The Singapore American School Comprehensive Rainforest and Nursery Proposal Presented By: Roopa Dewan Primary Contributors: Jamie Alarcon Simbulan, Martha Began, Alice Early, Steve Early, and Kattina Rabdau-Fox With Input From: Kate Thome, Rindi Baildon, Natalie Grimbergen, Mike Ferguson, Beth Burnett, Nancy Von Wahlde December 2014 1
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The Singapore American School Comprehensive Rainforest and Nursery Proposal
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The Singapore American School
Comprehensive Rainforest and
Nursery Proposal
Presented By: Roopa Dewan
Primary Contributors:
Jamie Alarcon Simbulan, Martha Began, Alice Early,
Steve Early, and Kattina Rabdau-Fox
With Input From:
Kate Thome, Rindi Baildon, Natalie Grimbergen, Mike Ferguson, Beth Burnett,
Nancy Von Wahlde
December 2014
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Background
Project Proposal
Project Goals and Benefits ● Current Curriculum ● Proposed Curriculum
ages about our natural ecosystems, including the cultivation and conservation thereof.
Experts agree that the majority of native plants in South East Asia will become extinct in
the wild in the next 30 years because of environmental pressures from palm oil
plantations, development, and climate change. This space, if managed wisely, can become
a sanctuary for endangered local plants, insects and animals species most at risk. Every
student and SAS community member may then learn to appreciate and respect the beauty,
interconnectedness, and complexity of endangered tropical forest ecosystems through
direct encounters with our rainforest.
Implementation of a comprehensive Biodiversity Education Program will take 12 months –
24 months and be completed in three (3) simultaneous phases. The science curriculum
review committee is currently exploring how we can leverage the SAS forest to achieve the
Next Generation Science Standards.
Total funding for this entire project is projected at S$600,000 to S$625,000. Once
implemented, incremental annual maintenance will be required. The Singapore Botanic
Gardens will provide in kind, and gratis, donations of plants, consultancy, and training
valued at S$100,000. The facilities office anticipates needing a part-time staff to undertake
maintenance and management of the rainforest.
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Background:
On 22nd September 1993, the Science teachers Richard Frazier and Steve Early, requested
the purchase of the forest and wrote to the administration saying; “We have a unique opportunity to have as a part of the campus a piece of the rich heritage of Southeast Asia. In a sense, the entire region owes its current economic importance to the wealth of forest products that formed the basis of trade over five hundred years ago...The value as a resource is immensefrom the academic to the aestheticfrom science to social studieseven to art and literature. In the future, our city will need every bit of green space it can protect. Our school can participate in the plan for an urban environment which is in harmony with nature. Keeping a patch of forest on the school ground with its accompanying biodiversity is having an incredibly rich biological library and storehouse for no cost at all. If the educational value were calculated against the monetary cost, the forest would be the best deal economically of any part of the school plan” (Richard Frazier). Thus SAS procured a rainforest as part of the purchase as a
unique space for learning and conservation. Currently, classes in the 4th, 7th, and the high
school environmental science programs use this space for exploration and research.
Outside of these classes, few teachers are aware that this unique resource exists on campus.
Our rainforest is a storehouse of endemic
biodiversity. Studies of our rainforest
conducted by 7th graders over the past
three years have identified over 500
species of plants, animals, insects, and
fungi and reported it to scientists at
Project Noah. Rare animals such as the
Green Crested Lizard and heritage tree
species such as Pulai and Terentang call
our rainforest home. Maintaining this
space will help SAS students preserve species that might disappear from the wild.
Our K-12 curriculum provides a constant spiraling of science topics related to ecosystems,
plant life, biodiversity, with a strong emphasis on application projects. Our rainforest and
nursery program will enhance what we already do, building a cohesive bridge between
different grade levels in teaching and learning and it will do so by springboarding on already
existing programs offered throughout the school.
