Sabah Forestry Dept signs MoU with Singapore National Parks Board
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Forestry Department has inked an memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore.
The MoU was signed at the Singapore Botanic Gardens by the Chief Conservator of Forests, Datuk Sam Mannan with his counterpart Kenneth Er, Chief Executive Officer of NParks.
Also present were Frederick Kugan, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Sector Planning), Sabah and Dr Nigel P. Taylor, Group Director of Singapore Botanic Gardens, who witnessed the signing.
The scope of the MoU covers, amongst others, exchange of knowledge and skills between the parties in relevant fields of botanical interests, including capacity building in living collection curation and management, herbarium management, floristic and molecular studies and conservation works, and will be in effect for five years.
The signing of the MoU proceeded with an exchange of presentations on forest research, conservation and restoration.
This was then followed by a brief tour to the Singapore Botanical Garden's on-going development of Walk of Giants boardwalk, which will be officiated on March 31, 2017. The delegation of the Sabah Forestry Department was also brought to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Pulau Ubin Nature Reserve for a closer look at the various conservation efforts carried out by the NParks.
NParks is a statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of National Development Singapore. NParks is responsible for providing and enhancing the greenery of Singapore where the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a division of NParks which aims to connect plants with people through activities in research, education, conservation and provision of a public space for nature recreation.