25-31 Aug: Highlights of the week ahead

For the kids, lots of exciting wild stuff to do!

Special shore activities this week!
Other walks include ...
For the more active there's Park Connector Nightskate!

Talks this week include
Make a difference for the environment! Come for Green Drinks this week to discuss "How Sustainable is Singapore's Vision?"

For Nature Society (Singapore) members only, there's a walk at Clementi Woods.

Some upcoming events!
Visit the wildsingapore happenings blog for a full listing of upcoming events for the next three weeks and to search for events by your area of interest.

Photo of the week: Snakes are beautiful! And they won't hurt you if you leave them alone. This photo of a magnificent Wagler's Pit Viper is shared by James.

Wagler's Pit Viper, originally uploaded by James@CK.

31 Aug (Sun): Dive Pulau Hantu with the Hantu Bloggers

A unique and educational dive experience in our local waters. Discover what is truly, uniquely Singapore!

Your support helps us monitor and document Hantu's reef on a regular basis! Let's see what's waiting for us out there this time!

Pre-registration is required.

Organised by the Hantu Bloggers, check out their blog for more details of the trip and past exciting encounters.

Join the The Hantu Bloggers Yahoo Group to read the trip itinerary, and to be informed of future dives.

Website: http://www.pulauhantu.org/
Contact: hantublog@gmail.com

31 Aug (Sun): Free Chek Jawa boardwalk tour

photo by Andy DineshThe Naked Hermit Crabs introduce you to Chek Jawa without getting your feet wet. Enjoy the great view and find out more about rare coastal plants, cute fiddler crabs, aggressive mudskippers, sturdy mangrove trees, interesting bugs and more!

The free walk will be held every the last Sunday of the month. You don’t even have to sign up. On each public walk day, a few of the volunteer guides will be stationed at the Chek Jawa Info Kiosk in front of House No. 1 at Chek Jawa.

Group size? Come in small friends and family groups of around 6 people or fewer. We expect to have a few guides volunteering each time, but cannot guarantee that we will have a lot of guides. Please …. don’t organize a huge company group and show up at our free walk-in tours. We will be overwhelmed and you will go away very disappointed.

Madcap mudskippers and wild boar were among the highlights of the most recent adventure with the naked hermit crabs on the Chek Jawa boardwalk.

Time: 3 pm meet at the Chek Jawa Info Kiosk
Duration: Two hours
Cost: no charge for now, but donations accepted.
Website: http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.com/
Contact: nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

31 Aug (Sun): Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh

Free guided nature walk along the Mangrove boardwalk under shady mangrove trees. Spot mudskippers, crabs and other marine life, learn about our mangroves, enjoy views of the Johor straits.

Suitable for young children.

Registration is not required for small walk-in groups. But each walk is limited to 15 persons per guide and is on a first-come -first-served basis. The walks are weather permitting and may merge with other activities at the Reserve. Those coming with large groups are advised to pre-register.

More about the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the wildsingapore website and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website. This walk is conducted by the volunteer guides of NParks' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is held every Sunday morning, subject to availability of guides.

Time: 9.30 am (subject to availability of guides) for walk in guests, register at the Visitor Centre.
Tour duration: One to one-and-a-half hours. Suitable for young children.
Entry charges: While the walk is free, admission fees to the Reserve apply: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/student/senior citizen.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: sbwr@pacific.net.sg or call 6794 1401

31 Aug (Sun): MAD lesson on Butterflies and Moths

In this hands-on lesson on butterflies and moths, kids will learn about the diversity of butterflies and moths we have in Singapore, the differences between butterflies and moths, their ecology -- life cycle, where they live, what they eat, what may eat them. Get to know how to easily attract butterflies and moths to gardens at home, in school or in neighbourhoods!

This MAD lesson will also include information about global warming and our carbon footprint and kids will leave the lesson with a pledge to do easy eco-actions daily in their lives so as to be part of the solution to protect our environment and wild habitats.

This environmental education program is suitable for kids aged 5 to 10, from kindergarten to primary school.

Through MAD lessons for wildlife, kids will learn about “OOH--Our Only Home” (Planet Earth) by learning about animals, plants and ecology in a session of 1.5 hours. They will also learn about our “warming world” and our carbon footprint and how this affects the lives of plants, animals, humans and our environment. Kids will learn easy eco-actions to make a difference for earth.

A button-badge and an information pamphlet will be given to all registered kids.

Enquiries and registration leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

Make A Difference! MAD lessons on wildlife by Cicada Tree Eco-place and generously supported by Intel will be conducted at the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.