In January 2014, SAS was invited to partner with the Singapore Botanic Garden (SBG) to
transform the rainforest into a home for native trees and to set up our existing middle
school garden as an endemic forest tree nursery. Elango Velautham, the Director of the
2.1 Potting Shed – Build a covered open working space
as an outdoor classroom to facilitate students’ hands-on
gardening of endemic species. The potting shed will
store pre-mixed soil, pots, gardening tools, gloves and
watering cans. Inside the shed construct a large flat
cement working table (big enough for 25 people to
stand around), cement benches , deep sinks with
running water, The potting shed will be used by
students K-12 to germinate endemic seeds, and
transplant seedlings.
Potting shed at SBG Plant Resource potting shed. Note the high roof with open top to keep the area rain free and cool. The building is open on all four sides. Soil, sand and compost is delivered here, stored and mixed. Cabinets store garden tools, a separate room stores pots, there are two deep sinks with running water. A large central cement table provides working space. Behind the shed is the mist house (ICU) and to the left are shade cloth covered plant nurseries with endemic species.
2.2 Mist House - This structure would provide a precise
“intensive care” environment to nurture the germination
of endemic tree seeds, and support young saplings with a
precise automated time released mist spray.
SBG Mist House (Plant ICU) at the Arboriculture, Plant Records and Plant Resource Center. Note the shade cloth supported on the roof, metal hogwire fence surrounding the mist house. Most plant pots are on top of waist high tables.
2.3 Shade House – To house the potted plants and allow for a
timed watering system to support the young saplings to a
transplantable age. This is the next step after the care of the
mist house. Shade house as part of the SBG Plant Resource Center note the waist high tables constructed of old railroad ties to hold pots, cement walkway, overhead pipes to spray water and metal frame to held the shade cloth. Shade cloth surrounds the entire structure on three sides.
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Phase 2: 2014-2015
1. Hydration System :
● Restoration of existing rainforest with helps of NParks - Botanic Gardens
● Install an automated hydration system for the SAS forest inclusive of rainwater
recycling tank and pump station.
2. Boardwalk and Safety: ● Remove the sections of the cement path which are obstructing the root systems of
some large trees and replace these with elevated boardwalks.
Phase 3: 2014-2016
Education, Research, and Training:
● Engage a biodiversity educational consultant to work with educators to develop
integrated grade appropriate initiatives and goals.
● Teacher training as part of curriculum adoption.
● Develop Local and regional links to provide students with practical, rainforest
conservation.
● Become a regionally recognized center for conservation education. Build
partnerships with National Parks, Singapore Botanic Garden, National BioDiversity
Center, National University Singapore, and Yale-NUS.
● Make our rainforest a showcase for conservation education. This will provide a
model for an outdoors classroom.
SAS students transplant Dipterocarpus seedlings into nutrient rich soil on the large cement table in the SBG Plant Resource Center.
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Funding Request: Total funding for this project is projected at S$600,00.00 - $625,000.00
1 Endemic Forest Tree Nursery $215,000
a. Consulting fees: Landscape Architect,
Land Surveyor, Arborist
$75,000
b. Physical Facilities - Potting Shed,
Planting Tables, Mist House, Shade
House, Shelving; Compost Recycling Plant
$140,000
2 Rain forest Protection $360,000
a. Hydration System $250,000
b. Boardwalk and Safety (Tree Surgery,
Signage)
$110,000
3 Education, Research and Training $50,000
a. Professional Development
Current PD, OOL
Funds
b. Enhanced K-12 Curriculum
Development
Curriculum Review
Cycle
c. Comprehensive Biodiversity Survey &
Database Mgt
$30,000
d. Partnerships with SBG, National Parks,
National Biodiversity Center, Yale-NUS
$20,000
TOTAL $625,000
Once implemented, incremental annual maintenance will be required. Singapore Botanic
Gardens will provide in kind donations of plants, consultancy and training valued at
S$100,000. The school’s existing horticulturist would undertake maintenance and