7-13 Jun: Highlights of the week ahead

Now open for booking, Chek Jawa intertidal walks for Jul-Dec 2010. More details on the NParks Chek Jawa page and wild shores of singapore.

For kids and the family

• Getting To Know Our Dipterocarps: Elders Of Our Forest at Yishun Park
• All about edible plants a tour for kids
• Let’s Discover Plants & Animals a guided tour for kids
• Young Naturalist Passport Camp at Sungei Buloh

Planning for the June school holidays? Publicised events for all of June have been uploaded on the blog! Here's some highlights. Or see the full list and register early for your favourite activities!

Walks in wild places

• Trees of the Fort
• Forest walk at the Botanic Gardens Rainforest Trail
• Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh on Saturday and Sunday.

Other walks

• Wallace Education Centre Gallery walk

Other outdoor events

• 13-27 Jun: Fly High @ West Coast Park - kite-flying for everyone.

For Nature Society members only

• Birdwatching at Pulau Ubin

Registration now open

• 27 Jun (Sun): Dive Pulau Hantu with the Hantu Bloggers
• 26 Jun (Sat): Walk on The Wild Side! with Cicada Tree Eco Place
• 20 Jun (Sun): Fabulous Frogs & Terrific Toads! a night workshop for kids
• 19 Jun Sat and 20 Jun (Sun): Bugs & Slugs! What's Wild at HortPark?
• 19 Jun (Sat): Bats are beautiful! a night workshop for kids

Other on-going events and announcements

• Video competition - "Love Green: Just Bin it" closing date 27 Jun.
• BiodiverCity Voters' Choice competition closing date 20 Jun.
• From 1 Jun: Free entry to National Heritage Board Museums

Highlights of Singapore nature news

• Get updates on the oil spill off Changi East on the Oil Spill Facebook Page or via wild shores of singapore and wildsingapore news.
• Weather causes 30% drop in durian output in Johor Moh Farhaan Shah, The Star 7 Jun 10;
• Green shoots in Singapore Venessa Lee Today Online 5 Jun 10;
• 'We're environmentally pampered' A chat with Howard Shaw, executive director of the S'pore Environment Council by Venessa Lee Today Online 5 Jun 10;
• Probe into illegal sale of bear parts at expo Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 3 Jun 10;
• Silence the sand critics The authorities should take this chance to refute inaccuracies, be proactive Letter from Eugene Tay Tse Chuan Today Online 2 Jun 10;
• Sand import controls in place: JTC Jessica Cheam Straits Times 2 Jun 10;
• Singapore Tries to Green Up Its Act David Fogarty The New York Times 30 May 10;

Highlights of Singapore nature blogs

• Oil spill: What long term effects on our marine life? from wild shores of singapore
• World Environment Day - Coastal Cleanup - Marine threats from Psychedelic Nature
• Malaysian Railway land is a ready-made green corridor from Habitatnews
• World Environment Day @ Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve from colourful clouds
• Life History of the Striped Albatross from Butterflies of Singapore
• Two Common Blues @ Toa Payoh Town Park from Beauty of Fauna and Flora
• A Tinsel Surprise from Butterflies of Singapore
• Coral bleaching on our Southern shores? from wild shores of singapore
• Admiralty Park the Macro Haven from Macro Photography in Singapore
• Nature lovers band together amidst oil spill tragedy from Celebrating Singapore's BioDiversity!
• Toddycats reports from Operation No Release 2010 from Toddycats!
• Sad Scene of Sharks @ Semakau from Where Discovery Begins
• Spectacular coral reef of Kusu from wonderful creation
• Adventure on Pulau Jong from Nature's Wonders

Photo of the week is this poor anemone fish in a bleaching sea anemone. This was one of the many photos Karenne Tun shared of bleaching at Pulau Hantu and Raffles Lighthouse. Bleach Watch Singapore has more about coral bleaching on Singapore's reefs and what this means.

13 Jun (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: info@sbwr.org.sg or call 6794 1401

13-27 Jun: Fly High @ West Coast Park

Come down this June holidays to learn how to make a kite! Make your own little kite, personalise it and watch it fly high on our Grand Lawn! This workshop also features demonstration of stunt kites by professionals!
To register, please contact Lili at lin_lili@nparks.gov.sg. Registration closes 3 days before the workshop or when the class is full.