Time: 2.30-4.30pm
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Cost: Kids pay $15 for a 1.5 hour session at the Children's Garden. Maximum number for a group sign-up (e.g. school groups and groups from organizations) is 20 and minimum fee to run is $300 (even if a group is less than 20 kids). For weekend individual sign-ups, kids pay $15 each.
Contact: leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

30 Aug (Sat): Nature walk in Seletar Camp

Fancy a leisurely walk down country lanes? A peek into kampong gardens? Learning something about the trees, birds and plants along the way? Then I'm sure you'd enjoy Seletar Camp strolls. Our walk leader and Seletar resident Keng Seng is a plant lover and landscape artist, full of knowledge and passion about the plant world. You don't need to bring him a gift, but a big THANK YOU at the end would be a good idea.

Please bring water bottle and hat. For smaller kids, a stroller might be advisable in case they get tired.

Time/duration: 4pm-6pm
Meeting point: Will be announced when you register
Cost: Free, but please take all litter away with you
Contact: Sue - sue@postcardsfromseletar.com OR sms at 91057778

30 Aug (Sat): Guided Tour @ HortPark

This free tour of HortPark features HortGardens, a collection of 20 theme gardens and the GardenPatch, a patchwork of display plots showcasing garden designs, concepts and products by local gardening-related companies. See nurserymen at work, propagating plants for our garden city.

This tour is conducted every last Saturday of the month.

Please register 15 minutes before the tour. Registration is on a first-come-first served basis.

Time: 10-11.30 am
Venue: Register at Visitor Information Counter @ HortPark
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/
Contact: 64715601 or NPARKS_HortPark@nparks.gov.sg

30 Aug (Sat): Exploring Clementi Woods with NSS

For NSS members only.

Shawn Lum and the Plant Group conduct this walk. While the beautiful and well publicised Southern Ridges Trail captures the imagination, there are a number of other green spots in the southwest that are worth exploring. One of these is Clementi Woods Park, a 12 ha green oasis situated between West Coast and Clementi Roads, and a stone's throw from one of the larger shopping complexes along the west coast. Besides the obvious recreational benefits of such
parks, what role do they play in the conservation of Singapore's natural heritage? Come and enjoy a morning walk, as well as ponder the challenges and opportunities of encouraging and maximising urban biodiversity.

Time: 9.30 am. Meet at the children's playground in Clementi Woods by West Coast Road, which is opposite Kent Ridge and Jin Tai schools.
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

30 Aug (Sat): Park Connector Nightskate

Enjoy a relaxing skate along the connectors as we take you through some of the nicest parks, namely Pasir Ris Park, Telok Kurau Park, Sunplaza Park and Bedok Reservoir Park, etc. This nightskate is opened to intermediate skaters and above. Participants must be confident in dealing with slopes and traffic crossings and overhead bridges.

Complimentary bus service back to ECP is available.

To register, please e-mail your name and contact number to Jon at jon@skateline.com.sg or SMS 93684435.

From the NParks events listing

Time: Time not indicated
Venue: Meet at East Coast Park Skateline (Carpark C3)

30 Aug (Sat): Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh

Free guided nature walk along the Mangrove boardwalk under shady mangrove trees. Spot mudskippers, crabs and other marine life, learn about our mangroves, enjoy views of the Johor straits.

Suitable for young children.

Registration is not required for small walk-in groups. But each walk is limited to 15 persons per guide and is on a first-come -first-served basis. The walks are weather permitting and may merge with other activities at the Reserve. Those coming with large groups are advised to pre-register.

More about the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the wildsingapore website and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website. This walk is conducted by the volunteer guides of NParks' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is held every Saturday.

From the Reserve website: "On Saturday 30 Aug 2008, 9am & 11am av-show and 9.30am free guided tour will be cancelled due to an event. Any inconvenience caused is regretted."

Time: 3.30pm for walk in guests, register at the Visitor Centre.
Tour duration: One to one-and-a-half hours. Suitable for young children.
Entry charges: While the walk is free, admission fees to the Reserve apply: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/student/senior citizen.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: sbwr@pacific.net.sg or call 6794 1401

30 Aug (Sat): Native Plant Hunt at Hindhede Nature Park

A free fun activity among the tall shady trees of Hindhede Nature Park, overlooking scenic quarry views. Form a team of three to five members, pick up your clues at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Visitor Centre, and you're on your way to learn more about at least eight native plant species! You have one hour to complete your hunt.

Registration for the free plant hunt is limited to maximum of 10 people per registrant.

The activity is conducted by the Building and Environment Green Volunteers from Ngee Ann Polytechnic's School of Engineering and the Central Nature Reserve volunteers.

More about the activity on the NParks website.

Time: 10 -11am. Start at the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Visitor Centre.
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg
Contact: vanessa_chang@nparks.gov.sg or 6554 5127.

30 Aug (Sat): Talk on "Special care for your dog" by SPCA

Do you have cats, dogs or small animals like hamsters or rabbits? If you’re taking care of any of these pets, you’d know that they are really adorable companions, but these pets require a lot of time and effort to take care of. Find out what it takes, and how you can ensure that your furry friend is happy. You can look forward to gaining valuable and easy-to-use information, to help you understand your pet better and also learn how to be the best pet owner that you can be. This is your chance to ask questions related to pet caring and a chance to see the animals that are up for adoption at SPCA in person.

