NATURE for kids, schools and
young volunteers


Jan-Feb 2010 AT A GLANCE
Plant Walk at Sentosa Jan 16
Birdwatching at Rifle Range Jan 17
Venus Drive to Bt Timah Ramble Jan 17
Birdwatching at Semakau Jan 30
Birdwatching at Kranji Marshes Feb 6
Plant Walk at Sungei Buloh Feb 7
NSS Kids’ Fun with Migratory Birds Feb 20
Conservation Chat with the Conservation Committee Feb 24
Birdwatching at Semakau Feb 28

APF: Click here to download the All Purpose Form (APF)

TRIPS ABROAD
ORGANISED BY NSS MEMBERS

1D Trekking at Gunung Lambak in Kluang, Johore Feb 27
5D/4N Trip to Kinabatangan River in Sabah Feb 28

NON-NSS ACTIVITIES

For events organised by other nature-related organisations in Singapore, we suggest using Wild Singapore (www.wildsingapore.com) and its news subscription service.

Activities open to the public are specifically indicated as such. For other events, you may become a member using the membership form or register with the Nature Society representative at any official Nature Society event.

For more details,
download Nature News




Online Nature Watching at the NSS Nature Forum

NSS Nature Forum Need expert help to find out the name of a tree that is flowering all over Singapore? Want to learn what are the best books to help identify an insect you photographed? Wonder which DSLR camera and accessories are best for taking close-up nature photos? Want to view albums from an NSS event you attended? There is a new website you can click, to connect with like-minded folks to share and help each other with any nature-related topics – The NSS Nature Forum.
The forum is free-of-charge and open to both NSS members and non-members. It is designed to serve as a virtual gathering place to facilitate discussions, share photos and ideas, ask questions and forge friendships with fellow nature lovers.

The NSS Nature Forum can be accessed from the NSS home page by clicking on the ‘Forum’ link at the top.

We already have more than 100 members and 1,000 postings. What are you waiting for? Register for an account now and experience nature right from your PC!


From Shopping Trip to Nature Trip
The Sunday Times, January 24, 2010

http:\\www.butterflytrail.sg      

"The Nature Society of Singapore is planning to launch in June a 4km-long butterfly trail from the Botanic Gardens to Fort Canning, which they hope will attract a variety of winged beauties.

Can butterflies thrive among the glitzy malls and tall office buildings in Orchard Road? Yes, says a group of nature lovers and butterfly enthusiasts who are working to create an urban butterfly trail. Spearheaded by the Nature Society of Singapore (NSS), the 4kmlong trail starts at the gates of the Botanic Gardens, continues down Orchard Road and ends in Fort Canning Park. It is envisioned as a self-guided walking route that will lead you to 15 butterfly spots. These include tucked-away green oases between the malls, little- known rooftop and private gardens, and public green spaces. Visitors will get specially produced maps to help them navigate their way. ..."

Read the full article here (3.7Mb PDF).


Results of the 26th Singapore Bird Race 2009

#
 Team Name
Num of Species
Full Race
 
1
 Pedal Power
106
2
 Drongos
101
3
 Malay Pot-bellied aughing-thrushes
85
4
 Oriole
63
5
 Aquilas
38
Sunday Race
 
1
 Babblers
87
2
 Falconets
76
3
 Wildbirders
75
4
 birders & 1 hot chick
52
5
 The distracted Novice
28

Congratulations to all the winners and participants. Thanks to our generous sponsors from Swarovski Optik and its agent Cathay Photo.

Lastly to my co-arbitrator Alfred Chia for all the invaluable help.

Reported by Kenneth Kee
Co-arbitrator
Singapore Bird Race 2009
Email : trogon@pacific.net.sg

Read the full 26th bird race report here.


Don't Hold Races in Sensitive Nature Reserves

Published on Oct 31 in Straits Times Forum

I WAS surprised and disappointed to discover that the route of the recently concluded North Face 100 race passed through the core of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Meeting the needs of recreation is important and having a healthy and active nation is a good thing. However, in a small country like Singapore, selecting appropriate venues for any given recreational activity requires understanding, sensitivity and a well-informed populace.

The ultramarathon and training run routes for the race were inappropriate for the following reasons:

  • The law: The National Parks Board Act calls for the protection of the plant and animal life of our nature reserves. While NParks is encouraged to promote recreation in nature reserves, the caveat 'appropriate' is applied. Are high-impact runs an appropriate form of recreation in sensitive nature areas? The Parks and Trees Act also discourages such disturbances.


  • Sustainability: Our rich biodiversity, already squeezed into a limited area, may be harmed by the noise, compaction and erosion that accompany high-impact activities. I have studied the Bukit Timah forest for 20 years, and my professional opinion is that high-impact activities held in high biodiversity areas are not conducive to their conservation.

    • The North Face's website says its 'associates, athletes and customers are...dedicated to preserving the places they explore'. Evidence suggests that reality can fall short of corporate ideals.

  • Limited resource: The largest remaining remnant of the rainforests that clothed Singapore for thousands of years is a mere 0.6 sq km area in the heart of Bukit Timah, the very area the ultramarathon route traversed. Mistreating such a limited resource base is not a prudent way to preserve the crown jewel of our natural heritage.
Living in a small country means we have to accept and work around certain limitations. Just as we cannot realistically convert the entire island back into a wilderness, we also should not expect to hold recreational activities wherever we want. Unfortunately, the ultramarathon organisers were not informed or sensitive enough to select alternative routes.

Shawn Lum
President
Nature Society (Singapore)


Eagles at Changi Airport: Don't gun them down

Published on Oct 30th in Straits Times Forum in response to " Gun Club roped in to keep birds out of Changi airport" article.

