Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at the JGIS Roots and Shoots Summit

Dec 10, 2024


Introduction

Good afternoon. I am very happy to join you for the Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore)’s Roots and Shoots Youth Summit and Awards.

It is a tremendous privilege to welcome Dr Jane Goodall back to Singapore, and for her 90th year celebrations no less. Over the last decade, I have had the opportunity to host Dr Jane in Singapore three times – and today four, not including the time we met virtually in 2021s.

The theme for Dr Goodall’s 90th Birthday Tour, ‘Inspiring Generations, Spreading Hope’, speaks to her unwavering vision; to inspire individual action by people of all ages, and to spread the message of care for the environment, animals, and people.

Asking ‘What’s Next?’

While we celebrate the good work done to conserve and protect the environment, an important question looms: ‘What’s next?’

Temperatures are rising, and extreme weather events are occurring more frequently. These disruptions threaten ecosystems and biodiversity.

In small, densely populated Singapore, we face the constant challenge of balancing national needs, from housing to workplaces and recreational facilities, to preserving our green and blue spaces.

This island is home not only to us, but also to the plants and animals that have been here since time immemorial.

’What’s next?’ is a question we ask ourselves often.

As we transform into a City in Nature, we must balance these considerations carefully and undertake development sensitively.

Taking the Next Steps Through Collaboration

In seeking the answers to this question, we can turn to one another. Our journey to transform Singapore into a City in Nature is not a solitary one. JGIS: you are a valued partner in taking this vision forward, with your support in public education, research, and promoting community stewardship.

NParks and JGIS, as members of the Raffles’ Banded Langur and the Long-tailed Macaque Working Groups, have driven key wildlife conservation initiatives.

For example, to protect our langur population, NParks has worked with the Raffles’ Banded Langur Working Group to introduce a range of habitat enhancement measures, like reforestation, planting food plant species, and installing rope bridges.

Together, we have also engaged communities to better manage human-wildlife interactions and foster appreciation of our wildlife. Key to successful collaboration is sharing our best practices and learning from one another.

We are grateful for JGIS’s participation in NParks’ Festival of Biodiversity, where you showcase your conservation efforts and inspire community stewardship amongst Singaporeans.

The projects that many of you have embarked on as part of Roots and Shoots are also testament to the value of collaborating for meaningful change.

Youth Stewardship

Perhaps the most obvious answer to the question of ‘What’s next?’ is right here in front of us – young people such as yourselves.

You are all young champions of animals, the environment, and people, who have or will embark on meaningful projects that contribute to conservation.

This year, we saw the largest iteration of the World Wildlife Day Regional Youth Symposium, bringing together over 300 youths from 15 different countries in Singapore.

At the Symposium, which was organised by passionate young people under NParks’ Youth Stewards for Nature (YSN) programme together with their mentors, we saw a showcase of youth-led conservation initiatives across South East Asia.

Under YSN – which celebrates its fifth anniversary next year – young people collaborate with NParks mentors on real-world projects, developing skills in research, fieldwork, design and community engagement.

This year, one of our teams created a nature play activity booklet for self-guided tours at HortPark, while another team used open-source AI platforms to enhance workflows of processing datasets from camera trapping, enhancing our capabilities in monitoring and studying wildlife populations remotely.

These examples illustrate how YSN encourages innovative approaches to nature conservation and outreach, and I am sure you have some ideas of your own.

In 2025, youths can choose from projects surrounding three main themes: Community Animal Management and Animal Health, Biodiversity and Wildlife, and Urban Greenery. Registration is currently open, and I encourage you all to sign up and realise your ideas.  And I hope you will participate actively in NParks’ initiatives. There is something for everyone.

If you enjoy being out in nature, our citizen science programmes might appeal to you. They involve observing our native animals and collecting data that can help us better come up with conservation strategies.

If you prefer spreading the word of conservation in creative and engaging ways, such as through drama, film, nature tours, or design, you might be interested in our Science Communication for Community in Nature Ambassadors programme.

You could also plan something for Biodiversity Week for Schools next May, and encourage your friends and teachers to join in the activities. 

So, if you’re still wondering ‘What’s next?’, perhaps you might find some of the answers here today.

Conclusion

I hope this question will remain in our heads not just today, as we hear from youths from Roots and Shoots and from Dr Jane Goodall, but for the years to come.

I would like to commend all the student presenters and showcase participants.

Once again, I would like to warmly welcome Dr Jane back to Singapore, and express my gratitude to her for continuing to inspire generations of youths not just in Singapore and the region, but around the world.

In the spirit of Dr Jane’s 90th Year Birthday Tour, Inspiring Generations, Spreading Hope, I hope that this question will continue to inspire you to realise what is possible as we move forward.

Thank you.