Water quality monitoring workshop for CUGE (Centre for urban greenery and ecology) 2012

I just had another round of running the water quality monitoring workshop for CUGE (Centre for urban greenery and ecology). Attended by mostly Nparks staff and some staff from private companies, it was great fun to run this workshop. I suppose doing something you like is always fun, despite the sweat poured into its preparation (think logistics e.g. are you sure you have brought the right gear in enough quantities to run your course?) and the actual execution.

The workshop was run pretty similar to the one last year.

One notable exception was the use of iPads as data collection devices in the field. Water quality (WQ) data was keyed in directly into the iPad, forgoing the step of writing on pieces of paper that tend to get wet, muddy and folded out of shape. (Hey, with a seven hundred dollar iPad in your hands, you too would take tender, loving care of it.) Despite what you may think, I am not using it for the WOW factor or because it is the IN thing.

The main advantage of using an iPad is having a customised app (kindly designed by my colleague in SP's education department) to transmit the water quality data to a central server. One, all WQ data can be kept in one spot for easy reference in the future. Two, having a standard template (as an app) allows different users to key in data in a fixed format - no need to struggle to interpret whether this test was done once or twice or what the units were supposed to be. Imagine letting loose a group of students (or interns) to do WQM (water quality monitoring) in the field with only simple training and minimal supervision. Data collection will become immensely efficient. (Nevertheless, I must emphasise that these students be trained in the proper monitoring and sampling techniques lest they collect irrelevant or unusable data.)

Figure 1: The compulsory group photo taken at Graffiti Bridge along Ngee Ann Stream

Figure 2: The seldom taken group photo at the end of the workshop at Botanic Gardens

Figure 3: iPad app for water quality monitoring data collection

Figure 4: Screenshot from the server showing the WQ data since the system was started

Water quality monitoring (WQM) workshop for Sengkang Floating Wetland

I have a rare opportunity to conduct a WQM workshop at Sengkang Floating Wetland which lies smack in the Punggol Reservoir. All thanks to PUB for arranging the venue and coordinating the overall workshop!

At the same time, this workshop was funded by the Water Education Fund from FairPrice which also sponsored my book - Your first guide to water quality monitoring in Singapore. Not surprisingly, all the participants were given a copy of the book to help them implement their own WQM programme.

 Figure (courtesy of PUB): Classroom lesson at Anchorvale CC before heading out to the field

Figure: Getting water samples on the floating wetland was made easy with the help of contract workers who happened to be there maintaining the wetland

Figure: In the middle of the floating wetland 

Figure: Participants getting their hands wet and dirty along Punggol Reservoir

Water quality monitoring (WQM) workshop for Sengkang Floating Wetland

Below is a copy of the invitation sent out to MOE teachers.



Dear Educators,


We would like to invite you and your teachers to attend PUB’s Water Quality Monitoring Workshop:

Admission is free and course materials and equipments will be provided. Teachers will also receive a complimentary copy of the book,“ Your First Guide To Water Quality Monitoring in Singapore”, written by Mr Kwok Chen Ko in collaboration with PUB and the NTUC Water Education Fund.

This course is suitable for

 Science teachers, Green Club teachers and teachers interested in environmental or field work

 Teachers who are interested in conducting Water Quality Monitoring with students.

 Any teachers with a passion for the environment!


Trainer
Mr Kwok Chen Ko, Environmental Science lecturer from Singapore Polytechnic.

Course objectives

To introduce importance of water quality in the environment and how water quality monitoring can be carried out. At the end of the course, teachers will be able to:

(a) Appreciate the importance of water quality to the health of the environment.

(b) Explain how several fundamental water quality parameters interact with aquatic life.

(c) Perform field sampling of water.

(d) Perform water analyses in the field and classroom.


Topics covered

1. The types of freshwater systems in Singapore

2. What is water quality?

3. Important water quality parameters

4. The art of water sampling

5. The science of water analysis

6. How to conduct sampling, analysis and collection of water in the field.


Programme outline
The workshop consists of a classroom lecture followed by field work at the nearby Sengkang Floating Wetland.


Time Activity

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM Registration of participants

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Lecture session:

-Introduction to Water Quality Monitoring in Singapore

- Water quality monitoring parameters

2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Practical session:

-Practical water quality testing exercise at Sengkang Floating Wetland

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM Debriefing session


Admission is limited to the first 20 participants only, so do register by 4 November 2011.