Early birds who register will also get a free goodie bag, while stocks last. Brought to you by SPCA.

Registration required, at golibrary.nlb.gov.sg and surf on to ‘Simply’.

This is a seminar, so no pets are permitted at the venues.

Time: 2.30-4pm
Venue: Programme Zone, Bishan Community Library
Website and contact: http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg

29 Aug (Fri): Talk on "What Lies Beneath" at the Botanic Gardens

"What Lies Beneath: An Introduction to Mycorrhiza" by Dr. Nura Abdul Karim, Manager (Plant Records) of the Singapore Botanic Gardens

The word mycorrhiza is derived from the Classical Greek words for 'fungus' (or 'mushroom') and 'root'. A majority of plants form mycorrhizas. The exact percentage of this is uncertain, but it is likely to lie between 80% to 90%. In many of these associations, between 10% to 30% of the food produced by the plant moves through to the fungi. This talk will try to explain mycorrhizas, which plants form mycorrhizas and how these mycorrhizas play a part in the natural and managed ecosystems. Special emphasis will be on orchid mycorrhizas which the speaker had researched on for her doctorate.

Time: 4-5pm
Venue: Function Hall, Botany Centre (enter by Tanglin Gate), Singapore Botanic Gardens
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

28 Aug (Thu): Green Drinks to discuss "How Sustainable is Singapore's Vision?"

We have a concrete agenda for this Green Drinks, when we will like to hold a brainstorming/discussion session.

You may have seen in the news that the Singapore government is soliciting from the public comments to its proposed 10 year sustainable development vision. The website is

http://www.sustainablesingapore.gov.sg/

We encourage everyone to look this over and bring your ideas to the next Green Drinks where we can thresh out the issues and come up with a list of constructive suggestions to improving the plan.

To get the ball rolling, we have established a discussion thread on the Green Drinks Facebook page entitled "Sustainable Singapore Vision". Please leave your comments, and show up for our next meeting.

Time: 8-10pm
Venue: Food #03, 109 Rowell Road (Off Serangoon Rd in Little India)
Website: Green Drinks Facebook Group
Contact: olivia@greendrinks.org

27 Aug (Wed): MAD lesson on Butterflies and Moths

In this hands-on lesson on butterflies and moths, kids will learn about the diversity of butterflies and moths we have in Singapore, the differences between butterflies and moths, their ecology -- life cycle, where they live, what they eat, what may eat them. Get to know how to easily attract butterflies and moths to gardens at home, in school or in neighbourhoods!

This MAD lesson will also include information about global warming and our carbon footprint and kids will leave the lesson with a pledge to do easy eco-actions daily in their lives so as to be part of the solution to protect our environment and wild habitats.

This environmental education program is suitable for kids aged 5 to 10, from kindergarten to primary school.

Through MAD lessons for wildlife, kids will learn about “OOH--Our Only Home” (Planet Earth) by learning about animals, plants and ecology in a session of 1.5 hours. They will also learn about our “warming world” and our carbon footprint and how this affects the lives of plants, animals, humans and our environment. Kids will learn easy eco-actions to make a difference for earth.

A button-badge and an information pamphlet will be given to all registered kids.

Enquiries and registration leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

Make A Difference! MAD lessons on wildlife by Cicada Tree Eco-place and generously supported by Intel will be conducted at the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.

Time: 2.30-4.30pm
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Cost: Kids pay $15 for a 1.5 hour session at the Children's Garden. Maximum number for a group sign-up (e.g. school groups and groups from organizations) is 20 and minimum fee to run is $300 (even if a group is less than 20 kids). For weekend individual sign-ups, kids pay $15 each.
Contact: leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

18-24 Aug: Highlights of the week ahead

For the kids and the family, here's some stuff to get wild about ...
Other wild walks include
Talks this week include
Some upcoming events!
Visit the wildsingapore happenings blog for a full listing of upcoming events for the next three weeks and to search for events by your area of interest.

Photo of the Week: Baby Nemos! What could be more endearing than a clownfish but baby clownfish! And Marcus captured this special photo of a new generation of clownfish on our own wild reef. Read all about it on his budak blog.

IMG_9212, originally uploaded by budak.

24 Aug (Sun): Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh

Free guided nature walk along the Mangrove boardwalk under shady mangrove trees. Spot mudskippers, crabs and other marine life, learn about our mangroves, enjoy views of the Johor straits.

Suitable for young children.

Registration is not required for small walk-in groups. But each walk is limited to 15 persons per guide and is on a first-come -first-served basis. The walks are weather permitting and may merge with other activities at the Reserve. Those coming with large groups are advised to pre-register.

