SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 19 February 2020 - Stamford American International School has spearheaded an innovative Rare Tree Forest initiative, in collaboration with Elango Velautham, Deputy Director at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The Rare Tree Forest is an initiative that has taken "root" in the Grade 9 Science Curriculum and the Field Studies Program and has grown to become a whole school project in creating ecological sustainability at Stamford.

 

Michael Drake (Cognita Asia CEO), Dr. Eric Sands (Superintendent of Stamford American International School), and Stamford Division Principals gathered last Friday at the Woodleigh campus to inaugurate the new Rare Tree Forest site by planting endangered species of trees indigenous to the region and Singapore.

Michael Drake (Cognita Asia CEO) said: "I was delighted to be involved in this exciting project. For our students to be able to connect with nature in an authentic way, as part of their learning, is wonderful. I very much hope that this is the start of Stamford becoming an even greener campus over the coming years. This will enhance our approach by having more and more outdoor learning opportunities for our students which I very much believe enhances their learning experience."

"As an IB school, we are developing creative and critical thinkers who can use their problem-solving skills to take on new information and make decisions for a positive impact in our world. In this way we will bring our environment and education together within our community to reach common goals such as; awareness, sustainability, and action leading to lasting change globally," said Rhonda Wiens, Stamford MYP Coordinator.

We are excited to be working alongside Elango Velautham, Deputy Director at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in this initiative and look forward to many cross-divisional activities which will evolve from this event.

The next phase is to develop our Rare Tree Forest Nursery and enhance our green spaces at Stamford. These spaces will be used to carry out experiments, research, and hopefully submit articles to science journals on our findings from our different research projects. Some of the research projects include: soil mixing, seed collecting, measurements and data on seed growth and development, and the effect of fertilizer on plant growth. Another initiative would be to cultivate and grow a Food Forest, where we can begin to grow our own fruit, vegetables and herbs, and potentially be able to give this food back to society. These experiences will help us develop further initiatives that help us develop our ecological literacy.

At Stamford, we believe students benefit in understanding sustainability by devising plans and participating in opportunities through school projects like the Rare Tree Forest. With a focus on sustainability in schools, Stamford aims to bring environmental education and the community together with a common goal.