For registration please contact:

Ms Farah’ Ain Niza
Email: Farahain_Niza_Md_Tamren@pub.gov.sg
Tel no : 6731 3274

Water quality monitoring workshop for CUGE

I had the opportunity to conduct an inaugural water quality monitoring (WQM) workshop for CUGE (Centre for urban greenery and ecology). The participants were mostly Nparks staff. Before this, I had only worked with MOE teachers and students in my WQM courses.


It was indeed an eye opener. With their outdoor experience, my field trip became a non-issue. No complaints about the mozzies, the mud or the weather.

In fact, I dare say this field trip to Ngee Ann Stream was my most challenging. A huge tree has fallen over the path I normally took my participants. There was no clear path through it or around it. Fortunately, a hardy participant (L) came forward to blaze a trail through the fallen tree while I was wondering whether the rest were able to handle such bashing through. Reminding myself these were Nparks staff, everyone came through without a scratch despite the big ants scrambling all over the branches in protest of our intrusion. A few other “garang” types helped to clear the trail as L and I took the lead in our trailblazing.

Because of the wet weather earlier in the day, the canal was flooded. Usually a convenient way to cover ground, the canal became out of bounds. Since these guys and ladies were as good as I thought they were, I decided to do another round of bashing through a patch of tall grasses. Since these were only grasses (not trees or shrubs), I used my handy walking stick to sweep the blockage aside. Problem solved.

Though most of the participants have no chemistry background, they were thrilled with trying out the water testing kits back in our classroom. Designed for field work and hence simple to operate, most participants took an instant familiarity with the kits’ usage. In fact, they were more than enthusiastic to stay after 5p.m. to finish their water testing with the kits. It is always a pleasure to observe students with a passion to learn and experiment.

Figure: My favourite monitoring station along Ngee Ann Stream. A good shady spot for the participants to rest after the "gruelling" hike through tall grasses and steep slopes. Notice the tall grasses in middle - we had to bash through those after this station.

Figure: This canal is normally dry with only a small flow in the centre. On this day, an earlier rain has made the canal impassable. Even the participant has to collect a water sample on the steps. Not for school students.

Figure: Using water testing kits back in the classroom

Figure: Participants putting up their water quality data for all to see and compare.

Figure: Bug hunting and identification at Chinese Garden

Figure: We had the rare chance of checking out what Chinese Garden has implemented its admirable efforts to go green. This is a phytoremediation project to treat and reuse grey water from a toilet's sinks.


Update: Here is the link for a write-up of the workshop on CUGE' website
http://www.cuge.com.sg/October-2011 > 04 Oct 2011 - A Fun and Enriching Hands-on Experience Sampling and Testing Water

Outdoors classroom - Ngee Ann Stream

It is good to be back at Ngee Ann Stream where my water quality monitoring (WQM) workshop first started. Since then, I have brought groups on field trips to many other locales but none as charming as Ngee Ann Stream - so close to civilisation yet retaining the rustic and rural character of a lost world unknown to most Singaporeans. Despite losing some of its charm to development, I have never found another field location quite like it - a combination of different freshwater habitats, chest high Buffalo Grass to bash through, water seeping in through your shoes from the soggy soils, balancing yourself on narrow ledges, climbing down algae infested steps which are really part of a drain... the list goes on. (In KCK's list, Binjai Stream is in a close fight with Ngee Ann Stream for the most interesting waterway in Singapore but Binjai is more back to nature whereas Ngee Ann is more back to kampung so their charms are rather dichotomous.)

This time round, I have the pleasure of bringing students from River Valley High to my favourite outdoors classroom. The highlight of the trip must be the sudden heavy downpour near the end, accompanied by thunderous light show, courtesy of Mother Nature. Before this, many days have passed without rain - not a good sign as this means rain and thunderstorms become more probable with each passing day. (I know, this sounds like pseudoscience but it really works!)

Being in a canal when a big storm comes is a downright lousy place to be in - open terrain with no safe shelter and subject to flash floods which is such a trendy topic in Singapore nowadays. Being young (in age, if not, at heart) and energetic, we scurried back to the safe and dry confines of our transport in one piece. In case anyone thinks that such weather makes field trips a big no-no, nothing could be more wrong. We are living in Singapore, a country in the tropics - heavy rainfall is normal, thunderstorms are normal while shivering in an air-conditioned room all day is NOT normal nor healthy. We should not be baby-proofing nature (phrase is taken from Ice Age 3) for our youth. Given our current rate of development, I hope I won't ever see Singapore entombed in a climate controlled (aka air-conditioned) dome with nature only found in manicured parks and the only waterways are covered or canalised ones.

