Come learn about our mistletoes from Francis Lim, author of
The Singapore Mistletoe Story.
Not many people are aware that a unique family of plants, the mistletoes, can be found in tropical Singapore. Francis Lim will uncover the mistletoe magic and their colourful lives in his talk, and touch on the myths and legends surrounding these semi-parasitic plants as well as their purported medicinal value. He will also relate his many encounters and adventures in his quest to find some of the elusive mistletoes, and summarize the distribution of the 8 mistletoe species currently existing in Singapore, of which several are critically endangered.
He will also talk about the many small communities of animals that rely on the mistletoes for food and shelter, ranging from mammals, birds to numerous invertebrates. Lastly, Francis will touch on the general status of the mistletoe conservation, and how one can collect, preserve and display mistletoe specimens, which will be valuable for the garden hobbyists and botany classes.
About Francis Lim
Francis Lim is, foremost, a zoologist at heart, having spent almost four decades working in the zoology department at the Singapore Zoo. Though he retired in 2010, his passion for all things of Nature remains undiminished as he pursues his dream of writing and conducting outreach programs for educational institutions in Singapore. Francis has published a number of scientific papers and articles in journals and magazines as well as several books, including Once a Zookeeper.
About The Singapore Mistletoe Story
The Singapore Mistletoe Story is an account of a personal quest to seek out and document the varieties and lives of mistletoes. It is a journey of discovery of the many fascinating features of this enduring species—their semi-parasitic nature, where they are found, how they reproduce and the myriad remarkable communities whose lives have become intertwined with it. The author’s numerous mistletoe-spotting adventures present an infectious read. Lavishly illustrated with nearly a hundred pictures, this volume is like a botanical novel. Gardeners, field botanists, teachers and students will find it a valuable and fruitful addition to their collection. See also this review of the book on the
Bird Ecology Study blog.
Time: 3pm
Venue: Select Books, 51 Armenian Street, Singapore 179939, Tel: 6337 9319
This one day camp encompasses a series of fun-filled and educational indoor and outdoor learning of the wetlands and nature conservation issues through worksheets, nature walks and hands-on activities. Children will earn a stamp for every completed activity, and a full collection of stamps will earn them a series of cloth badges. 
