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How to design Place-based fieldwork experience on sustainable tourism development for students.

How Mandai Wildlife Group achieves sustainable development through tourism

Job and attachment opportunities for students

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One of the ways MWG achieves economic sustainability is to grow and diversify its revenue streams through its operations at the zoo.

Download the Mandai App or access the website here https://www.mandai.com/en/singapore-zoo.html. Browse the app/website and consider the following guiding questions with your group. Post your discussion pointers here.

Guiding questions:

1. How does tourism at the Zoo generate revenue?

2. How does the Zoo encourage return visitors?

3. What are advantages of diversifying tourist attractions through the different parks (e.g. Zoo, Bird paradise, Night safari, Rainforest Wild Asia)?

4. How can the tourism at the Zoo continually promote employment opportunities for its employees?

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How does MWG provide world-class care for the environment and orangutans?

In your groups, discuss the following questions and post your responses here:

1. Observe the orangutan exhibit. Which objects have been upcycled to improve the life of the orangutans?

Suggest how these materials promote world class care for the orangutans.

2. Observe the climbing structures in and around the orangutan exhibit. How does this promote natural behaviour for the orangutans?

3. How does Mandai Wildlife Group raise awareness on the plight of orangutans in the wild?

4. As individuals, how can we support the conservation efforts on orangutans by Mandai Wildlife Group?

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How does the Rainforest Kidzworld cater to visitor needs?

Jot down what you notice about Mandai’s universal design for visitors at the Rainforest Kidzworld. Consider whose needs are catered for.

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What is the value of the Fragile Forest Biodome in promoting sustainable tourism?

Walk around the Fragile Forest and observe your surroundings.

1. Use the 8 Way Thinking Wheel to jot down as many notes as possible.

2. Take and upload a photograph that best represents the value of the Fragile Forest Biodome.

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How does MWG manage waste through its operations?

1. How much food is required to support the needs of animals in the zoo?

2. How much waste does the zoo produce?

3. What are some types of waste generated from the zoo?

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In your groups, discuss the following questions:

1. How does tourism at the Singapore Zoo contribute to sustainable development?

2. How might you use today's session in your T&L?

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Have questions? Post them here!

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1) Log in to course page via https://go.gov.sg/mandaiatt

2) Click ‘Start Learning’

3) Check in with session code:

GEO-000157-01-zgu

4) Click ‘Finish’ to complete learning

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1a) reuse and upcycling of materials, eg repurposing of fire hose at Orang Utan exhibit

1b) use of EV trams to cut down footprint

1c) the aim of the zoo to promote environmental sustainability, e.g from the restaurants to ticketing (conservation included) to not selling bottled water to no more maps.

1d) EIA done before development of sites to cut down destruction to habitats and environment and necessary adjustment to sites

1e) ethos of the organisation - conservation without action is just conversation

1f) inclusive place for the the disabled, those with young children, visitors with neurodiversity eg facilities specially

designed for them, and early start.

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How does MWG achieve environmental sustainability through education and advocacy?

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1) log in to course page via https://go.gov.sg/mandaiatt

2) Click ‘Start Learning’

3) Check in with session code:

GEO-000157-01-zgu

4) Click ‘Finish’ to complete learning

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Link to syllabus document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A1VQfUoWFlJeG_HbykOW6Y7-U6xavuR5/view?usp=drivesdk

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Public education and engagement; copying real life environments for the animals; enrichment activities

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Plastic materials (fire hose) is upcycled to create hanging vines & hammock (rest) + enrichment ‘box’ to stimulate the orang utans by mimicking their original habitat > create & sustain good animal welfare!

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Kindly complete the post-course survey in OPAL when you receive notification from OPAL via your email. You can also access the survey at the course page in OPAL.

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In Mandai, they try to create a circular flow of materials / food by understanding the relationship between producer, consumer and decomposer, so that loop is more or less closed. Eg plant materials fed to herbivores (eg stick insects), herbivores fed to omnivores and carnivores (birds etc), and the waste is recycled back as fertilisers and compost by the decomposers ( such as black soldier flies).

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Tourism at Singapore Zoo contributes to

Economic sustainability: provides employment for population, generates revenue from admissions and expenditure as a lifestyle destination to contribute to conservation

Social sustainability: universal design and CSR outreach efforts to create and inclusive space for visitors, SG60 celebration

Environmental sustainability: conserving existing flora and fauna, circular flow of resources (waste and carcasses)

How to use in T&L

Lower Sec: rainforest and natural vegetation, adaptation

Upper Sec: tourism development, sustainable development

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(For Question 1)

Using the triple baseline of sustainability as a framework for Mandai to work towards sustainable development in the social, economic and environmental aspects.

