12 May (Sat): Be a Chek Jawa nature guide!

Update: This event is postponed due to low response. The volunteers will now do a public walk instead.

No prior experience is needed. Families welcomed to volunteer as a group.  Join this Naked Hermit Crab familiarisation tour in May so you can volunteer with the Chek Jawa Open House in June.

Volunteers making a difference for Chek Jawa!

Sign up now online! Registration closes on 9 May (Wed).

More details on the Naked Hermit Crab blog.

30 Apr - 6 May: Highlights of the week ahead

Holiday special

• 1 May (Tue): Istana Nature Guided Walk

For kids and the family

• Craft with us for kids at Jurong Lake Gardens

Walks in wild places

• Love MacRitchie Walk by Toddycats - Venus Drive
• What's in my mangroves?
• Healing Garden Tour

Make a wild difference

• Mangroves cum Coastal Clean-Up at Ubin

Wild talk

• 5 May (Sat): Talk on "Befriending the Bees"

Go wild on your own!

This long weekend, why not explore our wild places free-and-easy? Great destinations include Pulau Ubin and a wide range of seashores, mangroves and forest destinations. Download NParks' DIY guides to explore some parks and nature places on your own.

A tip for long weekends

Our wild places and parks can get VERY crowded on long weekends. The best way to avoid the crowds is to arrive early in the morning and leave early. Our wildlife is generally more active in the morning too!


MORE events next week

MORE events for the month ahead.

6 May (Sun): Mangroves cum Coastal Clean-Up at Ubin

Open to the Public - Registration Needed

Pulau Ubin is designated as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area. In line with the Restore Ubin Mangroves (RUM) initiative, join us as we remove abandoned drift nets and marine debris that choke up Ubin’s coastline. This prepares the selected sites for scientific surveys and RUM works. It ensures that our wildlife have the proper environment to thrive.

More details and registration on the NSS website.

Time: 8.30am - 11am
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

6 May (Sun): Love MacRitchie Walk by Toddycats - Venus Drive

Join the NUS Toddycats of Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in discovering the forest! Learn about amazing plants and animals living in our backyard as part of the Love Our MacRitchie Forest movement.

Come join us and learn about the conservation issues surrounding the proposed Cross Island MRT Line (CRL) through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The forest trail at Venus Loop is a dirt path, which is relatively level and suitable for children and the elderly. Be prepared for some mud.

This guided walk is conducted by volunteers and is free-of-charge. Limited spaces available.

More details and registration online.

Time: 8.30am - 11.30am
Venue: Windsor Nature Park's drop off point, Venus Drive
Website: http://lovemacritchie.wordpress.com/

6 May (Sun): Tour of St John's Island Trail

Update in the NParks website: "Temporary closure notice - The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) had closed part of St John's Island from now till the end of the year arising from the asbestos found in the campsite area. As investigations and works to remove the asbestos are ongoing, the St John's Island trail and the Marine Park Outreach and Education Centre and St John’s Island Trail will be closed until further notice. We seek your understanding for the inconvenience caused."
St John's Island houses the Marine Park Public Gallery, and the western shore of St John's is part of the Marine Park. You can join a free guided tour every first Sunday of every month. Led by volunteers, the 2.8 km St John’s Island Trail has 15 stations highlighting the diversity of flora and fauna as well as the island’s colourful history.

You can also do the trail on your own, download the DIY trail e-guide or grab a copy of the DIY trail guide at the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park Public Gallery.

More details and registration online.

Time: 10am
Website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/

5 May (Sat): Craft with us for kids at Jurong Lake Gardens

Have fun colouring together to learn about the biodiversity around Jurong Lake Gardens! Get crafty with us as we also learn about Paddy the flying Pulai seed and create your very own pop-up craft!

Storytelling at 9am to 9.20am
Craft session from 9.20am to 10am

More details and registration on the NParks website.

Storytelling at 11am to 11.20am.
Craft session from 11.20am to 12pm.More details and registration on the NParks website.

Suitable for kids 3 years old to 10 years old

Venue: Jurong Lake Gardens, Japanese Gardens - GuestHouse
Website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/ For enquiries, please contact JurongLakeGardens@nparks.gov.sg

5 May (Sat): What's in my mangroves?

Mangrove forests are living borders of the freshwater and salt water. Out of 73 true mangroves species worldwide, 22 can be found in Sungei Buloh.

Join this free morning walk and get to know the mangrove trees and plants of Sungei Buloh.

Limited to 20 participants. Register on the the NParks website

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

5 May (Sat): Healing Garden Tour

The Healing Garden 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.

Please note that the Healing Garden is closed every Tuesday, and opened 5am - 7.30pm daily. Admission is free.

Registration is required 15 minutes before the tour at the Visitor Centre. Mandarin tours are only available at 10am. English tours are available for all slots. This tour repeats every First Saturday of the month. More details on the NParks website.

This walk is conducted every first Saturday of the month.

Time: 9am - 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, Nassim Gate
Website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/

5 May (Sat): Talk on "Befriending the Bees"

Bees are the world’s most important pollinators, but they’re also highly misunderstood creatures. Over 100 bee species inhabit our City in a Garden – many of which are colourful, charismatic, and completely safe around people.

This free talk aims to introduce the amazing bees of Singapore, and highlight ways in which we can begin to both enjoy and conserve them.

More details on the NParks website. Direct enquiries to JurongLakeGardens@nparks.gov.sg.

Time:
Venue: Jurong Lake Gardens, Japanese Gardens - GuestHouse
Website:

1 May (Tue): Istana Nature Guided Walk

Sign up for the Nature Guided Walk during the Istana Open House. This guided walk is a collaboration between the President’s Office and the National Parks Board (NParks), which will showcase the Istana’s flora, fauna and biodiversity.

The guided walk starts from 10am to 4pm, and is conducted hourly. Please look out for signs on the Istana grounds to find out where you can register for the guided walk.

More details about the Istana Open House on the NParks website and the Istana website.

Time: 10am to 4pm every hour.
Website: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/