A Rocha Canada’s work and community life have been greatly enriched by the steady stream of Singaporeans who have visited and volunteered at our environmental centres over the past 10 years. It all started with Melissa Ong and Daniel Tay, filmmakers who spent two years based at A Rocha Canada’s first environmental centre in Surrey, BC. The intentionality with which they approached community life and hospitality helped make that first centre a very warm and welcoming place.

It turns out that Melissa and Daniel are the gift that keeps on giving! Thanks to their praises of A Rocha Canada and their prodding of countrymates to come visit, the A Rocha Brooksdale Centre has hosted and benefitted from a steady stream of eager young Singaporeans. These competent interns and volunteers have studied birds and fish, educated children, designed cookbooks, pulled weeds, painted bathrooms, and much more. One young woman, Shai Kroeker, has even made a permanent home amongst us and is an invaluable member of our education team.

Given this rich history, it was a delight for Markku and Leah Kostamo, founders of A Rocha Canada, to visit Singapore in early January and reconnect with many of the dear folks who have impacted A Rocha’s work so positively.

“It was so encouraging to not only see so many dear friends, but to be there as they were getting ready to launch their first practical conservation project,” said Markku.

Günther’s frog (Credit: Andrew Tay)

The “Friends of A Rocha in Singapore,” as they are known locally, launched “Amphibian Diversity in Urban Parks” on 16 January 2016.  Team members Mary-Ruth Low and Prarthini Selveindran who are experienced in herpetology field work led the training session of 22 volunteers at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. This was followed by a night walk where species such as the Dark-sided Chorus Frog (Microhyla heymonsi) and the non-native Günther’s frog (Hylarana guentheri) were spotted.

This citizen science project will be carried out over two years as a monthly survey. Data collected will be entered into the SGBioAtlas app, a platform by NParks to facilitate the collection of data for its Citizen Science programs and to help the public report sightings of biodiversity.

In anticipation of the launch of this program, Friends of A Rocha in Singapore hosted “Planted – from smallest seed to flourishing ministry,” an evening with Markku and Leah Kostamo at Bartley Christian Church. Leah read funny and poignant excerpts from her book, Planted and shared A Rocha stories as a way of encouraging this newly sprouted group.