Looking after the holistic wellbeing of the animals, especially in terms of their mental health as the centre concern.

(For Question 2)

Use the zoo as a case study or scenario to work on for GI.

Opportunity for face to face interactions, and engaging artefacts at each of the animal enclosure/area for a more authentic learning opportunity.

For sustainable tourism: To compare MWG’s approach to sustainable tourism vs. other similar attractions’ approach in other countries (e..g, MWG had a revamp to enable the group to focus on sustainability in their operations which is also tech-based but other countries may be approaching sustainability differently?)

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Economic Sustainability

More than 70% of the revenue comes from the ticket sales

Having different parks with different target groups help to increase the number of visitors, inclusive of amenities to support those with special needs

It suits different profile of tourists

Career talks are held such as ECG, including upskilling and retraining workers during COVID19

Environmental Sustainability

The park focuses on the preservation and conservation of orang utan as it helps with the preservation of the entire habitats

The park reuses materials to contribute to the animal habitats such as use of decommissioned fire hoses, and non-native trees cut are used as benches

Mental state of animals are prioritised- nutrition, health, behaviour

Different educational materials such as tactile boards are available at different exhibits to educate the public.

Waste management strategies- using insects to reduce food waste, insects then fed to birds and larger animals

The Biodome preserves many different species within one space due to their interdependence.

Social Sustainability

Meeting different special needs of people, creating family-oriented and inclusive spaces such as adult diaper changing stations

Kidzworld features animals that attract children, allow them to interact with animals.

How to Use in T&L

Sec 1 Forest topic, introducing rainforest and wildlife to lower secondary students, reforestation strategies to

USG sustainable tourism- balancing economic, social and environmental needs

USG GEL- people and nature relationships

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2a) Learning journey with fieldwork

2b) Training observation skills to be better teachers and students

2c) partnering older tertiary students to do fieldwork in data collection

2d) designing research questions - how does the zoo continue to attract tourists of different profiles? At which stage of tourism development is the zoo at? Why?

2e) E21cc learning experiences - dicing up fruit, different types of feeding trays and needs of different animals e.g separating the baby scorpions from each other so that they don’t end up eating each other when they moult.

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1. Economic sustainability: Diversified experiences caters to different clientele(whole family experience, venturer/dependable) and increases demand (sustained interest of guests) of services leading to financial sustainability of WRS. (Expansion into MICE, consolidation of parks (reduces travel distance, proximity of different parks economic synergies)

Provides employment to many groups of people, upskilling/reskilling during unexpected events (COVID pandemic)

Social sustainability: Community outreach, giving back to disadvantaged groups (e.g. free admissions to neurodiverse groups, career matching)

Universal design (ramps, shelters) improves accessibility regardless of needs. Inclusive tourist destination.

Common space for Sg’s diverse society to come together, bond

Environmental sustainability: Commitment to reduce waste. (E.g. stop sale of plastic and single use plastics, digital maps)

planting native species that provides support to local wildlife hence the bigger ecosystem, upcycling trees that have to be removed

Conducting EIAs and wildlife relocation before developing the areas

Breeding programs that help support SEA and Asian wildlife populations

Public education on knowledge on nature conservation, human-wildlife conflict so people can behave appropriately in their interactions with nature

2. - Make use of MWG as a case study to showcase sustainable tourism in all 3 aspects. Used to show Tourism Topic 3, stakeholders role in developing and maintaining a sustainable approach to tourism development (especially from the perspective of businesses)

draw relevance between GI and the real world/ECG how the data collection/analysis process (flipped learning of GEL Topic 3)

Use as GI site

Social Studies - used as an example to teach about government’s role in ensuring the interests of Sg and trade offs in decision making

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This is where the needs of families with young children are considered first - there are animal petting areas which are air-conditioned, F&B, and a relatively large playground for children.

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1. Tourism revenue for Mandai is generated via admission F&B and retail and special programmes.

2. Membership and partnership and sponsorship

3. To cater to the different segments of the visitors profiles. Visitors through repeated visit will be able to spend more time and money at the various parks.

4. Retraining the staff for different deployments and responsibilities so that they can continue to employ them. Internship programmes provided to get those potential hires.

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Lemur - the zoo breaks it down to three aspects (environmental, social and economic). Based on what we have learnt and observed from today's sharings and walkabout, for economic sustainability, we were actually comparing this attraction to Sentosa based on the varied avenue streams and the type of activities available for repeated visits catered for different grps of people. will elaborate during presentation.

for the social aspect, while theres community outreach opportunities for students and universal park design that caters to accessibility for different grps of visitors, we acknowledge that the park have adopted measures that are easy to achieve and help greatly with day to day operations.

for the environment aspect, we think the fact that the sites were swapped to preserve e native trees was brilliant!