Ok, rant mode off... here are some pics for sharing.

Figure: Our field trip itinerary includes crossing the currently operational railway track. I always wonder what would happen to this beautiful patch of railway land when it is returned to Singapore. Will Ngee Ann Stream be further developed?

Figure: WQM in the canal. Most people don't get to climb into these canals throughout their lives.

Figure: In my opinion, the best photo of the day. Heavy downpour, wet staff and students, umbrellas out if available, a sense of urgency to scramble out from the canal - something real-life, capturing the moment and not posed

Figure: Posed photo - using a colour comparator to measure the ammonia content in the water back in the indoors classroom



Water quality monitoring course coming up: 1 Jun 2011

The next run of my water quality monitoring (WQM) course will be held on 1 Jun 2011. Formerly only offered to MOE teachers and staff, it is now open to members of the public too. (This came about because of the various requests from non-MOE staff and nature lovers who want to participate in the course as well.)

WQM involves checking the health of waterways on a regular basis. Whether in natural streams or urban canals, most of the water ends up in our reservoirs which provide our drinking water. Hence, WQM plays a vital role in safeguarding our water supplies.

If you are interested, you can find out more about the fascinating world of WQM in this course. Teachers and MOE staff, as well as members of the public can sign up here. For more details on the course, click

Course title: My forest is DYING and the role of water quality

Date: 1 June 2011
Time: 0900 - 1700
Venue: Singapore Polytechnic and field location
No. of participants: 20

More details can be found here. Write-up of previous runs may be found here - 1, 2. (My other WQM courses for students can be found here - 1, 2)

Are our streams dying?

First, it was Ngee Ann Stream - formerly natural (or "naturalised") stream surrounded by beautiful secondary forests was cleared and replaced by a canalised version. (See former posts - 1, 2, 3)

Now, development or rather its effects have come to my favourite tributary leading to Sungei Ulu Pandan. On 2 visits to this tributary as part of my field trip for my course on Freshwater Quality and Biodiversity, it was badly polluted by an ugly layer of black oil floating on the surface. On the first trip, the only living macroinvertebrates (bugs) we could find were a couple of blood worms. The second trip proved to be much worse with ZERO bugs and this time, besides the black oily film, there was also a strong petrochemical smell, presumably from the oil. Most of the adjacent vegetation have also been stained by the oil. I am skeptical that the stream can survive the ordeal.

Where could this oil have come from? Further upstream was some road construction works and even further up, a golf course was being extensively cleared. Were they the culprits? Possible but no way to tell without further investigation.

There goes another educational site. It was already small to start with though we could still find dragonflies, damselflies, snails easily then. We even found the odd freshwater eel sometimes. Now, I will have to crack my head to look for another viable alternative.

I happened to see this recent article: Stormwater Runoff Disrupts Urban Stream Life. This study in Seattle basically says that stormwater carries many pollutants from the land into water bodies, killing or driving off aquatic life. Though nothing new, it reminds us of the interconnectivity between human activities and nature and especially the relationship between land use and water.

At first sight, land and water appear separated and independent but never forget that water in stream does not just come from upstream, it comes from a much wider land area known as the watershed. Anything bad going down in the watershed can eventually find its way into the stream and even the sea. I heard of this interesting remark that "we all live downstream", meaning our (or human) actions will often come back to haunt us, whether for good or bad depending on what the said actions were.

Figure: Black oily stuff floating down from upstream. Though the aquatic plants managed to block off the bulk of it, the oil inevitably trickled downstream to kill off the bugs in the stream.

Figure: Another view of the oil

Next run of MOE workshop: My forest is DYING and the role of water quality (2 Jun 10)

This workshop on the theoretical and practical aspects of water quality monitoring in Singapore is scheduled to run on 2 Jun 2010 (Wed).


From my past experiences, I have immensely enjoyed teaching this course and most participants have given encouraging feedback.
Writeup of previous runs may be found here - 1, 2.

MOE teachers and staff may enrol for the course in Traisi.

Courses on water quality

In response to queries about my courses on water quality, I have listed them here for easy reference.

1. AEM (advanced elective module): Water Quality and Pollution
   This 40-hour module is essentially for upper secondary school students as dictated by MOE (unless the school is willing to forgo the MOE subsidy).
   
   Check out this post for more details.
   
