I have one of those pocket prayer cards that read: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; The courage to change the things I can; And the wisdom to know the difference. I don’t keep it in my wallet ‘cos I had memorised this a long time back for moments like these.

I received an email from one of last Sunday’s Reefwalk participants this morning. He raised many concerns regarding how much damage is imposed on our shores during Reefwalks. This is not an issue that is new to us. It is an issue that we grapple with all of the time. How do we educate people during Reefwalk yet minimise the impact of having large groups of people walking the reefs?

I was deeply troubled for the rest of the day. Just sat outside Lucky Plaza after work, putting my troubles down on paper ‘cos I didn’t know who to turn to for reassurance. I was so weighed down by what he said. — “Have we succeeded in spreading green ecology? Or, is this just another ‘outing’ for bored Singaporeans .. keen to brag on Monday what terribly different and exciting things they did?” — “If people cant learn to respect nature, I say it’s better to leave it… By highlighting these places as ‘things to do’, we are only helping in their decimation. Let them stick to Orchard and cinemas, .. so the mud skippers, crabs, anemones may live.”

I wasn’t upset by his words. In fact, I was very grateful and touched that he took the trouble to share his thoughts and feelings ‘cos it showed he cared. I was upset because I felt I didn’t have the wisdom to know the difference between what can be changed and what can’t, what is right or not so right in the long term, what may seem wrong but is actually right. Darn it, I didn’t even know the difference between a dead or live octopus.

We have always maintained a “soft approach” to spreading the message of marine conservation. We don’t storm into restaurants while people are enjoying their shark’s fin soup to show them gory pictures of fin-less sharks bleeding to death. We don’t picket outside buildings to fight for a cause. Our approach is simple - conservation through education.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum to the women and men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” - Antoine De Saint-Exupery, The Wisdom of the Sands

So for us, we can’t simply say “Don’t litter”, “Don’t throw rubbish into drains ‘cos it will end up in the ocean”. We SHOW them how littered our shores are. We don’t expect people to fight for or against something unless we know that the groundwork has already been laid - that people already FEEL for our shores.

But how do you make people FEEL?
— God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

Do I have the ability to change a mindset or move a heart?
— The courage to change the things I can;

Can I do so without causing even more damage to the very things I’m trying to protect in the first place?
— And the wisdom to know the difference.

My life as a volunteer began only this year, when I joined the Blue Water Volunteers for a Reefwalk on 10 April. It’s been only 4 months since, and I can hardly believe that during my first Reefwalk, I had never seen live sea stars or corals before, and now I not only lead groups of people to share this humbling experience, I even talk about marine life like they’re my best friends. Just FOUR months, and yet I feel I’ve known the people at Reefwalk for ages! However, our Reefwalk coordinator is afraid that my Mom is gonna send BWV a strongly-worded letter about how her only daughter is too involved with sea slugs and hangs around fishy individuals (and soon I’ll also be hanging out with “icthy, orny bots” too…).

Since training as a Reefwalk guide at the end of April, things progressed at the speed of light. After less than 3 months, 2 training sessions, 2 Reefwalks as OJT with Pam and Daniel, one theory session and finally team guiding with Anthony, I did my first ’solo’ Reefwalk with a group of 11 participants on 26 June. Then the day came when none of the regular guides were able to assist MS with training on Sentosa, leaving only me to help with my so-so “skills”. Thrown into the deep end of the pool? Deeper than that actually.

Due to my overly enthusiastic itch, I sort of like did a “self-sabo” and threw myself into the deepest end of the muddy lagoon by making a certain “boo boo” last month, which ended with me coordinating the last Reefwalk on 21 August. After the walk was over, accounts settled, etc, I took a step back and reflected on what had just happened, and what I’ve gone through the past four months. At first it seemed like nothing much, but from a different angle, it seems I may have turned my life completely around. When I found out about BWV and Reefwalk at the end of January this year, an old flame was sort of rekindled with nature, and for the next few months prior to my first RW, I was busy borrowing books, buying little pocket guidebooks, sourcing the Net, for everything I could find about seashore and reef life and marine conservation.

Volunteering with BWV or other nature conservation groups is not only a learning experience, it HUMBLES you (especially “city folk” like me). Suddenly, even the tiniest ant is an important BEING, and every leaf on every tree is more than “just a leaf”.

I realised after coordinating the walk that I’ve probably “grown” too quickly and this deep end of the muddy lagoon might actually be quick sand. I need to slow down. I still have a long way more to go as a guide, still have so much more to learn. So I guess it’s best if I stop growing too quickly for fear of burning out, becoming jaded or losing sight of the big picture.

When I was balancing the accounts for the walk, my mind drifted (as it often does) to other weird ideas, thoughts, dreams…. I thought about balancing the “account” I hold with RW. Like how much they owe me, how much I owe them…. Here’s my crazy thoughts put down in writing:

WHAT I’VE SPENT
Transport - Lost count
Guidesheets, Guidebooks, Fines from overdue library books that I renew to the max and borrow over & over again ‘cos the marine & coral reef guidebooks at the bookstores cost an arm & a leg - Lost count
Feeding hungry guides & trainees with bread, tuna and coffee - Lost count
New Reefwalk guestbook - Undisclosed amount
Time spent Klogging, sending emails, replying emails & other “admin” stuff - Lost track
First Aid Kit, plus lots of Mopiko for those dang bites - Can’t remember

WHAT I’VE EARNED
The joy I get out of doing all of the above even if it burns a little hole in my pocket and takes up a huge chunk of my already non-existent social life – Priceless
Knowledge about marine life, as well as other aspects of nature, conservation and the environment – Priceless
New friends of kindred heart and mind – Priceless
Seeing how a child is so amused by something as common (to some) as a goby – Priceless
Seeing adults awed by something as insignificant (to some) as an Avrainvillea seaweed – Priceless
Reading the heartfelt comments left by participants in the guestbooks – Priceless Getting to know the crazy & passionate people at Reefwalk – Priceless
Which then led me to know the dedicated & even crazier people at Wildfilms – Priceless
A chance to pursue dreams that were once forgotten – Priceless

I would say the “accounts” are balancing out rather well, with a priceless surplus. Some volunteers may be overworked ‘cos there’s no one else willing to get the job done, and yet they continue with their good work day after day, because at the end of the day, bruised, battered but not beaten, they can sit back and say “It was worth it”.

Here’s to all volunteers, those dedicated people who believe in all work and no pay. - Robert Orben

I love posting happy blogs! And I’m utterly pleased to report that Reefwalk’s “Ultimate R&R Event of the Year” was a success! A total of 14 adults and 2 children made their way to Kota Tinggi, Johor last