In April 1991 the Rotary Club, Hongkong Bank, Business Times and The New Paper organised the Preservers of Planet Earth award. Out of more than 20 entries, the then Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), now Nature Society (Singapore), was recognised for its contributions towards the conservation of the environment and awarded the “Preservers of Planet Earth Award” The late Dr. Ong Bee Lian, then Hon. Secretary, received the award on behalf of the society. The individual merit award went to Assoc. Prof. Wee Yeow Chin who was then the Hon. President of the society and the late Dr. Lee Sing Kong, then principal lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
In June 1991 Richard Hale received the Green Leaf Award (Individual Category) for his role in persuading government to set aside a patch of degraded mangroves at Sungei Buloh that eventually became the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (above). The society was similarly presented with the same award and its Hon. President, Assoc. Prof. Wee Yeow Chin, received the award on behalf of the society.
On World Environment Day 1991, The Straits Times announced that Singapore scored an ‘A’ for protecting the environment. Six local personalities familiar with the subject were canvassed for their views. They included Ambassador-At-Large and Patron of the Nature Society Prof. Tommy Koh; Chairman of the National Council of the Environment Mr. Robert Kwan; Ag. Chairman of the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch) Assoc. Prof. Wee Yeow Chin; Chairman of the Rotary Club’s Environmental Protection and recycling sub-committee, Mr. R.C. Cooper; Dean of Science at the Institute of Education and Director of the Science Centre, Dr. Leo Tan; and Assoc. Prof. Chou Loke Meng, NUS’s Zoology Department.
The July-August 1993 issue of the magazine SINGAPORE featured four Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) under the banner “The Gentle Persuaders.” These include the Association for Women’s Action and Research, Action for Aids, National Kidney Foundation and Nature Society of Singapore. According to the magazine, these NGOs complement the work of the Government and sometimes even played an advisory role with their special knowledge, expertise and experience. In the case of the Nature Society, it succeeded in convincing Government to set aside a patch of mangroves as the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
In 2005 the Singapore President’s Award for the Environment was conferred to Prof. Tommy Koh and Dr. Geh Min, Nature Society (Singapore)’s Patron and Hon. President respectively.
Singapore Tatler of March 2007.
The March 2007 issue of Singapore Tatler listed four Non-Governmental Organisations committed to animal protection and environmental conservation. These included the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Singapore Environmental Council, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority and the Nature Society. The Nature Society’s major successes was listed as the salvation of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and the publication of the Master Plan for the Conservation of Nature in Singapore.
The Straits Times of 9th February 2013 highlighted “Five personalities under the banner “SINGAPORE THEN AND NOW – five citizens reflect on how life has changed with growing population.” Leading the five was retired Assoc. Prof. Wee Yeow Chin, founding president of the Nature Society. The others were Faizar Jamal, Nominated Member of Parliament and adjunct lecturer at Republic Polytechnic and former lawyer; Tai Lee Seng, Group Managing Director of architecture firm Ong&Ong, president of the Singapore Green Building Council and former president of the Singapore Institute of Architect; Yu-Mei Balasingamchow, writer, former teacher and civil servant; Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh, senior editor, Economist Intelligence Unit and local author. Each contributed a short article relevant to the theme.
Charity Transparency Award 2016 – 2019 (charities that were awarded could only qualify again after three years). Nature Society (Singapore) won the award regularly since its inception.
Ivan Lim, then President of the Asian Journalist Association, penned an article “Father of Singaporean Nature Conservationists” in the April 2014 issue of The Asian N. Based in Seoul, Republic of Korea, the magazine had an Asian-wide readership. The piece was about the close involvement of Dr. Wee Yeow Chin with the then Malayan Nature Society (Singapore), now Nature Society (Singapore) (above).
Dr. Ho Hua Chew, then Hon. Vice-President of the Nature Society (Singapore), was awarded Outstanding Advocate of Our Time Award in 2016.
Hon. President of the Nature Society (Singapore), received the President Award for the Environment in 2017 HERE. He was awarded the Public Service Medal on the 2020 National Day. The award was made by the Public Utilities Board in relation to its Water Network Panel that Dr. Shawn Lum served from 2009 to early 2020 (above).
Prof. Chou Loke Ming received the ASEAN Biodiversity Hero Award in 2022 (above). A marine biologist par excellence and a Nature Society (Singapore) member for some 50 years, he had been championing coral reef management, restoration and conservation since the 1960s. Prof. Chou is the founder of the Reef Ecology Lab at the National University of Singapore and the Tropical Marine Science Institute.
On 27th November 2022 Shamla Subaraj received the Public Service Medal, awarded by President Halimah Yacob posthumously to the late Subaraj Rajathurai (above).
YC Wee
5th July 2023