More about the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the wildsingapore website and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website. This walk is conducted by the volunteer guides of NParks' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is held every Sunday morning, subject to availability of guides.

Time: 9.30 am (subject to availability of guides) for walk in guests, register at the Visitor Centre.
Tour duration: One to one-and-a-half hours. Suitable for young children.
Entry charges: While the walk is free, admission fees to the Reserve apply: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/student/senior citizen.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: sbwr@pacific.net.sg or call 6794 1401

24 Aug (Sun): Birdwatching at Tampines Wood

For NSS members only

This area is located behind Tampines Industrial area along Tampines Ave 10. There was once a “Grebe Pond” here with the highest location record of 12 Little Grebes. Alas, it has since been drained. Visit this woody area before it is completely gone. We will be looking out for Sooty-headed Bulbuls, Red-Whiskered Bulbuls, Black-shouldered Kites, Pied Trillers, Pied Fantails etc. If we are lucky, we can watch mixed flocks of Munias: Black-headed, White-headed and Scaly-breasted feeding together!

Time: 7.30am. Meet at at the junction of Tampines Road and Jalan Sam Kongsi.
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

23 Aug (Sat): Nature Walk in Seletar Camp

Fancy a leisurely walk down country lanes? A peek into kampong gardens? Learning something about the trees, birds and plants along the way? Then I'm sure you'd enjoy Seletar Camp strolls. Our walk leader and Seletar resident Keng Seng is a plant lover and landscape artist, full of knowledge and passion about the plant world. You don't need to bring him a gift, but a big THANK YOU at the end would be a good idea.

Please bring water bottle and hat. For smaller kids, a stroller might be advisable in case they get tired.

Time/duration: 4pm-6pm
Meeting point: Will be announced when you register
Cost: Free, but please take all litter away with you
Contact: Sue - sue@postcardsfromseletar.com OR sms at 91057778

23 Aug (Sat): Guided walk at Evolution Garden

A free guided walk of this unique garden in the Botanic Gardens, that tells the story of how our plants came to be. An easy stroll on paved paths among strange plants.

Suitable for kids.

The 4pm tour is conducted in mandarin.

This walk is held every fourth Saturday of the month.

Time: 9am (English tour) 4pm (Mandarin tour)
Venue: Register at Visitor Centre before the tour starts.
Contact: Visitor Services 6471 7361

23 Aug (Sat): Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh

Free guided nature walk along the Mangrove boardwalk under shady mangrove trees. Spot mudskippers, crabs and other marine life, learn about our mangroves, enjoy views of the Johor straits.

Suitable for young children.

Registration is not required for small walk-in groups. But each walk is limited to 15 persons per guide and is on a first-come -first-served basis. The walks are weather permitting and may merge with other activities at the Reserve. Those coming with large groups are advised to pre-register.

More about the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the wildsingapore website and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website. This walk is conducted by the volunteer guides of NParks' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is held every Saturday.

Time: 9.30am and 3.30pm for walk in guests, register at the Visitor Centre.
Tour duration: One to one-and-a-half hours. Suitable for young children.
Entry charges: While the walk is free, admission fees to the Reserve apply: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/student/senior citizen.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: sbwr@pacific.net.sg or call 6794 1401

23 Aug (Sat): NSS Kids’ Fun with Beverage Plants

For NSS members only

Do you know that the hot beverage you have for breakfast, be it Coffee, Tea or Cocoa, all come from plants? What gives these plants their taste, aroma and uplifting properties? See, smell and touch the plants Botanics Garden.

Please register your kids with Gloria Seow at gloria_seow@yahoo.com.

Time: 3.30-6pm.
Cost: A registration fee of $5 per child applies.
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

23 Aug (Sat): Fruits! Glorious Fruits! - for kids

Be amazed by the many different types of fruits that we have in our Children’s Garden! Feast your eyes on a visual treat in this ‘fruit’ful guided tour. Join us to learn about amazing fruit facts.

Suitable for children in K1 - P6 levels

More details on the Singapore Botanic Gardens workshop page

Time: 10-11am
Cost: $6 per child or parent
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Bukit Timah Core
Website: http://www.sbg.org.sg/
Contact: 6471 9961 or nparks_sbg_edu@nparks.gov.sg

23 Aug (Sat): Talk on "Special Care for Your Small Animal (rabbits and hamsters)" by SPCA

Do you have cats, dogs or small animals like hamsters or rabbits? If you’re taking care of any of these pets, you’d know that they are really adorable companions, but these pets require a lot of time and effort to take care of. Find out what it takes, and how you can ensure that your furry friend is happy. You can look forward to gaining valuable and easy-to-use information, to help you understand your pet better and also learn how to be the best pet owner that you can be. This is your chance to ask questions related to pet caring and a chance to see the animals that are up for adoption at SPCA in person.

Early birds who register will also get a free goodie bag, while stocks last. Brought to you by SPCA.