Time: 3-4.30pm
Venue: West Coast Park - Grand Lawn Stage (near playground and carpark 3)
Cost: $3.50/person
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

13 Jun (Sun): Birdwatching at Pulau Ubin

for Nature Society (Singapore) members only

Ali Jaffa leads the trip. We will take a bumboat to Pulau Ubin, an island that never fails to surprise, with many new sights to discover. Here, we will look for specialties of this island including the Red Junglefowl, Oriental Pied Hornbill and globally-endangered Straw-headed Bulbul.


Time: 7.30am. Meet at Changi Jetty.
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

12 Jun (Sat): Young Naturalist Passport Camp at Sungei Buloh

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.

Limited to 40 children between the age of 6-10 years old. Registration is required.

More information on the programme and registration form on the Reserve website.

Time: 9am- 5pm
Cost: Each participant needs to purchase a young naturalist passport from the Visitor Services Counter at 50 cents. Registration of $5 is applicable, and cheques will be returned upon attendance and completion of the camp. The fee will be donated to the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve education fund if the child fails to turn up for the camp upon registration and confirmation. Admission charges (50 cents per child) apply.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: 67941401

12 Jun (Sat): Wallace Education Centre Gallery walk

Learn more about our forests, from the 18th century until today and find out how you can play a part in biodiversity conservation.
This guided walk is held every second Saturday of the month.

More details about the Wallace Education Centre on the NParks website.

Please call 3 days in advance at 65545127 to register for the walk.

Time: 9.30-10.30am
Venue: Dairy Farm Nature Park, Wallace Education Centre
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

12 Jun (Sat): Trees of the Fort

Embark on this adventure and discover the secret lives of our heritage trees and more!
Our nature-loving guides from The Green Volunteers will walk you through this public park that has undergone a series of historical transformation through the centuries. Although much of the original vegetation has disappeared due to these changes, active greening efforts have converted this once formidable fort into an idyllic respite from the hustle and bustle of city life amidst lush and magnificent trees. Meet the Towering Kapok, Flaky Gelam, Gnarled Madras Thorn and many more.

Learn how plants and animals have co-existed and to a certain extent become co-dependant on one another for survival. Immerse yourself in the sounds of nature orchestrated by chirping birds and shrilling cicadas as you walk along the trail.

In a vastly developed urban jungle, Fort Canning offers that unique pocket of biodiversity to appreciate the greenery within our vibrant city.

This is a free public outreach programme in the park, held every second Saturday.

Time: 4-6 pm
Venue: Meet at courtyard, opposite NParks Visitor Centre, Fort Canning Centre
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/
Contact: 6332 1200 or lee_weiling@nparks.gov.sg or or visit thegreenvolunteers.blogspot.com

12 Jun (Sat): Forest walk at the Botanic Gardens Rainforest Trail

A free guided nature walk through a rainforest right in the heart of the city! Along paved trails, under the shade of giant trees, learn about our rainforests, spot forest creatures and strange plants.

Suitable for young children.

More about the Botanic Gardens Rainforest Trail on the wildsingapore website. This walk is conducted by the volunteer guides of NPark's Singapore Botanic Gardens and is held every second Saturday of the month.

A special Mandarin version of this tour is at 4pm.

Time: 9am, 10am, 11am (Enligsh) and 4pm (Mandarin); Register 15 minutes before the tour at the Visitor Centre.
Tour duration: One hour.
Website: http://www.sbg.org.sg/
Contact: Visitor Services, 64717361 or NPARKS_SBG_Visitor_Services@NPARKS.GOV.SG

12 Jun (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: info@sbwr.org.sg or call 6794 1401

12 Jun (Sat): Getting To Know Our Dipterocarps : Elders Of Our Forest at Yishun Park

Calling all 5 to 10 year olds! Come learn about the beautiful and important forest trees at Yishun Park through a nature walk, fun games, animal yoga and story-telling.

You will learn how trees grow, why they are important, and the plants and animals that call trees home.

You will also get a chance to make a difference for our planet Earth by planting a plant which will eventually grow and absorb harmful carbon dioxide, releasing life-giving oxygen, and making planet Earth a better place to live in.

For enquiries and registration, please contact Celine Low at contact@cicadatree.org.sg
Time: 9-11am
Venue: Yishun Park
Cost: $10 per participant
Website: http://www.cicadatree.org.sg