Volunteer Appreciation Day 2023​

The S.E.A. Aquarium (S.E.A.A.) held its annual Volunteers Appreciation Day on 25th November 2023. Organised by the Research and Conservation team, the event was S.E.A.A.’s way of thanking its dedicated volunteers for their efforts since the pandemic. 38 volunteers, along with NUS collaborators from the RWS-NUS Living Lab research partnership, attended the in-person event.

The day began with a nature walk at Berlayer Creek, Labrador Nature Reserve, where the volunteers immersed themselves in the sights and sounds of the mangrove trail, spotting and learning more about different mangrove species, mangrove-associated plants as well as animals ranging from the mudskippers and snakes to the Oriental Pied Hornbill. The volunteers were provided with a self-guided e-booklet created by students from Republic Polytechnic as part of their Final Year Project (FYP); this was also an opportunity for the students to obtain valuable user feedback as they continued to improve on their project.

Volunteer Appreciation Day culminated in dinner held at the Ocean Gallery at S.E.A.A. Against the majestic backdrop of the Open Ocean Habitat, the volunteers, staff and NUS collaborators enjoyed a delectable meal to celebrate the achievements of the Docents, Citizen Science, and Ocean Advocates volunteer arms and the RWS-NUS Living Lab expedition in 2023. The Research and Conservation team also provided updates on volunteer opportunities in 2024 and beyond, including the announcement of an upcoming, brand-new volunteer arm, the Volunteer Specialists, that will launch in 2025. In addition, two passionate volunteers—who had clocked the most volunteer hours and assisted the team at the most outreach and engagement events respectively—were honoured for their service in 2023. At the end of the night, each volunteer departed with a tote bag filled with exclusive gifts as a mark of the team’s appreciation.

Want to volunteer with S.E.A.A. in 2024? Write in to enquire at seaavolunteer@rwsentosa.com.