Dear Friends，
Still a very very slow week for us as we continue to struggle and manage our ‘business’.
Last week we only had 3 virtual programmes for schools: two sessions of WWE Pang Sua Pond for a total of 66 students from CHIJ OLQP, and one Virtual Talk for over 90 students from Farrer Park Primary School (see photos). A total of 22 members were involved in 10 patrols in all three branches, and 4 members helped in housekeeping and gardening.
To move towards green energy, we installed our first electric engine in one of our dinghy at Kallang. This is on trial and we hope we can find a sponsor. Six experienced boat drivers came to Kallang HQ for electric engine orientation on Friday afternoon. Deutz our sponsor had three of their staff present. On Sunday morning, we conducted virtual orientation for 12 new member applicants (invited sign-ups 18)followed by a virtual refresh session for 17 existing members who attended first aid training before. We aim to make this a regular SOP for our first aid members.
On Wednesday, 6 members came down to Punggol Branch and warmed up all 3 boats. The simple boat patrol was suspended due to heavy rain, but they picked up a few plastic bags from the water that weighed about 1kg (see photos). A lot of muddy water was discharged from the drain next to our office and reported to PUB immediately (see photo). On Thursday 2 members came for duty at Jurong Branch. They did regular maintenance for all 3 boats in the morning and did a simple foot patrol in the afternoon. The Jurong Lakeside Garden was very quiet with few people around, but there were many herons hanging out along the river. One of the float booms under the construction bridge was not intact (see photos). Both Jurong Lake water and the park was clean, they only picked up 1 plastic bottle, 1 can and 1 mask.
On Saturday morning, 4 drivers did an orientation of the electric engine boat at Kallang, 2 members did a simple bike observation trip around Marina Reservoir and 1 member came for gardening work (see photos). Lots of litter was found in front of the Singapore Flyer and under Benjamin Sheares Bridge near Passion Wave (see photos). In the afternoon, our president Jookek went on a bike observation patrol alone at Punggol Waterway Park. The Punggol Waterway water was very clean, but a lot of algae grows along the Waterways between station 29 and 33 (see photo). He picked up 6 masks around the Park (see photos).
On Sunday morning, members spotted 4 members of the public releasing catfishes into the Marina Reservoir (see photos). There were 8 members on duty at Kallang. They did 2 boat patrols, 1 bike patrol and 2 members did gardening work (see photos). The bike patrol group went to MBS areas and picked up 4kg of litter, including 14 masks, 8 cans, 29 plastic bottles and plenty of used tissues, cigarette butts and plastic bags (see photos). On the other hand, the two boat patrol groups 7 fishermen illegally fishing outside the fishing zone. The water of Marina Reservoir was generally clean. They picked up 5 cans, 2 plastic bottles, 1 glass beer bottle, and many plastic wrappers (see photos). In total they picked up about 2.5kg of litter. In addition, the garden group made some lime juice using limes harvested from our own garden.
There was no patrol at Jurong Branch on Sunday afternoon, 3 members did maintenance.
