wild happenings in singapore

16 Oct (Sun): Dive Pulau Hantu with the Hantu Bloggers

YES! Singapore has awesome reefs and you can dive them. Join the volunteers of the Hantu Bloggers for a guided dive to see them for yourself. More photos on the Hantu Bloggers.

The Hantu Blog Dives are integral to their work on the island. More than just an educational field trip, their dives are also their primary source of funding to develop and maintain public education work in schools and at national events. By joining their dives, you’ll not only be signing up for an insightful and eye-opening weekend, you’ll also be contributing to our efforts to safe guard Pulau Hantu and its marine life.

More details on the Hantu Bloggers.

16 Oct (Sun): Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research Programme

Open to the Public - Registration Needed

Horseshoe crabs (HSC) are in decline globally due to the loss of habitat, poaching and overfishing. They also get trapped in abandoned fishing nets and need our help to set them free. With such concerns, NSS aims to continually monitor our local HSC population to ensure that they stay around for many generations to come. Things to bring: cap, shoes/booties, sunblock, repellent, cutter for horseshoe crab rescue and camera. Washing facilities available after the event.

More details on the NSS website.

Time: 3.30pm - 6.30pm
Venue: Kranji Loop. Details will be emailed upon successful registration.
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

15 Oct (Sat): Mandarin guided tour at Sungei Buloh

Join us for a morning guided walk around the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

This guided walk is suitable for everyone, including families with children.

The walk will be cancelled in the event of rain. Number of participants is limited to 20 people. Minimum number of participants is 5. Register online.

Time: 9.30 - 11am
Venue: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Visitor Centre. Please meet at the Information Counter, Kranji Way entrance
Website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/

15 Oct (Sat): Birdwatching 101 at Sungei Buloh

Migratory bird season is here again. Every year, thousands of birds escape the cold north to spend the winter months in the warmer southern parts of the earth. Singapore, especially Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, is a favourite stop-over for these birds.

Want to know these birds but don't know how to get started? We are conducting a workshop for the novice. We will spend some time learning bird watching basics like
(1) Learning how to identify birds
(2) Learning how to use a pair of binoculars and the spotting scope to better see the details of birds
(3) Putting these skills into practice

No prior skill/knowledge is required. Come prepared in long sleeved tops and long pants (muted colours preferred). Bring along drinking water, pen and paper.

Limited to 10 participants (suitable for 16 years and above). Registration online.

Time: 9.30am - 11am
Venue: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Wetland Centre.
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

15 Oct (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 boar, 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 with this online form.

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. More on how to get to Pulau Ubin and to Chek Jawa.
Duration: Two hours
Cost: no charge for now, but donations accepted.
Website: http://nakedhermitcrabs.blogspot.com/
Contact: nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

15 Oct (Sat): Kampong Tour at Pulau Ubin

Take a walk with us to experience Ubin's wonderful natural and cultural heritage. The 2.2km trail takes about 2 hours to complete. The tour will start at the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub and take you through the spice trees around Jelutong campsite, Butterfly Hill, Pekan Quarry, Sensory Trail Ponds, Kampong House, Old Bin Kiang School site, Toa Pek Kong Temple and end at the Wayang Stage. You will hear about the use of spices in cooking and the interesting history of the different sites.

Do you know what the Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub was in the 1970s? When was the Toa Pek Kong Temple built? If you would like to know, then this is an excellent introduction to the heritage of the island.

For all ages, children under the age of 13 to be under parental/guardian guidance.

Limited to 4 groups, each group a maximum of 15 people. Register online.

Time: 9.30 - 11.30am
Venue: Meet at Ubin-HSBC Volunteer Hub, a 10-min walk from Ubin Jetty. More on how to get to Pulau Ubin.
Cost: Guided tours charges: SGD$60.00 / Group (for a maximum of 15 people) Only payment via cheque are allowed until further notice. 4 groups per day allowed, each group can accommodate a maximum of 15 people
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

15 Oct (Sat): What's in my sky?

Birdwatchers, join us in this free guided walk and learn to identify many amazing birds of different species that passes through or make Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve their home.

Limited to 20 persons. Register online.

Time: 9.30am - 11am
Venue: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Wetland Centre
Please meet at Information Counter, Neo Tiew entrance
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

3 - 9 Oct: Highlights of the week ahead

Walks in wild places

MORE events next week

MORE events for the month ahead.

9 Oct (Sun): MacRitchie Nature Walk with BES Drongos

Join the volunteers of BES Drongos on a remarkable adventure through the stunning forests in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve along the well-trodden Petai Trail!

The BES Drongos are a group of nature lovers from the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) programme at the National University of Singapore (NUS) who have come together to manage guided walks open to everyone and anyone. We want to bring people to appreciate and understand local biodiversity and our ecological systems in Singapore through our guided walks on the Petai Trail at Macritchie Reservoir Park.

More information and registration online.

Time: 8.45am to 12noon
Website: http://besdrongos.wordpress.com/

8 Oct (Sat): Nature and Landscape Sketching at Bukit Batok Nature Park

Open to the Public - Registration Needed

Join artist Alpana Ahuja and Van Wangye for a fun and casual site drawing session at Bukit Batok Nature Park. Meet fellow nature art lovers to observe and sketch the park's beautiful landscape and biodiversity. No drawing experience is necessary.

More details on the NSS website.

Time: 8.30 - 10.30am
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.