The Little House (Montessori)
Ms. Edwina happily welcomed the children to ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society). Due to the heavy rain and thunder, the program was done indoors.
The program started with a short movement. The children watched a video and imitated the animal movements.
Ms. Edwina discussed the vision of ACRES of creating a world where animals are treated with compassion and respect. They also aim to raise awareness of animal welfare issues.
The children learnt the reality of animals being victims. They heard the story of 22 endangered star tortoises which were brought in illegally into Singapore.
Different ways of how animals are brought in illegally from other countries.
Ms. Edwina shared the story of Boltz, the Asian Giant Pond turtle, which was rescued when it was run over by a lorry.
As pangolins can be found in Singapore, Ms. Edwina shared how some people use them to create traditional Chinese medicine. She asked the children to alert ACRES if they should ever come across them.
The children were introduced to four birds commonly found in Singapore - Oriental-pied hornbill, Asian koel, Black-naped oriole and White-collared Kingfisher.
The kids were delighted to discover the different bird calls which they listened to.
Ms. Edwina shared how some people put glue traps to ensnare birds who are attracted to food sources. The children were then given a plastic lid with sticky tape and were instructed to put cotton pads on it. Then they were asked to remove the cotton pads off the sticky tapes, which was a challenge. This experience gave them an idea of what birds go through when they get caught on glue traps.
Lynne Marie and Chloe were picked to role-play being rescue officers, as they had correctly answered the trivia asked. Using a toy python, a grabber and a small sack, the children were taught how rescuers would handle the situation when faced with such a challenge.
The children were delighted to watch Lynne Marie and Chloe act as rescue officers.
The children were shown a video of an actual rescue of a python at a construction site.
Mr. Raj, a rescue officer, shared an exciting story of how he and 3 of his colleagues rescued a 250 kilogram crocodile from a fish farm.
