A shot at conservation at the Green Carpet Awards

SINGAPORE — To the judges of the Green Carpet Awards — an annual project to get youth involved in conserving nature — Nur Siti Aisyah Mazli’s winning photograph showing the synchronised flight of birds across the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve showed off her talent for photography.

For Siti, who has mild intellectual disability, the photograph is also a reminder of the love and support her family has given her.

“The birds are like my family,” said the 17-year-old student at the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN). “I like nature. I would like to be the water, where I can flow smoothly and patiently.”

On Saturday, Siti was among six students honoured at the Green Carpet awards ceremony, with her photograph winning her a Merit prize.

“My family and all my friends are proud of me. That makes me really happy. They taught me to never give up,” she said.

Siti’s mother, Ms Kamasiah Partoh, said: “She told me the photo meant a lot to her. The water, the trees and especially the birds,”

“She said the birds are moving upwards, and that’s important. Just like the way we had taught her, never mind if you’re down, just move up slowly.”

This is the first year the APSN has been involved since the annual Green Carpet Awards — organised by World Marketing Group — were established in 2011. Siti’s photograph stood out from among some 5,000 entries.

Dr Francis Downey, Vice-President of National Geographic Learning and one of the judges, said: “Siti captured the birds flying over a river and her timing was perfect. You see each individual bird, but you see them as a flock at the same time. Below you see the rippled reflections of the birds in the river water.

“Not only did she have to capture the right moment to shoot the birds, but she had to be there at the right time to get the reflection. Patience, perseverance and an artistic sense are the essence of great photography.”

As part of the Green Carpet Awards, students from 40 primary and secondary schools participated in nature trails. They then submitted their photo essays on the experience.

The Best Overall Winner was Pasir Ris Secondary’s Darren Lee, 15, who shot a butterfly at rest in nature. The judges thought his black-and-white photograph displayed a melancholy that reflected the state of the environment and the importance of conservation.

Mr Jim Huang, Chairman of the 2013 organising committee for the awards, said the event prepares students to handle environmental issues by “engaging students in nature and enlightening them to the issues present in the green cause”. Kathy Cheng