Page 60 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2019

58 NURUL REKHA

“Being a statutory board, NParks is in a position actively trying to incorporate their beliefs and what
they’ve learnt into their daily lives, such as reducing
to implement plans that can really shape the meat consumption and recycling. I’ve been similarly
future of Singapore, for the fauna and flora and inspired to do the same.

NParks has also given me the opportunity to par-
the people who inhabit the country.” ticipate in two research expeditions in Romania and
South Africa at the end of my first year. The expedi-
tion to Romania focused on the effects of agricultural
What sparked your interest in Zoology? practices on the surrounding biodiversity. The one
I’ve been fascinated by animals for as long as I can re- in South Africa investigated the effects of elephant
member. I grew up watching all sorts of nature shows, overpopulation in a game reserve and the extent of
from Nigel Marven to Crocodile Hunter to, of course, elephant damage on the vegetation. As a research
David Attenborough documentaries. I remember be- assistant, I learned an array of surveying skills that re-
ing overwhelmed by the vast diversity of animals that main useful in my work today. I also gained a deeper
exist on our planet. I didn’t just love animals, I was understanding of wildlife management issues such
curious about them – about the interaction between culling, hunting, and anthropogenic involvement in
predator and prey, how some are able to adapt to habitats – issues I initially thought were clear-cut,
such extreme environments, and why they exhibit the but I now realise are a lot more complicated than the
behaviours they do. mere ethics of the actions alone.
Over the years, I have gained interest in many dif- I was also offered the chance to do an exchange
ferent subjects, from literature to psychology and phi- programme with James Cook University in the North
losophy, but my curiosity for animals never wavered. of Queensland during my studies. My exchange in
Perhaps it is the idea that there is so much more to Australia was incredible because we were constantly
the world than just our lives, that we are merely part surrounded by wildlife. There were wallabies, pos-
of a larger system, which appeals to me. Often, espe- sums, pythons, various species of parrots and other
cially in an urban environment like Singapore, we are birds right outside our dormitory. In contrast to the
so absorbed in our own routinised lives that we for- more academic and theoretical education I received
get that we share this Earth with so many other living in St Andrews, my term in James Cook was a lot more
things. Learning about animals makes me appreciate conservation-centric and focused a lot more on the
the wonder and complexity of life, and I knew I’d never practical use of scientific knowledge. This has simi-
get bored studying them. That’s how I ended up doing larly equipped me to apply my university knowledge
Zoology in university. to working at NParks.
Finally, NParks allowed me to do two intern-
What led you to consider a career in NParks? ships, before and midway through my studies. In my
I first heard about the National Parks Board (NParks) first internship, I was attached to Bukit Timah Nature
in an article I came across in the newspaper. It de- Reserve. I loved my experience there, because I was
scribed the situation of some of the wildlife in Singa- exposed to a side of Singapore I had not experienced
pore, and NParks was mentioned. Singapore’s bio- before. It was the best introduction I could have to the
diversity hardly made the news back then, and I was conservation work done by NParks and I learnt a lot
more surprised to learn there was a statutory board about the wildlife in Singapore. In my second year,
managing this. While the article didn’t elaborate on I did an internship with the Streetscape division. This
NParks’ role, the association between NParks and our was an area I understood was an essential part of
national wildlife was embedded in my mind. NParks’ work in greening Singapore but did not know
A year later, during the scholarship fair in my much about. I gained a deeper understanding of the
school, I learnt more about NParks at their booth. I main aims of NParks and it made me realise that there
found out about their role in greening Singapore, how was so much potential for NParks to shape the land-
they are responsible for some of the things I loved scape and biodiversity in Singapore.
most about Singapore – nature reserves, parks, and
park connectors. I also learned more about their in- What were some of the memorable/interesting
creasing efforts in conservation. encounters during your course of studies and
NParks’ goals were aligned with mine. Being a why are they memorable/interesting?
statutory board, NParks is in a position to implement Some of my most memorable times involve just being
plans that can really shape the future of Singapore, at St Andrews. While it is a small town in Fife, within
Nurul Rekha
d/o Fuad Mohan for the fauna and flora and the people who inhabit the there are three beaches, short forested trails, a near-
NParks Undergraduate country. I felt that I might be able to contribute to the by estuary where you could watch shorebirds and a
Scholarship organisation by studying what I loved, so I applied for forest an hour’s cycle away. It is also one of the towns
the scholarship. along the Fife Coastal Path, a long-distance footpath
Age: 23 stretching the entire length of the Fife coast, connect-
What opportunities have you enjoyed ing some of the most beautiful villages. I would walk
Attained: as an NParks scholar? and cycle through different towns along the beach
Bachelor of Science in
Zoology, University of I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to study and birdwatch over the weekends.
St Andrews Zoology at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, Being located so far north in St Andrews meant
under the NParks Scholarship. One of the things I that if you were lucky, you might be able to see the
Now: loved the most about my university education was Northern Lights. I still remember the occasion I wit-
Manager, Conservation the learning environment. I was taught and guided by nessed it – it was a winter night when we heard of
(Central Nature Reserve)
lecturers who were experts in their fields and were news that the Northern Lights may be visible. My
From: generous in sharing their knowledge. I was surround- friends and I, along with many other students, rushed
Anglo-Chinese School ed by people who were not only enthusiastic and down to the beach. There, we laid down on the cold
(Independent) genuinely enjoyed what they were studying, but also sand and, with the freezing winter winds hitting our