2. My forest is DYING and the role of water quality
   This 1-day course is mainly catered for MOE teachers even though MOE HQ staff have attended it. I was initially told that the course title sounded wacky and school management (the approvers for my customers - teachers) would not be amused with such a title. However, many participants found the title catchy and wanted to learn more about the course. Hence, the title stays as it is.
   
   Check out the course details here.
   
3. Water Quality in Natural Habitats
   Another 1-day course. This is more suitable for secondary school students and above as it involves laboratory work in addition to the standard (at least for me) field work plus classroom lesson.
   
   Check out the flyer here.
   
4. Freshwater quality and biodiversity
   Duration of 1 day too. This course is suitable for primary school students and above. There is no laboratory work. Instead, the participants get to see aquatic bugs (macroinvertebrates) up close and personal - an  unforgettable experience to most since people in Singapore hardly go out to "play" with nature anymore.
   
   Check out the flyer here.
   

"Water quality in natural habitats" course for Jurong Junior College (4 Dec 09) - field trip to Ngee Ann Stream

Junior colleges are now getting into the act of water quality monitoring too. After all, this activity neatly ties up many disciplines such as geography, chemistry, physics and biology, allowing the students to appreciate how science works in the real world (which may not resemble anything like the theories in books).

Reality check - we were into the month of December within the period of the Northeast Monsoon. Rain was expected but expecting it did not make things any easier. Heck, this field trip was the wettest I have ever led since the rain started before, lasted during and ended after the whole trip.

Frankly, I was really relieved when I saw that the students were prepared for rain. To their credit, this was one of the best bunches of participants I ever had.

One common problem, whether raining or not, was someone's shoe(s) being totalled (i.e. sole came off) in the mud and rough terrain. See below for the end result. Thankfully, the hapless victim was resourceful enough to tie up the mess into a walkable vessel using a shoe lace.

True to rumours, the area adjacent to The Sterling (a condominium) was cleared bare. There goes the nice forest setting. This makes me wonder how long Ngee Ann Stream can endure before it is gone for good. The machines were still clearing up remnants of the forest. (More condos coming up?) The delineation between cleared area and vegetation is shown below (the stream is to the right).

Major obstacle. Because of the downpour, the canal was flooded to waist level with rapid flow. The bottom of this canal would have been 2 of my sampling stations. Worse, we need to walk along this canal to reach our rendezvous with our transport back to campus. In view of the risks, we took an alternative route back to the starting point and had to forgo trying our luck in the rapid waters of the last 2 sampling stations. People, if you want to conduct a field trip, it pays to know the area well. Also, think hard for alternative exits in case a quick evacuation is necessary.

Fast flowing waters leading to the canal.

Back in the comfort of air conditioning and soft cushions.

What was that odd smell in the air? Just students drying their mud soaked shoes.

Working on the analysis of water samples using testing kits.

My favourite tool for field trips - African walking stick from Cold Steel. Modelled on the walking stick used by Zulu tribesman but made of polypropylene rather than wood. Virtually indestructible and superbly useful - prod the ground ahead for concealed trenches, clear bushes out of the way, balance oneself uphill or downhill, reach out to participants who need to be pulled to safety and of course discipline the occasional recalcitrant participant who insists to do things the hard way... (just kidding for the last point)

Freshwater quality and biodiversity for primary schools (9, 13 Nov 2009)

Primary schools are finally getting into the act of water quailty monitoring! (Thanks to Audrey for the link-up.) I have always felt that the water quality in our natural areas and man-made water bodies (e.g. reservoirs, canals) can never be taken for granted. While Public Utilities Board (PUB) has done an excellent job in monitoring and maintaining the water quality in reservoirs, the rest of our water bodies are poorly monitored, or neglected altogether. We really do not know what is going on inside all these waters!

The other activity that I feel strongly about is education. If done right, education can solve many of today's problems - environmental, social or otherwise. And you can never start education too young. Given proper exposure, the children of today will grow up with a sound awareness of the environmental issues challenging our world and become staunch stewards of the environment tomorrow. However, without good old hands-on experience, how do you expect them to appreciate the importance of good water quality and acknowledge their connectivity to the environment?

Over a period of 2 days, Queenstown Primary, New Town Primary and Pei Tong Primary have their students participating in my course on freshwater quality and biodiversity. I must admit that facilitating primary school students is very different from facilitating secondary school students and more so compared to polytechnic students. But this adds to my overall learning experience so no complaints here.

