An uncomfortable fact of life in Singapore in the 1970s and 1980s, when nature sites made way rapidly for economic development, was the conservation divide in which concerned citizens were obliged to choose one side. There is a marked difference in the quality and rhythm of Singapore life today: A younger generation of green leaders has grown up with conservation being almost a given.

However, instead of taking this happy state of affairs for granted, it is important for pioneers to work more with young activists so that nature conservation becomes a part of the tapestry of Singapore’s continuing development as both an economy and a society. This was the thrust of the message delivered by 60-year-old botanist Shawn Lum, the former president of the Nature Society (Singapore), or NSS, in a recent interview with The Straits Times. He was president of the NSS, the oldest non-governmental organisation here, for 15 years before he handed over the reins in 2023.