Young 'greenies' win Canadian study trip

Four young Singaporeans will head to the Canadian wilderness after winning a study trip.

They will work in North America's largest wetland gathering data to help scientists understand how climate change is affecting all species - including people. Their activities will involve taking water and soil samples, assessing the wetland's wildlife and working with researchers from the Churchill Northern Studies Centre.

During their June 10-20 trip, they will also get to go whale- watching and kayaking, and observe polar bears near Churchill in northern Manitoba.

The expedition, sponsored by HSBC, is part of an award by the bank and the National Youth Achievement Award Council. It is given to people aged 14 to 25 for their work on environmental causes.

At a ceremony yesterday at the Environment Building in Scotts Road, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan presented the winners with citation plaques and $500 book vouchers.

Three of this year's winners are Ms Choo Le Min, 20, from Nanyang Technological University, who led a team that set up nature walks; Ms Cherry Goh Pei Shan, 20, former president of Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Environmental Rangers Club; and 19-year-old Jamie Goh Xue Min, also from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, who helped to design and build floating wetlands at two Malaysian schools.

They will be joined on the trip by 2011 winner, Ms Gina Goh Shu Hui.

This year's fourth winner, Mr Sean Yap, 21, from Raffles Institution, will join next year's expedition. He is a nature guide and volunteers with groups such as the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research.

This article was published on April 16 in The Straits Times.

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