The Forest Buddies      
Save The Forests, Save Our Lives
   
 
Nicholas says...
Introduction
 
Hello, I am Nicholas Leong. I am 14 years old. I am attending the National University of Singapore High School.

Joining the team

I met Rui Jin, Bryan and Samuel through this project. My father and Rui Jin’s mother are colleagues. When Rui Jin’s mother mentioned the Thinkquest competition to my father, he encouraged me to join in. It was awkward at first as I did not know any of my team members. However, I took up the challenge to work with people from different schools

Teamwork

During the course of the project, I felt I learnt a lot about project, especially about teamwork. Also, I learnt how to coordinate with the different group members especially since they were from different schools. I also learnt the true meaning of division of labour as each of us had to contribute our part and do more once each part had completed. Doing the crossword puzzle was a challenging process and I am glad that Samuel and Mr Galvin Sng were able to help.

Collaboration

Although coordination was initially difficult as I did not know some of the members, we eventually got to know each other better. We emailed each other as a form of communication when we could not meet up. It was an experience to learn that our opinions could differ, but when we finally agreed on something, we were able to stay focused and contribute meaningfully. I was also able to overcome my initial shyness of working with strangers.

Field work

Our team even organised a hike at Bukit Timah Hill. It was actually my first time climbing Bukit Timah Hill. Even though it was tiring, it was both enjoyable and meaningful as we admired the natural greenery while taking some photos for the project.

Learning journey

During the process of researching for the project, I also learnt a lot about deforestation and the causes, types of forests and mangrove swamps. I also learnt about the massive biodiversity that these forests support and how important biodiversity is. I learnt about the plight that our forests are now in and I also gained knowledge with regards to ways and methods to slow down the process. It was also great to make the beautiful educational slide shows for your pleasure.

Thanks!

Overall, I think that this project has been a wonderful learning experience for me. I  would like to thank our coach, my teammates and our parents for enabling us to complete this project.