Article by Teresa Teo Guttensohn Photographs contributed by Cuifen Pui, Intan Krishanty, Merey Tan, and Teresa Teo Guttensohn
What is UN World Water Day?
World Water Day, held on 22 March every year since 1993, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of fresh water. WWD celebrates water and inspires action to tackle the global water crisis. The theme for WWD 2026 is Water and Gender.
Left photo: Volunteers Rominia Leonard, Merey Tan, Intan Krishnanty, Cuifen Pui, and Teresa Teo Guttensohn on the traditional ferry ride to Pulau Ubin
Where water flows, equality grows
On World Water Day 2026, let’s explore the critical relationship between water, women, and gender equality.
Water services must withstand climate change and meet everyone’s needs. We need a transformative, rights-based approach to solving the water crisis, where women’s voices, leadership and agency are fully recognized. https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day
Women volunteers from Cicada Tree Eco-Place Explore Scenic Water Bodies at Pulau Ubin!Chek Jawa Wetlands: A unique mix of natural ecosystems such as sandy beaches, rocky shores, seagrass lagoons, and mangrove forests.Quarry Lakes: Scenic habitats for biodiversity at Pekan, Kekek, Ketam, Balai, Petai, and Ubin Quarries. Featuring Pulau Ubin’s resident, Mr Heng with the volunteersMangroves and Tidal Rivers: The island is crisscrossed with waterways, notably Sungei Besar and Sungei Jelutong, which are surrounded by mangroves.Beaches: Pockets of beaches dot the coast of beautiful Pulau Ubin.Nature in every detail, from flora to fauna, Pulau Ubin’s ecosystems thrive where water flows. Can you spot and name them?A tranquil water landscape at Pulau Ubin, part of the Ubin Living Lab, where natural ecosystems and conservation efforts come together
Find out more about Singapore World Water Day by PUB and take the pledge here.
Here is a photo of Rosemary in her element, taken during an adventure group trip to visit The Lost Waterfalls of Jerantut, Pahang. Date unknown.
It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we share the news that Rosemary Ann Moss passed away on 11 March 2026. Rosemary once served as Hon. Treasurer of Cicada Tree Eco-Place. She loved being in nature and was a great supporter of nature and nature groups like ours.
May she be received into a place of light, peace, and happiness.
May the forests she loved, the rivers she walked beside, and the wild places she cherished forever remember her spirit.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place co-founders Teresa Teo Guttensohn (in a blue suit, standing at the end of the second row from the front) and Dr Vilma D’Rozario (in a green SWAG blouse, standing third from the left in the fourth row) with invited participants at the Nature Conservation Masterplan (NCMP) engagement session 2025 organised by NParks.
Rounding off a year of biodiversity advocacy and awareness efforts, Cicada Tree Eco-Place joined many other green groups at the Nature Conservation Masterplan (NCMP) engagement session hosted by NParks on 29 November 2025.
During the session, participants brainstormed initiatives to support the NCMP thrusts and discussed how different stakeholders could facilitate partnerships for community stewardship and biodiversity outreach. The session was also a great opportunity to meet members of the nature community and make meaningful new connections.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s Tree #19 at Trees of the World 2025, Singapore Botanic Gardens. Photo credit: NParks
Amiera, a Cicada Tree Eco-Place volunteer, with Tree #19 at Trees of the World 2025.
This festive season, Cicada Tree Eco-Place (CTEP) is joining Trees of the World 2025 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens with a tree that’s equal parts celebration and statement: a reminder that sustainability can be creative, practical and fun.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s ornaments are handmade from upcycled fabric (including old curtains) and designed around Singapore’s most unusual rainforest residents, inspired by Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s Top 10 Weirdest Critters in Singapore series. The result is a collection of sturdy, weather-ready decorations that invite visitors to look closer and leave knowing a little more about the wildlife that quietly holds our ecosystems together.
The decorations were crafted during community sessions where volunteers gathered to cut, stitch, and assemble each piece. What emerged wasn’t just a set of ornaments, but a shared experience, stories traded across the table, new friendships formed, and a growing sense of how small everyday choices (like reusing what we already have) can shape a kinder relationship with nature.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s tree is Tree #19, counted from Tanglin Gate (Napier Road) along the event route.
Trees of the World runs 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, 7.00pm to 12.00 midnight, transforming the Gardens into a night-time trail of illuminated trees from around the world. Stroll the path, spot the ornaments, and discover the “critter stories” behind each design.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place’s tree species is Pteleocarpa lamponga. At the end of the event, this tree and all sponsored trees will be replanted across parks, gardens, and green spaces in Singapore, so the celebration continues long after the lights come down.
Thank you to all our volunteers: Amaani, Amirah, Crissie, Melissa, Radiah, Rana, Robert, Rominia, Sarah, Seetha, Teresa, Tia, Tina, Vilma.
If you visit, take a photo and tag @CicadaTreeEcoPlace and enjoy an evening walk that puts nature, creativity, and reuse in the spotlight.
