REWILD Our Planet - An AR Experience

From now to 02 June 2019, ArtScience Museum visitors will be able to explore the forests of Borneo or dive deep into the coastal seas of Southeast Asia with REWILD Our Planet, Singapore’s first Social Augmented Reality (AR) experience jointly developed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Google, Netflix, ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands and PHORIA. The sensorial experience connects people to nature and one another through immersive storytelling that blends cutting-edge AR technology with stunning 4K video footage from Our Planet, a new Netflix original documentary series voiced by world-renowned naturalist, Sir David Attenborough, that launches today.

“Global wildlife populations have declined by 60 percent in the last 40 years due to unsustainable human activity, which impacts the very natural systems that our survival depends on. We need to not just stop, but reverse, the loss of nature. Bringing the challenges and solutions to life through REWILD Our Planet will help people around the world understand that they have a shared responsibility to act and protect nature. The powerful message conveyed dovetails with a unique opportunity to call for urgent action to protect the one place we call home, sending the clear message that it is no longer acceptable to continue to destroy our environment.”

--- Kim Stengert, Chief, Strategic Communications and External Relations, WWF-Singapore ---

Unlike these children living near the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia where the environmental impact of their everyday daily lifestyle are immediately visible to them, most of our children today live in the cities and are far removed from the impact that their consumption habits can create...

REWILD Our Planet is built around four natural landscapes representing the last wilderness places on Earth:

1. Forests of Borneo and India
2. Oceans of Asia
3. Grasslands of Mongolia
4. Frozen worlds of the Arctic

Combining spectacular IMAX-style projections with spatial soundscapes and AR, the experience unfolds through the lens of the Google Pixel 3, where groups of participants can work together to build natural landscapes in 3D. They will unlock global weather patterns and magical animal encounters, ending with a deeper understanding of shared solutions and a meaningful pledge to act and help bring nature back.

Where there is no visual with the naked eye, a globe appears out of the blue when the phone is pointed in the right direction. The story of our planet ensues...

To vote, all you have to do is to walk towards the habitat of your choice. The sum total of all the votes will then be totalled on the screen to select the most highly-voted habitat...

Want to play your part to REWILD? Walk around the grid with your phone over the fields burnt for crops and palm oil. Magically, your every step will create a lush green undergrowth...

Watch it happen in these videos...

“REWILD Our Planet showcases how AR has the power to build bridges between people and the places they love. This evocative experience emphasises the connection between human beings and our environment. It generates a sense of presence and interactivity for every individual user. Building this exhibition with Netflix and Google and combining it with compassion-driven narrative from WWF demonstrates how emerging XR technologies will transform the social impact sector for good.”

--- Trent Clews-de Castella, CEO of PHORIA ---

REWILD Our Planet is located at the Inspiration Gallery at Level 4 of the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands. Open daily from 1000-1900 hours, admission is free. 

For more information, visit:

• REWILD.wwf.sg
• www.marinabaysands.com/museum/REWILD-our-planet

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ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove - Man-Made Coral Garden In A Marina

ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove and the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) at the National University of Singapore have entered a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a man-made Coral Garden for the purpose of advancing reef restoration research and enhancing marine biodiversity in Singapore waters. The first such collaboration between TMSI and a commercial entity, the partnership seeks to boost the rehabilitation of coral reefs in Singapore and improve the local marine ecosystem that is critical for providing habitat and shelter for many marine organisms.

"We are excited to work with TMSI on this project because corals being natural shelters and food for marine creatures are highly critical for creating marine biodiversity. This research work will contribute towards restoring the 60% of coral reefs believed to have been lost in Singapore waters from land reclamation over the years."

--- Teo Joo Leng, General Manager of ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove ---

ONE°15 Marina has apportioned a stretch of 150 meters of sea bed within its marina for coral cultivation and this area currently encompasses specially-designed nurseries to grow young corals and rock boulders with clusters of  matured corals. The coral zone will be maintained by researchers and volunteers from TMSI under the supervision of Professor Chou Loke Ming, a veteran in coral ecology.

Multiple nurseries are created along the platform and seeded with native corals transplanted from other areas of the Marina...

"The Coral Garden is envisioned to be a haven for marine biodiversity in a man-made environment and in the long run, it will evolve into an education and research site for students and the public to dive, snorkel and learn about the marine world in a safe and controlled environment."

--- Professor Chou Loke Ming, TMSI Adjunct Research Professor ---

ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, a certified Fish-friendly and Clean Marina, is a strong advocate of marine life and ocean conservation that has championed several environmental projects and activities including Project Perna (mussels cultivation), Earth Hour, and its bi-annual marina clean-up. The Coral Garden is its latest eco-initiative, which is sponsored by International SeaKeepers Society Asia, Audi Singapore and SC Global Developments.

"Our vision for the coral garden is to educate the next generation on marine life and the importance of conserving it. In supporting this project, ONE°15 Marina is affirming its goal to be a leader and role model in the marina industry where we can create and share best practices with other marinas to create a more holistic marine ecosystem in Asia."

--- Teo Joo Leng, General Manager of ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove ---

A study conducted by the Reef Ecology Laboratory of NUS showed that at least 50 types of animals including worms, crustaceans, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, seahorses, algae and zoanthids inhabit the waters of ONE°15 Marina. The stable marina structures such as berthing pontoons and seawalls has allowed sea life to populate and thrive. The survey also uncovered 22 genera of hard corals, and with new ones forming. Furthermore, the survey found that these hard corals had attracted 29 species of fishes, many of which were reef fishes.

"Global warming and other human activities have had a devastating impact on the world’s coral reefs. It gives me great pleasure to be a part of today’s launch and I hope that there will be many exciting discoveries that will stem out of the research efforts carried out here."

--- Louis Ng, MP, Nee Soon GRC (Nee Soon East) and Chairman of Nee Soon Town Council ---

Experienced researchers from TMSI explaining to visitors on the coral nurseries...

ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove takes a tremendous effort to maintain the pristine nature of the marina, including working with the boat owners and daily clean-up efforts...

ONE°15 Marina is celebrating its 11th Anniversary on 06 October 2018 and supporting this meaningful cause as part of its celebrations. The marina is also putting up an exhibition together with several organizations in the marine community to educate the public on marine biodiversity and conservation efforts via educational displays and videos.

A life-sized sperm whale skeleton replica - In 2015, a sperm whale carcass was found off the coast of Jurong Island.  One important discovery was what researchers found in the gut of the whale: Other than the remains of squids - a major part of its diet, they also found plastic cups. This was a telling discovery about the devastating impact of humans on marine creatures. The actual specimen is now displayed in the Lee Kong Chian Museum of Natural History... 

Other family-friendly activities for the young and old...

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