Today we had our first Beach Clean-up activity in conjunction with Stridy & Seastainable. It was a hot but glorious morning down at Castle Beach, East Coast Park, where we met to start our clean-up.

In small groups, we scoured the area for trash and gathered a surprising amount. There is something strangely meditative and relaxing about the simple act of litter collection. Although those on the beach in the direct sun collecting thousands of pieces of confetti may disagree… (kudos to that group!) With a good group of friends and supporters together, it didn’t feel like a chore and the time flew past. We can now all go about our weekends knowing that we have helped to allow a small piece of this country to breath more easily.

Special thanks to Marcel and the Stridy Team for providing all of the rubbish collecting equipment and organising us. They really are a lovely group of people doing a wonderful thing and are to be applauded loudly and often.

I’ve always thought of Singapore as such a clean country, and in many ways, it is to be praised for its dedication to cleanliness. But when you get amongst the weeds (literally), it is surprising how much waste can be found, tossed into our environment. In locations that are close to the coast, this litter often ends up in the sea, contributing to the massive global ocean pollution issues that we are faced with today.

Walking home after a well-earned coffee, I couldn’t help but notice more rubbish than I usually see on the streets of our neighbourhood. I think I’ll be grabbing my tongs and heading out again before too long!
Thank you to all who contributed this morning.

We are looking forward to another group clean-up operation on the 9th April. Please contact me if you are interested in joining us! Find more details on this post.

Back in January I was interviewed for Japanese fashion, beauty & lifestyle magazine 25ans. This is a well known Magazine in Japan, so I was pretty excited to be involved. The article’s focus is on sustainability, culture and places to go in Singapore. They also mention my current exhibition “The Sea & The Sky” and its link to marine conservation.

I met the 25ans team at the Park Royal Pickering Hotel and we also did a photo shoot at Henderson Waves. It was a fun day and good to spend time with Ishihara-san and Hara-San.

Thanks to travel writer Yuki Ishihara, who appeared in the article with me. Those of you who speak Japanese can check out her Travel vlog here. And Takao Hara, a photographer with Luxpho. Also thanks to Singapore Tourism Board who sponsored the article.

You can view the article online here. It is in Japanese until the 27th March – you may need some translation tools to read it. The google translate version is not completely accurate, but you will get a general understanding! It is also available to buy in most bookshops in Japan and selected bookshops in Singapore and the full online version is available for purchase here.