Hello there! Good morning/afternoon/evening, wherever you are around the world! I’m Islina, an aspiring naturalist currently based in Singapore, this tiny red dot in Southeast Asia that recently witnessed a turning point in world history (hopefully). The best decision I have made in my two years here? Becoming a National Parks Community In Nature (CIN) volunteer. Through my explorations in the local natural gardens, forests and coast-sides, I have found the family I belong, kindred spirits from all ages and walks of life knotted by the same love for flora and fauna.
To my pleasant surprise, I have also opened up my inner eye to a whole new world of serenity and beauty. I start to shift my focus away from the buzzing inside me and out on the streets, to the birds chirping and flopping their wings between trees, the dragonflies and butterflies dancing under the gleaming sun, and the wild flowers beaming with tiny energy of life. I remember this one occurrence, when I was walking on my way to lunch after the shower, my heart bursting with anxious questions about self and relationships; and all of a sudden, this Crimson Dropwing dashed and landed before my eyes. All my worries vanished, my heart bubbling with the lightness of joy, as I bent down by the waters and admired every scarlet stripe on his membranous wings, the vibrant colour of his eyes and appendages. It dawned on me how appreciating nature can transform a person, bringing the practice of mindfulness, gratitude and happiness into someone’s life. And it was at that moment that I decided to start this blog on biodiversity, to share the marvels behind Nature’s creations, to spread the simple joys from creatures around us, and hopefully to inspire you to join me on this journey.
Here, you would learn how to conduct investigations as a naturalist as I bring you along in birdwatch, butterfly watch etc., and gain interesting facts about the plants, animals and insects we encounter on a daily basis. I would post about past and upcoming NParks events that you can participate in, and innovative ways to add a bit more spice of biodiversity to your life 😉
If you are based in Singapore, are a fellow NParks volunteer or just enjoy exploring nature in general, feel free to discuss with me about the next trekking in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve or hiking in Mount Faber Park! Do send me any snapshot of interesting flora and fauna you encounter, with details such as time, location, species and camera used! (I desperately need to brush up my photography and editing skills though) For bloggers outside Singapore, please share similar snaps and short writeups with me, so that we can appreciate biodiversity all around Mother Earth! Send me comments and suggestions as well! My email address: islina_shan@yahoo.com
Just a side note, some of my future posts may be in Chinese (making the most of my bilingual advantage lol). 讲中文的、热爱生物和大自然的朋友们也欢迎关注我的部落格呀呀呀━(*｀∀´*)ノ亻!
Love thy nature
Islina
Islina Shan 
Ah! This is great! I have a bsc in environmental sciences and biodiversity (ecology in general) was one of my favorite subjects to research
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Wow sounds interesting! Which university did you study in?
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