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

12 Jun (Sat): All about edible plants - a tour for kids

Learn where healthy, yummy fruits and vegetables come from! Be amazed by the many different types of fruits and vegetables that we have in Jacob Ballas Children's Garden! Give your eyes a visual treat! Join us to learn interesting and amazing fruit and veggie facts.

Suitable for children in K1 - P6 levels.

For enquiry and registration, please contact the Education at 64719961 or nparks_sbg_edu@nparks.gov.sg . Online registration is available on www.sbg.org.sg (under "Education")

Time: 10-11am
Cost: $6 per child and $6 per accompanying parent
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, Bukit Timah Core of the Singapore Botanic Gardens
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

10 Jun (Thu): Let’s Discover Plants & Animals - a guided tour for kids

Apart from plants, we often come across many animals in the Gardens, such as, birds, frogs, squirrels, butterflies, dragonflies, ants, earthworms. Be amazed by the many different types of animals in Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden! Learn fascinating facts about wildlife in the Garden and pick up tips on respecting them in nature and our environment. You may even have the chance to get up-close-and-personal with an oriental whip snake and a monitor lizard too!

Suitable for children in K1 - P6 levels.

For enquiry and registration, please contact the Education at 64719961 or nparks_sbg_edu@nparks.gov.sg . Online registration is available on www.sbg.org.sg (under "Education")

Time: 10-11am
Cost: $6 per child and $6 per accompanying parent
Venue: Jacob Ballas Children's Garden, Bukit Timah Core of the Singapore Botanic Gardens
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

31 May - 6 Jun: Highlights of the week ahead

5 Jun is World Environment Day with lots of nature activities throughout the week and weekend!

For kids and the family

• NSS Kids’ Visit to ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre
• Free Ikea Eco Bus to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve or Lower Peirce Reservoir Park
• HeART for Nature Workshop for kids.
• Our Kitchen Garden Tour at Pasir Ris Park.
• The Art of Paper Folding at Sungei Buloh.
• "Creatures in Nature" Drama workshop for kids.
• All about edible plants - a tour for kids

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!


Special Ubin event!

• 27 May - 2 Jun: Traditional Wayang at Pulau Ubin

Walks in wild places

• Mangrove walk at Sungei Buloh on Saturday with Marine Fish Guided tour and Sunday with special Mandarin tour.
• Edible and Medicinal Plants Tour at the Botanic Gardens.
• Lower Peirce Reservoir Park Hevea Trail - FREE Nature Appreciation Guided Walk.

Talks

• 2 Jun (Wed): "Wildlife of Pulau Ubin through camera traps"
• 5 Jun (Sat): "Our Treasures in the Sea"
• 5 Jun (Sat): "Biodiversity – Many Species, One Planet, One Future"
  
• 5 Jun (Sat): "Spiders – Misunderstood creatures"

Film screening

• 4 Jun (Fri): "Chemerical"

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
• 12 Jun (Sat) and 26 Jun (Sat): Young Naturalist Passport Camp at Sungei Buloh
• 12 Jun (Sat): Getting To Know Our Dipterocarps with Cicada Tree Eco Place

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.
• Young Singaporeans passionate about keeping our heritage alive Desire to save aspects of history before they disappear altogether Tan Dawn Wei Straits Times 30 May 10;
• Temples refrain from releasing animals on Vesak Day Ting Kheng Siong Channel NewsAsia 28 May 10;
• NParks' green commitment Straits Times 28 May 10;
• Woodlands Waterfront promenade launches Phase 1 Tan Weizhen Straits Times 24 May 10;
• Recycling: Time to get our act together Singapore has First World technology but Third World attitudes, Grace Chua Straits Times 25 May 10;

Highlights of Singapore nature blogs

• Oil spill sightings and photos by ordinary people are shared on the Oil Spill Facebook Page
• Make Singapore an endearing home? How about we "cherish and safeguard our built and natural heritage" from Habitatnews
• Sungei Seletar – Rubbish Galore! from News from the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore
• More about cruel 'Animal Liberation': video clips from RazorTV from wild shores of singapore
• Sad Scene of Sharks @ Semakau from Where Discovery Begins
• Been to Cyrene: "Yoga sea stars!" from Cyrene Reef Exposed!
• My first trip to Pulau Tekukor from wonderful creation
• Been to Cyrene: "Magic in my own backyard" from Cyrene Reef Exposed!
• Hantu Dive! from Pulau Hantu
• World Biodiversity Day at Chek Jawa Boardwalk from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Photo of the week is the heart-breaking sight of oil on Chek Jawa shared by Hang Chong on the Oil Spill Facebook Page which has the latest updates on the oil spill on many other Singapore shores too.

