wild happenings in singapore

9 Aug (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 a boardwalk, 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.

Tours in Mandarin are available at 10am and 4pm.

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

9 Aug (Sat): A walk with your neighbours - the macaques of Bukit Timah

The long-tailed macaques at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve are commonly seen, but often misunderstood. Few know about the social world of these monkeys. They have family members, power struggles, friends, foes, and a complex social network. In many ways, they mirror our own social life!

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.

This walk is held every second Saturday of the month.

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

9 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.
Website: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/
Contact: info@sbwr.org.sg or call 6794 1401

28 Jul - 3 Aug: Highlights of the week ahead

For kids and the family

Istana Open House

Walks in wild places

Wild talks

3 Aug (Sun): Birdwatching at Lorong Halus

Open to the Public - Registration Needed

The walk starts at the Punggol Promenade. For years, Little Grebes have made their home in Lorong Halus, an old rubbish dump site. Grassland species like Yellow-bellied Prinia, Munias, Baya Weaver, Long-tailed Shrike and more thrive here. In 2011, PUB completed works to create ‘Lorong Halus Wetland’ to help purify water that flow through the former dump site. Join us for an enjoyable morning of sights and sounds presented by these birds.

Max 30 participants. Please register by 25 July 2014 on the NSS website

Time: 7.30am.
Venue: Meet Wong Chung Cheong beside Popeye Restaurant at Tebing Lane off Punggol East. You can take the MRT to Punggol station, transfer to the LRT, and alight at Riviera LRT station.
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

2 Aug (Sat): Butterfly Walk at Dairy Farm Nature Park

Open to the Public

Join Amy Tsang for a stroll through this wonderful park, host to a great variety of forest and park butterflies. We might encounter beauties such as the gorgeous Common Birdwing, Mormons, Jays and Posies.

Time: 9.30am-12noon
Venue: Meet at Dairy Farm Nature Park Car Park B opposite Petir Road
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

2 Aug (Sat): Istana Open House

The Istana grounds are open to the public in celebration of Hari Raya Puasa and National Day. View the Istana gardens while a variety of performances on the grounds provide entertainment. You may also have the chance to have your photos taken with the President and First Lady when they come by to greet visitors.

There will be guided nature walks by volunteer guides trained by NParks who will share snippets of the Istana’s history and little-known facts of the resident flora and fauna. Highlights of the walk include plants which were a key part of the Istana’s history, such as the nutmeg at the Spice Terrace. Other examples of plants uncommon outside the Istana’s grounds are the Meninjau tree, Nibong palm and the fragrant Bread Flower climber. Visitors may also spot birds like the Oriental Magpie Robin and Lesser Whistling Ducks residing in the grounds, which have long been used as a conservation sanctuary for many species. More details on the NParks website.

Selected function rooms with displays of gifts presented to the President and Prime Minister by foreign dignitaries can be viewed for a fee of $2. All proceeds from entrance fees and the sale of Istana souvenirs will be donated to charity.

More details on the Istana website.

Time: 8.30am - 6pm
Venue: Entrance to the grounds is via the main gate at Orchard Road.
Charges: Admission to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents. Others, including foreign visitors, are charged $1 per person.
Website: http://www.istana.gov.sg/

2 Aug (Sat): Tour of the Healing Garden, Botanic Gardens

A free guided tour of the Healing Garden which showcases over 400 varieties of plants used medicinally.

It is laid out thematically relating to component parts of the body such as head, respiratory and reproductive systems. Spread over 2.5 hectares, this garden is designed as a tranquil retreat with medical plants traditionally used in Southeast Asia as the main focus.

This walk is conducted every first Saturday of the month.

Time: 9am and 10am, please register 15 minutes before the tour
Venue: Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis at the Visitor Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Website: http://www.sbg.org.sg/
Contact: Visitor Services (6471 7361)

2 Aug (Sat): Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh

1 Aug (Fri): Talk: "Leopard Cats in Singapore"

Talk: Leopard Cats in Singapore – Surprising Discoveries in Our Forest, But Here to Stay?

The Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) is Singapore’s last wild cat. After 1968, it seemingly vanished until its reappearance in the late 1990s at isolated localities, sometimes as road kills. In 2010, a nation-wide study was launched to uncover questions about the ecology and genetic status of this mysterious feline. Breeding populations were found in forested human-modified areas of Pulau Tekong and the Western Catchment. However, they are vulnerable to extinction owing to their small population size, as well as evidence suggesting inbreeding in the Pulau Tekong population. Join Marcus Chua as he sheds light on the elusive, nationally-endangered Leopard Cat and discusses what can be done to conserve it.

Time : 7- 8pm
Venue: NSS Office, 510 Geylang Road, #02-05, The Sunflower Singapore 389466
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.