All posts by Emma Willmott

Are we there yet?

The reason as to why I have chosen this heading for this particular blog is because throughout the days in Singapore this question was running through my head at some points in the trip. It was a very jam packed, full on days that 23 individuals were involved in. There was a lot of ‘go go go!’ and it was sometimes hard to really soak up the place we were in, without feeling rushed.

During the preparation stage of the trip to Singapore, we were all randomly put into groups of about four members, which became our facilitation groups. I was lucky enough to work alongside Kelly, Georgie and Mooey. Upon reflecting my own experience of the day, I expressed in my facilitation blog that I learnt quite a lot about myself as an individual.

Continue reading Are we there yet?

Compare the pair…

 I feel like my feet have hit the ground running since flying in to Tullamarine Airport at 5am. When I asked my peers about how they have been adapting back to the cold Melbourne weather, some of them said they were struggling (which I don’t blame them, it has been freezing!)

But isn’t it funny that the time spent in Singapore now just seems like a dream? … A dream that I will never forget.

Looking back at the two weeks that we spent in Singapore, I have gained a clearer understanding of how Outdoor Education can and has been incorporated in this country. Initially I had no idea what to expect to see in Singapore as it is geographically quite small and very urbanised. I was surprise to see some of the more natural spaces that had been captured in Singapore: these include: Labrador Nature Reserve, MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore Botanic Gardens, The Green Rail Corridor and The Central Catchment Nature Reserve. But I was also blown away by the ‘human made’ environments that was showcased and promoted sustainability, such as The Super Trees, Cloud Forest, Flower Dome which were displayed within the Gardens by the Bay. Within my blog about nature, I shared my views of the similarities and differences I discovered in regard to nature and the environments of both Australia and Singapore.

Continue reading Compare the pair…

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success!

Over my time here spent in Singapore, I can’t help but notice how much new knowledge, relationships and connections I have gained over such a short amount of time.

I have meet new people, visited different places, gained a wealth of knowledge about myself, others, nature and the culture of Singapore. But none of this could of happened without the support and guidance of others. How I see it is that when you gather a groups of people from around the world who both share such passion for the Outdoor Environment and the Outdoor Education outcomes, something magical happens. We begin to grow and flourish our ideas together to make something wonderful happen.

Continue reading Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success!

As time goes by…

Isn’t it funny how easily my mind has changed.. Within the first couple of days of my visit to Singapore I was and still am, absolutely blown away with the amazing Cloud Forest, Flower Dome and the Super Trees.

It was so interesting to see all of Singapore’s finest and spectacular gardens on display. At this point in time of the trip, I felt that I was heavily involved in the ‘tourist’ mindset. I was asking myself… are all of these attractions just for show? Which is what Lexie has also talked about in her blog, that I found interesting to read her thoughts, similarly we shared some mutual ideas.

Continue reading As time goes by…

‘Team work divides the task and multiplies the success’

This heading best relates to how my facilitation group and I reflected about how successful we were during our facilitation day to the Singapore Botanical Gardens and the Night Safari P1030453-min

Planning

Right from the start we were a solid unit, the delegation of tasks were efficient and easy. However as the preparation time of the trip began to run out, it was evident that the end of semester work and commitments had caught up to us all.

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‘Speak now, or forever hold your peace’…

I was pretty adamant about keeping both feet firmly on the ground during the high ropes activity.  I was very nervous about heights, however, today seemed different. Our facilitators took a different approach, particularly emphasising teamwork, persistence, resilience and to not leave a mate behind.

Continue reading ‘Speak now, or forever hold your peace’…