6 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.

Special mandarin guided walk at 9.45-11.30am.

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

6 Jun (Sun): The Art of Paper Folding at Sungei Buloh

Would you like to learn how to fold these cute little frogs?
And not just frogs, you can get to learn how to fold many more interesting creatures, or even boats which we used to fold during our childhood days! This is a good opportunity for us to bring ourselves back to our childhood days, or to pass on the skill to our children, or a new skill for us to pick up and pass on to others.

Origami is not only fun, but is also an artistic way of interpreting animals, plants, objects, or basically anything you can think of!

The focus of this origami workshop will be on animals that can be found in our nature areas.

For more details see the Purple Mangroves blog.

Time: 2-3.30pm
Venue: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, meet at the Information Counter at the Visitor Centre
Entry charges: While the event is free, admission fees to the Reserve apply: $1 per adult, 50cents per child/student/senior citizen.
Website and contact: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/

5 Jun (Sat): NSS Kids’ Visit to ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre

ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society) Wildlife Rescue Centre is dedicated to rescuing animals from the cruel illegal wildlife trade in Singapore.

Join us in a meaningful visit to this facility to learn more. There will be exciting talks, videos and interactive activities for children aged 4 to 12 years old that will explain the centre’s wildlife rescue work as well as touch on animal protection issues.

In an outdoor conservation classroom, children will also learn about Singapore’s native wildlife, their plights and how to help them.

Time: 9 am to 11 am. Please register your kids with Gloria at gloria_seow@yahoo.com, stating their names and ages, if you are a NSS member or not, and let us have your mobile number. Parents are encouraged to come along at no charge. Details will be emailed to those who sign up.

Time: 9-11am.
Meet at West Coast Pier near the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club.
Website: http://www.nss.org.sg/
Cost: $5 per child (member) or $10 per child (non-member) will be collected on the spot.
Contact: email contact@nss.org.sg or call 6741 2036.

5 Jun (Sat): Free Ikea Eco Bus to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve or Lower Peirce Reservoir Park

Come join us on the World Environment Day!

Hop onto the Bio-Diesel bus at Ikea and enjoy the free ride and guided tour to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve or Lower Peirce Reservoir Park with your friends and family the green way!

Be dressed comfortably for this activity and bring along some drinks in a reusable bottle to stay hydrated throughout the activity.

Register online at http://www.ikea.com.sg/en/about-ikea/responsibility/local-initiative/2010/world-environment-day.asp to book your place. Hurry, slots are booked on a first-come-first-served basis!

Session 1: Ikea Tampines (10am) - Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve (12noon) - Ikea Tampines
Session 2: Ikea Tampines (2:30pm) - Lower Peirce Reservoir Park (4:30pm) - Ikea Tampines
Session 3: Ikea Alexandra (10am) - Lower Peirce Reservoir Park (11:45am)- Ikea Alexandra
Session 4: Ikea Alexandra (2:30pm) - Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve(4:30pm)- Ikea Alexandra

Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

5 Jun (Sat): HeART for Nature Workshop for kids

This 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 to register for the activity.

Time: 9am - 10am
Venue: Lower Pierce Reservoir Park (big shelter next to fishing ground)
Website and contact: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/

5 Jun (Sat): Talk on "Biodiversity – Many Species, One Planet, One Future

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is ‘Many Species, One Planet, One Future’. In line with this theme, you can learn more about the biodiversity of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and of Singapore at this talk, in the main areas of flora, fish, birds and insects/spiders.

There will also be an exhibition of the spiders of Sungei Buloh, on until 30 Jun.

Time: 2-3.30pm
Venue: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve - Threatrette
Website and contact: http://www.sbwr.org.sg/