Registration required, at golibrary.nlb.gov.sg and surf on to ‘Simply’.

This is a seminar, so no pets are permitted at the venues.

Time: 2.30-4pm
Venue: Programme Zone, Bedok Community Library
Website and contact: http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg

22 Aug (Fri): Endangered Animal Parade at NIE Campus

The Endangered Animal Parade, inspired by the Singapore Wildlife Stampede, aims to educate youths on the endangered animal species found in Singapore and other parts of the world. Through this event, we hope to heighten the awareness of the dangers which our environment is facing and hence promote a sense of stewardship towards nature in our youths.

Held alongside with the NIE Director’s Fun Run 2008, this event is similar to Chingay Parade held annually during the Chinese New Year season, participating groups will make a parade around the NIE campus dressed in costumes of endangered animals. Thus we urge schools, environment clubs, animal welfare clubs and YOU to join us and showcase your creativity in this parade.

More details on the NIE Green Club blog

Time: 3.30p-6pm
Venue: Around the NIE Campus
Website: http://niegreenclub.blogspot.com/
Contact: niegreenclub@gmail.com

22 Aug (Fri): "Remember Chek Jawa" DVD launch


"Remember Chek Jawa" a film by Eric Lim will now be available in DVD. At this launch, various clips from DVD will be shown. Eric (Filmmaker) will talk about the film and answer questions. Ten autographed posters will be given away.

Part of DVD sales proceeds will go to local marine conservation work endorsed by Blue Water Volunteers

Venue: Books Actually Bookstore, No. 5 Ann Siang Road; Telephone no: 6221 1170
Time: 7.30–8pm
Website: http://chekjawa.net
Contact: Kenny Lim (Objectifs Films) 82887501

11-17 Aug: Highlights of the week ahead

Kids can really make a difference this week!

More nature walks
Talks this week include
Other special events include
Some upcoming events!
Visit the wildsingapore happenings blog for a full listing of upcoming events for the next three weeks and to search for events by your area of interest.

The kids had a great time at Reef Celebrations on 9 Aug getting to know our marvellous marine life! More photos of the event on the International Year of the Reef group flickr site

Kids With Their Colouring Piece, originally uploaded by il_mare77.

17 Aug (Sun): Sports Fishing at Semakau with the Sport Fishing Association of Singapore

From January to September 2008, SFAS Semakau sport fishing trip will be an on going fishing league, based on a point system, there will be total of nine trips to compete for the League Champion and a final shoot out in October 2008. Those who do not wish to take part in the league can also come for the trips during this time.

The SFAS practice catch and release and among the rules are that anglers must demonstrate proper conduct and practice good fishing ethics and etiquette, and anglers are to use artificial lures or flies for sport fishing and not to use any organic baits (dead or alive) in all fishing activities.

Registration opens 21 Jul and closes 11 Aug. More details.

Time: 7.30am-2pm
Website: http://www.sfas.net/
Contact: info@sfas.net

17 Aug (Sun): Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh

Free guided nature walk along the Mangrove boardwalk under shady mangrove trees. Spot mudskippers, crabs and other marine life, learn about our mangroves, enjoy views of the Johor straits.

Suitable for young children.

Registration is not required for small walk-in groups. But each walk is limited to 15 persons per guide and is on a first-come -first-served basis. The walks are weather permitting and may merge with other activities at the Reserve. Those coming with large groups are advised to pre-register.

More about the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the wildsingapore website and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website. This walk is conducted by the volunteer guides of NParks' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is held every Sunday morning, subject to availability of guides.

Time: 9.30 am (subject to availability of guides) for walk in guests, register at the Visitor Centre.
Tour duration: One to one-and-a-half hours. Suitable for young children.
Entry charges: While the walk is free, admission fees to the Reserve apply: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/student/senior citizen.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: sbwr@pacific.net.sg or call 6794 1401

17 Aug (Sun): MAD lesson on Butterflies and Moths

In this hands-on lesson on butterflies and moths, kids will learn about the diversity of butterflies and moths we have in Singapore, the differences between butterflies and moths, their ecology -- life cycle, where they live, what they eat, what may eat them. Get to know how to easily attract butterflies and moths to gardens at home, in school or in neighbourhoods!

This MAD lesson will also include information about global warming and our carbon footprint and kids will leave the lesson with a pledge to do easy eco-actions daily in their lives so as to be part of the solution to protect our environment and wild habitats.

This environmental education program is suitable for kids aged 5 to 10, from kindergarten to primary school.

Through MAD lessons for wildlife, kids will learn about “OOH--Our Only Home” (Planet Earth) by learning about animals, plants and ecology in a session of 1.5 hours. They will also learn about our “warming world” and our carbon footprint and how this affects the lives of plants, animals, humans and our environment. Kids will learn easy eco-actions to make a difference for earth.

A button-badge and an information pamphlet will be given to all registered kids.

