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Protection of Biodiversity

Do you know it is World Turtle Day on 23 May 2019?

This special day is sponsored yearly since 2000 by American Tortoise Rescue, to bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and encourage human action to help them survive and thrive.

Many turtles and tortoises face threats in the form of smuggling trade, habitat destruction and water pollution. Discarded plastic, waste and toxic are often ingested by our marine life and also endanger them via entanglement.

Many times, people release their pets at gardens or forests however, animals purchased from pet stores cannot survive in the wild. Pets such as Hamsters and Bunnies may have lost the ability and instinct to source food and shelter, or to run away from predators.

If we release foreign animals like the Red Ear Slider (native to United States and Mexico), they may complete with our native animals for food and living space. For example, a female Red Ear Slider can lay up to a dozen eggs twice a year up-beating the local Malayan box turtle which lays only two eggs each time.

This is a real and challenging issue that extends to all wild life. If we do not take concrete steps to protect and preserve nature, its flora and fauna, there will not be many species left for future generations to enjoy and learn from. The protection of biodiversity helps us balance the ecosystem and provides stability to different processes of nature. The extinction or demise of one particular species might influence one or more other species down the line.

At Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK) Cultural Academy, we teach our students to appreciate and respect nature. We have a living garden maintained by our students and they learn about cultivation, protecting biodiversity and good eco-habits.

Come find out more about our After-school care programme or Pre-school at www.shhkca.com.sg. Our Pre-school and After-school care are open for registration now.