at Punggol.
- Bike Patrol. A total of 2 Bike patrols were carried out at Marina.
- Foot Patrol. We conducted 1 Foot Patrol at Lakeside Garden.
- Pedal boat Patrol. 1 Pedal Boat patrol was conducted at Marina.
- Physical Bike and Boat Clean Up Orientation for New Applicants. No orientation was conducted this week.
- Boat Tour for Frontline workers. No Boat tour was conducted this week.
ACTIVITIES AND REPORT
1. Educational Programmes
2. Volunteer Patrols & Activities
a. Marina
b. Punggol
c. Lakeside
d. Pang Sua Pond
e. Yishun Pond Patrol