Enquiries and registration leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

Make A Difference! MAD lessons on wildlife by Cicada Tree Eco-place and generously supported by Intel will be conducted at the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.

Time: 2.30-4.30pm
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Cost: Kids pay $15 for a 1.5 hour session at the Children's Garden. Maximum number for a group sign-up (e.g. school groups and groups from organizations) is 20 and minimum fee to run is $300 (even if a group is less than 20 kids). For weekend individual sign-ups, kids pay $15 each.
Contact: leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

16 Aug (Sat): Nature Walk in Seletar Camp

Fancy a leisurely walk down country lanes? A peek into kampong gardens? Learning something about the trees, birds and plants along the way? Then I'm sure you'd enjoy Seletar Camp strolls. Our walk leader and Seletar resident Keng Seng is a plant lover and landscape artist, full of knowledge and passion about the plant world. You don't need to bring him a gift, but a big THANK YOU at the end would be a good idea.

Please bring water bottle and hat. For smaller kids, a stroller might be advisable in case they get tired.

Date of next walk: 23 August
Time/duration: 4pm-6pm
Meeting point: Will be announced when you register
Cost: Free, but please take all litter away with you
Contact: Sue - sue@postcardsfromseletar.com OR sms at 91057778

16 Aug (Sat): Walk at the National Orchid Garden

A leisurely stroll through a garden of orchids and other special plants.

This walk is conducted by the volunteers of the Singapore Botanic Gardens and is held every third Saturday of the month.

Time: 9am, 10am, 11am and 4pm, register at Visitor Centre 15 minutes before the tour starts. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis.
Tour duration: One hour.
Cost: While the tour is free, admission charges to the Orchid Garden applies: $5/adult, $1/student, $1/senior citizens (above 60 years) , Child below 12 years - Free
Website: http://www.sbg.org.sg/
Contact: Visitor Services 6471 7361

16 Aug (Sat): Mangrove Walk at Sungei Buloh

Free guided nature walk along the Mangrove boardwalk under shady mangrove trees. Spot mudskippers, crabs and other marine life, learn about our mangroves, enjoy views of the Johor straits.

Suitable for young children.

Registration is not required for small walk-in groups. But each walk is limited to 15 persons per guide and is on a first-come -first-served basis. The walks are weather permitting and may merge with other activities at the Reserve. Those coming with large groups are advised to pre-register.

More about the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on the wildsingapore website and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve website. This walk is conducted by the volunteer guides of NParks' Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and is held every Saturday.

Time: 9.30am and 3.30pm for walk in guests, register at the Visitor Centre.
Tour duration: One to one-and-a-half hours. Suitable for young children.
Entry charges: While the walk is free, admission fees to the Reserve apply: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/student/senior citizen.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: sbwr@pacific.net.sg or call 6794 1401

16 Aug (Sat): Mangrove Walk at Pasir Ris Park

Eppy Walk What exactly is a mudskipper? And who is Fiddler crab or Sesamine crab? Does a dog-faced water snake look more like a dog or a snake? Join the team and discover answers to the questions above and more. And if we’re lucky, we may be able to see some of the seashore animals at the river mouth (depending on the tide conditions).

Suitable for kids.

Registration closes one day before the walk date.

This walk is held every third Saturday. More details on the Pasir Ris Park website.

Time: 9-10am
Venue: Pasir Ris Park, Pasir Ris Green (Carpark C)
Cost: $4/person
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/
Contact: chong_wei_teng@nparks.gov.sg

16 Aug (Sat): M.A.D Nightlife for adults and kids

M.A.D. for the Nightlife! (Adults only)

m.a.d. lessons on nightlife! (Kids only)

Ever wonder what lives in our forests at night? Well, join us and find out!

Cicada Tree Eco-Place, an environmental education NGO, in conjunction with NParks, is happy to present a talk for adults and, concurrently, a kid’s workshop on Singapore’s little-known nocturnal mammals – the slow loris, the pangolin, and the colugo.

Presented by Fam Shundeng and Norman Lim, the talk for adults will highlight the animals’ characteristics, ecology, the threats they face, and how we can make a difference.

Kids will learn about slow lorises, pangolins and colugos too, and make mammal art & craft. All kids will take home their craft.

Admission is FREE for both adults and kids!

Kids' registration is necessary: Please email LIM_Wei_Ling@nparks.gov.sg by Thursday 14 August.

Time: 10am-12 noon
Venue: Function Room, Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Website: http://cicadatree.blogspot.com/

16 Aug (Sat): Volunteer for a day at ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre

Volunteer for a day at the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre (AWRC) and make a difference for wildlife.

Help is needed with the following tasks:
• Cutting grass (shears needed, please bring your own).
• Weeding (gardening gloves needed, please bring your own).
• Watering plants.
• Pruning the nature garden (sweet potato and tapioca).
• General cleaning around the centre.

