Thanks to the kind support of N. Sivasothi, the first sale of the Wild Singapore book will be at the National University of Singapore from today!
It will also be on sale at other upcoming events. The book has yet to be launched (targeted for early November), and yet there is already such encouraging and kind support. Thank you!
From
Siva's blog post: The hard cover book will be launched in November and the price will be $69.90. Prompted for a discount or our biodiversity students, the publisher, Pansing Distribution Pte Ltd, agreed to extend a limited and super special offer of $40.00 to
ALL students and staff of NUS at the first book sale for this publication. Just turn up with cash and show your matric/staff card to enjoy the super-special price!
Fri 19 Oct 2012: 1.00pm-3.00pm
Outside Life Science Lab 7 (S2-03)
(Before the LSM1103 Animal Diversity Practical)
Tue 23 Oct 2012: 3.00pm – 5.00pm
NUS LT32 lobby (S1A-01)
(Before the LSM1103 Ecydysozoa II & Deuterostomes I Lecture)
Map:
http://map.sivasothi.com
Other upcoming sale venues
20 Oct (Sat): Public forum on Bukit Brown and on wild pigs in Singapore 8.30-11.30am at the Singapore Science Centre. Books will be sold at a discounted price of S$49.90 to those attending the forum.
more details about this forum
More about the Wild Singapore book
I was going to do a little post about the book before the official launch, but since it's already making its way into the world, I thought I should share a little more about it.
It is mere chance that the book has the same name as the
wildsingapore web resources that I run and fund alone as a volunteer. As many will know, I focus mainly on marine biodiversity.
The Wild Singapore book is part of the illustrious series of 'Wild' books such as Wild Malaysia, Wild Sabah that are now managed by John Beaufoy who publishes an incredible number and variety of nature books! I was quite touched to be invited by Geoffrey Davison and John Beaufoy to help out when they decided to do a Wild Singapore book. And astonished that they would choose my favourite photo of Kusu Island with the city skyline on the horizon for the cover! Also glad to work with Benjamin Lee, whose photos of our forests I've long admired.
Thanks to John Beaufoy, the preface is penned by Dr Jane Goodall! While Prof Leo Tan (my sea shore hero) kindly penned the Foreword. I think it is so appropriate that this book is dedicated to Lady McNeice who has done so much for nature in Singapore and is sorely missed.
The Wild Singapore book is much more than just marine biodiversity! Geoffrey Davison and Benjamin Lee penned many chapters covering Singapore's past, present and future, as well as Singapore's awesome terrestrial biodiversity.
I love the chapter on Singapore's past. There's so much that was done with nature in the early days of Singapore.
There are also chapters on geology and other aspects of what makes Singapore wild. The great layout was organised by Rosemary Wilkinson, my first effort to do a book without actually having to do all the layout work. Hurray! Also my first effort to discuss layout remotely over emails. I'm quite happy with the result.
Plants are also featured, with lots of lovely photos, as well the latest information on overall biodiversity in Singapore.
Of course, Singapore's magnificent rainforests are featured. With gorgeous photos by Benjamin Lee who probably climbed up a tall tree to take this aerial shot. Wow!
I particularly like the 'Guided Tour' segments of the book with glimpses into some of the more important and characteristic wild places in Singapore. Of course, I love the one for
Cyrene Reef!
Many photographers contributed outstanding photos of our wild life. I'm so glad to see
Con Foley's awesome photos of seabirds and marine mammals in the book.
There are of course features on our mangroves and I'm glad they agreed to put this great photo of Brandon Chia, guiding kids at the amazing Pasir Ris mangroves that lie in the heart of urban Pasir Ris. A nice photo of
TeamSeagrass at work is on the inside front cover.
Other 'Guided Tours' take us to really inaccessible places such as Poyan in the western catchment which lies within the SAF Live Firing Area. And thus of course, has lots of amazing wild life which most of us will probably never get to see.
There are also chapters on our very threatened freshwater ecosystems.
As well as a look at wild life in our more urban areas.
More recently, there has been growing appreciation of the woodlands and secondary forests that are facing clearance as our urban spaces grow. From Bukit Brown to Pasir Ris Greenbelt efforts. These ecosystems are also featured in the book.
Do our wild places have a future? A chapter discusses this with this awesome aerial photo shared by Mr Wong Tuan Wah.
I'm quite astonished to have the book in my hands. The photos are great, and there's so much packed into a rather slim volume. I'm grateful for the opportunity to participate in it. Here's Geoffrey Davison, Benjamin Lee and I signing the books last week when they first arrived.
I'll advertise on this blog and on
wildsingapore facebook any other opportunities to buy this book.
Thank you for your encouragement and support!
There's also a write up about the book on the
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research blog and on
My Green Space an NParks newsletter.
[Update: Also a lovely write up - Singapore's 'surprisingly green face' in new book by David Ee
Straits Times 7 Nov 12, also on
wildsingapore news.]