I REFER to Monday's report, 'Gun Club roped in to keep birds out of airport'. Shooting the white-bellied sea eagles is not the answer to forestall bird strikes at Changi Airport. It is simply not justified. They are not migratory but are in fact a resident birds numbering fewer than 50 in the wild in Singapore, not thousands.

As the largest bird of prey here, the white-bellied sea eagle was chosen to front our $10,000 Bird Series note to symbolise Singapore's strength, adaptability and independence. They are more often seen fishing in the Strait of Johor and soaring above Pulau Ubin. Changi Airport, with its open grasslands, does not offer food for them and there are no tall trees there for them to perch.

We have recorded smaller migratory kestrels hovering at the perimeter of the airport and the odd common buzzard during the migration period, but none of the resident raptor birds gathers in large numbers there. If this shooting is, as reported, the last resort and a case of need-to shooting, why has this become a regular assignment for the Singapore Gun Club? The Republic of Singapore Air Force has successfully used a remote toy truck to scare away birds in its airfields by broadcasting loud noises and calls of birds in distress.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) should at least consult other stakeholders before giving clearance to the shooting of non-pest bird birds. The Nature Society (Singapore) and other organisations are more than ready to help discuss solutions, once the true nature of problems is identified, but we feel there is much that needs to be clarified to the public by the Singapore Gun Club, Changi Airport Group and AVA if the report was accurate.

Alan OwYong
Chairman, Bird Group
Nature Society (Singapore)

 

NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
TO BE HELD ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, 2009 AT 7.00 PM
AT
MOE Dairy Farm Adventure Centre,Dairy Farm Road
(close to junction with Upper Bukit Timah Road)

The purpose of the Meeting is to discuss and vote on the following Resolution: “That the Proposed Revised Constitution of the Nature Society (Singapore) accepted at the EGM of August 4th, 2007, be revised as per the document dated October 1st, 2009, and headed “Changes required by the Registrar of Societies to the Proposed Revised Constitution accepted at the EGM of August 4th, 2007” A copy of the document referred to in the Resolution is attached. A soft copy of the Proposed Revised Constitution accepted at the EGM of August 4th, 2007, and subsequently accepted by the Commissioner of Charities, MCYS, is available here

Margie Hall,
Honorary Secretary,
October 1st, 2009.


The Story of Semakau Landfill

For those who are interested in the wildlife of both the Semakau Landfill and Pulau Semakau with its rich inter-tidal life on the western shore, this is an excellent introduction with plentiful of beautiful photographs. It covers a wide range of the biodiversity of the area --- mangrove plants, birds, butterflies, corals, inter-tidal life-forms, etc. For a commemorative book on the Semakau Landfill, a system of waste dumping and its history, a rather grey and dull subject, the coverage of the biodiversity is extra-ordinary, taking up to 2/3 of the book pages.


Presentation of 2009 Singapore Blue Plan to Minister for Environment and Water Resources

July 8, 2009

The 2009 Singapore Blue Plan was presented to Associate Professor Ya'acob Ibrahim, Minister for Environment and Water Resources, in his capacity as Co-Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (www.sustainablesingapore.gov.sg) on Sat 23 May 2009 at Envirofest 2009 (envirofest.wordpress.com), HDBHub. Associate Professor Ya'acob was the Guest of Honour at the event. Francis Lee, Chairman, International Year of the Reef 2009 presented the 2009 Singapore Blue Plan to Associate Professor Ya'acob together with other members of the 2009 Singapore Blue Plan present at the event: Professor Peter Ng, Director, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, Dr Beverly Goh, Singapore Institute of Biology, Marine Biologist Chua Sek Chuan, Ms Ria Tan, Mr N Sivasothi and Mr Farid Hamid. The Blue Plan Team will continue to engage Government, NGO and Private Sectors in implementing the recommendations of the 2009 Blue Plan.

>> The 2009 Singapore Blue Plan (3.0MB, pdf)

State of Singapore's Wild Birds and Bird Habitats : Results of the Annual Bird Census 1996-2005

May 23, 2009

Edited by Lim Kim Chuah and Lim Kim Seng . This book contains the results of the second decade of the 24-year old Annual Bird Census,
conducted by NSS since 1986. Trends of the 33 sites counted and 220 bird birds and 43 families recorded are also provided.



The Avifauna of Singapore

May 23, 2009

Written by Lim Kim Seng , with colour photos from well known bird photographer Jimmy Chew and over 100 line drawings from bird artist and birder, Yong Ding Li. 
This book condenses data from Singapore Avifauna, the Bird Group's newsletter, and other known published and unpublished sources, to
provide a complete summary of the status, distribution, breeding seasonality, migration patterns, conservation and museum collections of every wild bird known to have occurred within its territory since records began in the 19th Century.

Both books are now available off the shelf from Nature’s Niche@Orchidville, Sentosa Nature Shop, Botanic Gardens Library and Nature Society (Singapore) office.

Singapore Red Data Book Second Edition Out!

First produced in 1994, the Singapore Red Data Book has become an indispensable reference for the conservation efforts of governmental and non-governmental organisations. It is also a valuable resource for students and researchers of Singapore’s biodiversity. A collaborative product of NSS, NUS & Nparks, this new edition, updated and expanded, is even more relevant and authoritative with a wide range of expert contributors and vibrant images of the threatened birds. As the world becomes increasingly concerned over the effects of climate change and its impact on the future of our natural environment, this book will galvanize more people towards nature conservation and play a key role in shaping the long term future of Singapore's biodiversity.
Available at NSS Office & at Nature Niche.
Price: $20 excluding GST.

Sponsored by SHELL.