Things to bring:
- Your own food (Vegetarian only please!).
- Gardening gloves.
- Cloth/rags for cleaning and old newspapers.
- Garden scissors and shears.
- Trash bags.

If you would like to join, please contact Charlene charlene@acres.org.sg and let her know what time you would like to help and how many people will be coming.

ACRES hopes to see you there!

More details on ACRES facebook

Time: 10am to 3pm
Venue: ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre, 91 Jalan Lekar, location map
Website: http://www.acres.org.sg/
Contact: Charlene charlene@acres.org.sg

16 Aug (Sat): The Birthday Party - a guided tour for kids

Sara At The Children’s Garden

Sara is celebrating her baby brother’s birthday party. At the last minute, she realizes she forgot the birthday present! Help Sara search for the perfect gift at the Children’s Garden. Along the way, have a fun and memorable experience in this new Garden dedicated to children.

Suitable for children in K1 – P2 levels.

More details on the Singapore Botanic Gardens workshop page

Time: 10-11am
Cost: $8.50 per child (includes $2.50 “The Birthday Party. Sara at the Children’s Garden” workbook); $6.00 per accompanying parent.
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Bukit Timah Core
Website: http://www.sbg.org.sg/
Contact: 6471 9961 or nparks_sbg_edu@nparks.gov.sg

16 Aug (Sat): Talk on "Special care for your cat" by SPCA

Do you have cats, dogs or small animals like hamsters or rabbits? If you’re taking care of any of these pets, you’d know that they are really adorable companions, but these pets require a lot of time and effort to take care of. Find out what it takes, and how you can ensure that your furry friend is happy. You can look forward to gaining valuable and easy-to-use information, to help you understand your pet better and also learn how to be the best pet owner that you can be. This is your chance to ask questions related to pet caring and a chance to see the animals that are up for adoption at SPCA in person.

Early birds who register will also get a free goodie bag, while stocks last. Brought to you by SPCA.

Registration required, at golibrary.nlb.gov.sg and surf on to ‘Simply’.

This is a seminar, so no pets are permitted at the venues.

Time: 2.30-4pm
Venue: Lecture Hall, Geylang East Community Library
Website and contact: http://golibrary.nlb.gov.sg

16 Aug (Sat): Guided walk at the Sensory Trail, Pulau Ubin

Experience Ubin's wonderful nature through your senses along our Sensory Trail, the trail will brought you to the patch of herbs and spices and a "Secret Garden" to feel the original garden used to be on the island. Much more along the trail for you to explore.

This walk is held every third Saturday of the month.

For more details about this walk, see the NParks website
More about the Sensory Trail on the wildsingapore website and Ubin Volunteers blog


Time: Walks starts 9.30am and lasts for about 1.5 hours. Meet at the Pulau Ubin Main Information Kiosk next to the Ubin Jetty.
Cost: $60 per group of 15 persons, maximum 6 groups
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/
Contact: Jacky Soh jacky_soh@nparks.gov.sg or 65434734

15-16 Aug: Hungry Ghost Festival @ Ubin plus Wayang!

Traditional wayang (Chinese opera) and other Hungry Ghost Festival traditions, as practiced by the villagers.

From Alan Tan to the Pulau Ubin volunteers mailing list:

"It's the time of the year again. This year's celebrations falls on 15 & 16 August..

A great time to learn some Chinese traditions and customs.

Also a great photography opportunity."

More about traditional wayang at Pulau Ubin and more details on the Pulau Ubin Stories blog

More about Pulau Ubin and how to get there and about wayang at Ubin on the wildsingapore website.

Time: wayang from sunset onwards
Venue: Pulau Ubin wayang stage

16 Aug (Sat): "Remember Chek Jawa" DVD Official launch


"Remember Chek Jawa" a film by Eric Lim will now be available in DVD. At this launch, various clips from DVD will be shown. Eric (Filmmaker), Joseph Lai (Leader of survey) and Jeffery Low (Blue Water Vounteer) will talk about the film and answer questions. Ten autographed posters will be given away.

Part of DVD sales proceeds will go to local marine conservation work endorsed by Blue Water Volunteers

Time: 2 – 2.45pm
Venu: Kinokuniya Bookstore @ Takashimaya
Website: http://chekjawa.net
Contact: Kenny Lim (Objectifs Films) 82887501

15 Aug (Fri): The Science of Seed Dispersal

a talk by Richard T. Corlett
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, NUS

If a subject interested Charles Darwin, you can be almost certain that it is worthy of further study. His books and personal correspondence show that he was fascinated by seed dispersal and carried out many experiments, some of which were pretty bizarre (like feeding seeds to fish to see if they could then survive passage through the guts of a heron).

Dispersal biology has fascinated many great biologists since Darwin and the classic synthesis by Henry Ridley – based to a large extent on his experience as Director of the Botanic Gardens in Singapore – is still worth reading, nearly 80 years after it was first published.

