Kent Carpenter

Kent is an old friend of Peter Ng and Swee Hee from way back in 1995 during the FAO workshop in Manila, Philippines, which lead to the publication of the “FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific” series of identification guides. He is visiting us for a few days en route to Perth to attend the 8th Indo Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC).

Chris & Kevin Webb with Dr Ralf Britz

Chris (centre) & Kevin Webb (right) are aquarists from the UK who specialise in keeping and breeding air-breathing fishes like bettas (fighting fishes) and gouramies. They are members of the Anabantoid Association of Great Britain.

They were here to attend Aquarama 2009, the 11th International Ornamental Fish & Accessories Exhibition held at Suntec City from 28 to 31 May 2009. They made a brief stop at the museum to visit some of our staff, and Dr. Ralf Britz.

Ye Hein Htet with Dr. Ralf Britz

Ye Hein Htet (right), seen here with Dr. Ralf Britz, is an exporter of aquarium fish from Myanmar.

He is here to attend Aquarama 2009, the 11th International Ornamental Fish & Accessories Exhibition held at Suntec City from 28 to 31 May 2009.

He made a brief stop at the museum to visit some of our staff, and Dr. Ralf Britz.

“Plans to expand museum at NUS,” Professor Peter Ng replies. The Straits Times (Forum page), 05 June 2009

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_386075.html

I REFER to Mr Jaya Kumar Narayanan’s letter on Tuesday, ‘Museum needs more space, better access’ and would like to thank him for his positive comments on the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore.

Held on May 24, the recent International Museum Day organised by the National Heritage Board provided the museum with a rare opportunity to share our extensive research collection of flora and fauna with the public. The response was overwhelming – the museum hosted some 3,000 visitors that day. This was a record turnout in one day and the museum’s staff and resources were stretched thin. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.

The university recognises that the museum serves as a valuable resource for biodiversity research and helps to generate interest among the public on important issues of ecology, conservation and the environment we live in. To give the museum the opportunity to expand, there are plans for a new building that could house the museum, together with other teaching and research laboratories at the Faculty of Science. We hope to address the issues of accessibility and space in the near future, so more people can enjoy and appreciate Singapore’s rich natural heritage at the museum.

Professor Peter Ng Director,
Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
National University of Singapore

Our treasure. The Straits Times, 05 June 2009

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_386066.html

‘NHB should not delegate to NUS the duty of conserving and showcasing our natural history heritage.’

MS JANE LIM: ‘The National Heritage Board (NHB) should strongly consider a Singapore Museum of Natural History in planning to build new museums in the Civic District. The museum districts in Washington and London have immensely popular museums of natural history. NHB can work in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS) so the public can easily access our valuable heritage. It should not delegate to NUS the duty of conserving and showcasing our natural history heritage. I have fond childhood memories of the flora and fauna exhibits at the old National Museum of Singapore. Our kids should grow up knowing the natural beauty of our urban city state.’