If you are expecting to see 40 kids running around the field with their teachers (and me) shouting to keep them from hurting themselves (e.g. falling into the water), you are not too wrong. But it is exactly this infectious energy that fuels their enthusiasm and unprejudiced questioning. To them, curiosity is asking about what they do not know without fear of ridicule or embarassment. Their attitude is a refreshing change from the reserved nature of older students.

As always, field work is a must for my courses. There is no substitute for real world experience. However, the less predictable nature of the field is also present, culminating in a heavy downpour during our field trip. With some quick thinking, the field session was salvaged by substituting with an outdoor lesson under a nearby highway bridge. (We were pretty safe as the whole area under the bridege was concretised.)

Figures (L-R, T-B): Inspecting leeches (again!) under the shelter of a highway bridge; Andrew conducting a lesson on water ecology under the same bridge; in brighter weather, Andrew does the same lesson next to the pond; students checking out aquatic life at the pond; on-site testing of water quality; the mandatory classroom photo at the end; downpour!

Workshop/course for MOE: My forest is DYING and the role of water quality (Ngee Ann Stream, 4 Jun 09)

If there is a "best job in the world" for me, this is it (for now). How often does one get to work on something one enjoys and get paid for it? (Admittedly, my pay is small change compared to what Ben Southall is getting for being Islands Caretaker starting 1 July.) In my case, I get to breathe nature's fresh air, perform water quality monitoring and teach all in one day. Of course, I must commend my participants for being such wonderful learners and clients to make this course so smooth.


For the educators out there who have never conducted field trips before, let me tell you what you have been missing. No doubt, your participants may complain vehemently during the trip - the usual mozzies, mud, slippery slopes etc. But you can bet that 9 out of 10 of them will feel glad that they made it for the trip which more often than not is voted as the highlight of the course.

The bonding you see in the participants is priceless. In no other courses (without field work) will you ever see such active and mutual support among the participants. The tougher the trip, the more pronounced this is.


This is of course nothing new to groups engaged in outdoor pursuits e.g. cadet corps, rockclimbing, trekking. A variant of this observation has been drilled into me all the way from my scouts days to my army daze. "If people suffer together, they become more united." I certainly do not believe that suffering is necessary in my courses but a little discomfort will go a long way in providing an enriching experience to the participants, mentally and physically.

On a gentler note, I sincerely believe that nobody wants to let his team down. He will try his utmost to fulfill the team's mission even if that means facing discomfort or worse.

After all, how often do you hear your particpants proudly declaring, "we have conquered Ngee Ann Stream"?

Figures (L-R, T-B): Ladies (busy) at work; going out on a limb to get the job done; holding on to one another and the "railing" to navigate the slimy floor; the whole Team at work; group photo at one of the more scenic spots; displaying the badges of honour - muddied shoes and feet; climbing out of the frying pan...; safe and sound in the classroom.

Advanced Elective Module (AEM): Water Quality and Pollution

Apologies for the long overdue post. For the past month, in addition to other work related matters, I am heavily occupied with developing and fine-tuning teaching materials for my AEM. Being a forty-hour module, it involves:

1. classroom lessons
2. classroom activities
3. field work
4. laboratory work
5. assessment

Moreover, field trips must be backed up by good old reconnaisance which also eats into the preparation time.
All these development work can be quite intense as most materials are designed from scratch, blending a good mix of theory and practical. Field work and non-conventional classroom lessons are the corner stones of this module. After all, it does not make sense to immerse the students in more of the same old classroom lessons in an enrichment module.
Nevertheless, the development work was fun and enriching. One of the great things of being a teacher/instructor/lecturer is you get to learn many things because you have to be so much more knowledgeable than your students.

MOE short course: My forest is DYING and the role of water quality (4 Jun 09)

My above short course on the theoretical and practical aspects of water quality monitoring in Nature is scheduled to run on 4 Jun 2009 (Thu).

A writeup of the previous run may be found here.

As per normal, MOE teachers may enrol for the course in Traisi once the system administrator has keyed into the course details.

MOE short course in Singapore Polytechnic (9 Jun 08)

Course Title: Experimental and Experiential Chemistry

MOE short course: My forest is DYING and the role of water quality (28 May 08)

Click here for a writeup of this short course. The next run of this course will be on 3 Sep 2008 for MOE. Please see details in Traisi.

Water quality testing in the field






Water quality testing in the lab



All in a (half a) day's work - over hill, over dale; rain or shine