As ecology became a Science, however, dispersal biology tended to be dismissed as mere natural history: too idiosyncratic and unpredictable for serious scientific study. Over the last decade or so, two things have brought dispersal biology
back into the centre of ecology.

Firstly, dispersal limitation – the fact that no plant manages to disperse its seeds to all sites where they could potentially grow - has become central to modern theories of species coexistence. Secondly, ecologists have begun to realize that the dispersal services Darwin and Ridley took for granted are now threatened by the extinction of many of the animal species on which they depend. These twin concerns have encouraged the application of a range of new techniques to seed dispersal studies. As a result we can now start putting numbers on some of the things that Darwin speculated about.

And, hey, it’s still cool stuff.

Missed the talk? No fret, there's a wonderful write up of the talk by Marcus Ng on the annotated budak blog: "Missing in action: Megafauna and seed dispersal in Asia's empty forests"

Time: 4pm
Venue: LT 20, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore

15-16 Aug: Hungry Ghost Festival @ Ubin plus Wayang!

Traditional wayang (Chinese opera) and other Hungry Ghost Festival traditions, as practiced by the villagers.

From Alan Tan to the Pulau Ubin volunteers mailing list:

"It's the time of the year again. This year's celebrations falls on 15 & 16 August..

A great time to learn some Chinese traditions and customs.

Also a great photography opportunity."

More about traditional wayang at Pulau Ubin and more details on the Pulau Ubin Stories blog

More about Pulau Ubin and how to get there and about wayang at Ubin on the wildsingapore website.

Time: wayang from sunset onwards
Venue: Pulau Ubin wayang stage

13 Aug (Wed): MAD lesson on Butterflies and Moths

In this hands-on lesson on butterflies and moths, kids will learn about the diversity of butterflies and moths we have in Singapore, the differences between butterflies and moths, their ecology -- life cycle, where they live, what they eat, what may eat them. Get to know how to easily attract butterflies and moths to gardens at home, in school or in neighbourhoods!

This MAD lesson will also include information about global warming and our carbon footprint and kids will leave the lesson with a pledge to do easy eco-actions daily in their lives so as to be part of the solution to protect our environment and wild habitats.

This environmental education program is suitable for kids aged 5 to 10, from kindergarten to primary school.

Through MAD lessons for wildlife, kids will learn about “OOH--Our Only Home” (Planet Earth) by learning about animals, plants and ecology in a session of 1.5 hours. They will also learn about our “warming world” and our carbon footprint and how this affects the lives of plants, animals, humans and our environment. Kids will learn easy eco-actions to make a difference for earth.

A button-badge and an information pamphlet will be given to all registered kids.

Enquiries and registration leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

Make A Difference! MAD lessons on wildlife by Cicada Tree Eco-place and generously supported by Intel will be conducted at the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.

Time: 2.30-4.30pm
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Cost: Kids pay $15 for a 1.5 hour session at the Children's Garden. Maximum number for a group sign-up (e.g. school groups and groups from organizations) is 20 and minimum fee to run is $300 (even if a group is less than 20 kids). For weekend individual sign-ups, kids pay $15 each.
Contact: leopardcat@pacific.net.sg

12 Aug (Tue) onwards: Cyrene Reef exhibit at the Raffles Museum

Singapore’s Natural Heritage - Cyrene Reef

Located west of Labrador Beach, between Pulau Bukom and Jurong Island, Cyrene Reef is situated in the middle of a busy shipping lane. The wonders of this reef are only reveal at low tides. Flaunting a long sand bar flanked by lush sea-grass meadows and lagoons of coral rubble, Cyrene Reef is rich in marine diversity despite its proximity to offshore refineries and other developments.

This small exhibit showcases the beauty of Cyrene Reef and its inhabitants.

from the RMBR news blog

More about Cyrene Reef.

More about the RMBR public gallery and how to get there.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9am-5pm
(Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays)
Location: Block S6, Level 3, National University of Singapore, Science Drive 2
Website: http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/
Contact: 6516-5082

4-10 Aug: Highlights of the week ahead

This week's special event is our National Day. And the marine community celebrates our nation’s priceless reefs with Reef Celebrations! Everyone is invited! With fun activities for the kids, special talks and many exciting exhibits.

In the forests, join the guided walk at the Botanic Gardens Rainforest Trail and at MacRitchie Prunus Trail.

In the mangroves, join the guided walks at Sungei Buloh on Saturday and Sunday.

Other special environmental events include:
Upcoming events!
Visit the wildsingapore happenings blog for a full listing of upcoming events for the next three weeks and to search for events by your area of interest.

This beautiful photo by Debby Ng of the Hantu Bloggers is the photo of the week. Our wild reefs at Pulau Hantu are very much alive!

IMG_6393 colour, originally uploaded by Debby Ng, Hantu Blogger.