10 Dec (Sat); Wild Carnivores at the Library

Come join the Raffles Museum Toddycats and discover Singapore's natural heritage!

The exhibition will showcase animal specimens, skulls, skeletons and even a REAL DINOSAUR BONE. We will also have fun activities and exciting biodiversity talks lined up for the day:

11am "The Secrets of Ubin's wildlife"
12noon "Adventures of the 'Red Jungle Fowl'"
2pm "The Return of the Wild Pig!"
3pm "Stalking the Civets of Siglap"
4pm "Singapore's River Otters"
5pm "The fruit-loving Common Palm Civet"

Venue: Activity Room, Level 1, Geylang East Library
Website and contact: http://toddycats.wordpress.com/

10 Dec (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.

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

10 Dec (Sat): Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research

for Nature Society (Singapore) members only

Join us for this monthly mission to rescue and study the Mangrove Horseshoe Crab (HSC). We have also started an ongoing HSC Training & Accreditation Programme for anyone keen to be a qualified HSC R&Rer. We recommend that you bring a cap, shoes/booties, sun block, repellent, cutter (for HSC rescue) and camera. Washing facilities available.

Pre-registeration required, by clicking on the 'ATTEND' button.

Time: 3.30pm, meet at the extension of Kranji Road at the junction with Kranji Loop. Take bus 925 from Kranji MRT station and alight at the Chinese temple along Kranji Loop, cross the road and look for the nameless track that starts beside Leong Soon Pte Ltd (251 Kranji Road).
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

10 Dec (Sat): Strange Plants Workshop! for kids

Some plants have really strange qualities! Plants like Pitcher Plants, Venue Fly-traps and Sundews eat up bugs, while other plants like Ant Plants and Ant Ferms provide food for bugs which protect them. Some plants have sweet leaves or shoots which may be eaten, while others are poisonous and should never be consumed. In this lesson, kids will learn about the Ant Plant and its symbiotic relationship with ants. Kids will also see examples of useful plants like the Rattan. The lesson will end with a walk in the garden where kids will get to hunt for all sorts of strange plants.

For kids aged 5-10 years. This programme is conducted with Cicada Tree Eco Place and made possible by the Garden City Fund and Sembcorp Industries.

Pre-registration is required and is on a first-come-first-served basis. Registrations close 5 days before each programme. All programmes will only commence with a minimum of 15 participants. To register please contact HortPark Visitor Services at 6471-5601 or NPARKS_HortPark@nparks.gov.sg

Time: 2-4pm
Venue: Greenhouse, HortPark
Cost: $25 per child
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

10 Dec (Sat): HeART for Nature - FREE workshop for kids

This FREE art workshop helps children to delve deep into their hearts to express nature in various themed art activities like drawing, fingerprinting, origami, puppet making. The children will also learn about our natural heritage.
Suitable for children aged 5 to 10 (with parental supervision).

Limited spaces available. Please call 3 days in advance at 65545127  (Mondays to Fridays) to register for the activity.

Time: 10.30-11.30am
Venue: Dairy Farm Nature Park- Wallace Education Centre
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

10 Dec (Sat): Free Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs

The Naked Hermit Crabs introduce you to Chek Jawa without getting your feet wet. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boars, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Not more than five persons in a group, pre-register at nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

More details on the event and how to get to Chek Jawa, Pulau Ubin on the Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs blog.

Time: 9.30am meet at the Chek Jawa Info Kiosk, Pulau Ubin.
Duration: Two hours
Cost: no charge for now, but donations accepted.
Website: http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.com/
Contact: nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

10 Dec (Sat): A walk with your neighbours - the macaques of Bukit Timah

The long-tailed macaques are the most conspicuous animals at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Although commonly seen, they are very misunderstood. Few seeing them realise anything about the social world these monkeys live in. They have kin networks, power struggles, friends, foes, and an otherwise complex social network. In many ways, they provide a mirror of our own sociality.

If you would like to learn more about your community and the interesting world of your neighbouring macaques at Bukit Timah, please join our walk, led by experts in these unique creatures.

Register at sg.monkey.walk@gmail.com, at least 3 days in advance. Do provide us with your name, contact number (in case of cancellation, we will contact you), number of adult and children participants (at most, 5 participants per registration). Upon receiving your registration, we will reply with a confirmation email. The walk will be cancelled if there is bad weather 45 minutes before the walk.

Time: 5-6.30pm
Venue: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (Meeting point is at the Ranger Counter)
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

10 Dec (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.

With free Mandarin guided tour 9.30am to 11.30am. Meet at the Information Counter, Visitor Centre. Please call 67941401 to book this free guided tour. We need a minimum of 5 participants to commence the tour. Limited to maximum 15 participants.

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 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

7 Dec (Wed): Kids visit the Raffles Museum with Cicada Tree Eco Place

Join this guided tour of the museum, highlighting Singapore's incredibly rich biodiversity of fauna and flora, our tropical habitats, conservation issues and animals of Southeast Asia and more! With a special feature on Singapore’s bats.

Although Cicada Tree Eco-Place usually promotes the study and appreciation of living things and living ecosystems, we think that a visit to this museum of dead and preserved animals will give invaluable insights on native biodiversity, many of which are rare or already locally extinct.

Pre-registration is required. Email Celine Low at contact@cicadatree.org.sg giving participants' names, ages and a mobile no.

Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Science National University of Singapore 6 Science Drive 2 Blk S6, #03-01 Singapore 117546 how to get there.
Cost: $15 per kid (max. 20 kids and max. 1 adult accompanying each kid, due to limited gallery space)
Website: http://www.cicadatree.org.sg

28 Nov-3 Dec: Highlights of the week ahead

For kids and the family

• Flights of Fantasy! birdwatching for kids
• Storytime with Sara at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden
• Sungei Buloh Anniversary Walk

The school holidays are here! Lots of biodiversity events for kids and the family, on the Celebrating Singapore's Biodiversity blog. More events especially for kids and the family during the school holidays.

Walks in our wild places

• Exploring back-mangroves! at Admiralty Park
• Fun Walk along the Southern Ridges
• Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh on Saturday and Sunday.

Talks and seminars this week

• 3 Dec (Sat): Talk on "Secret Shores of Singapore" by Ria Tan
• 4 Dec (Sun): Seminar on "Identification, Conservation and Research of Singapore Avian Species"

For Nature Society (Singapore) members only

• Birdwatching at Choa Chu Kang Cemeteries
• Plant Walk at Admiralty Park

Upcoming events!

• Chek Jawa intertidal walks for whole 2012, Jan-Mar dates open for booking from 1 Dec on the wild shores of singapore blog.