Led by Ho Wah Loong of The Nature Ramblers, we will stroll through kampong trails where local fruits like the durian, rambai, chempedak, jackfruit and mango grow wild. If we are lucky, we might even pick and taste some of these. The second part will see us ambling through the countryside on the way to Zhenghua Park. Bring along your binoculars and camera for a spot of birdwatching and wildflower photography. Meet at 7.30 am at the carpark of Bukit Timah Hawker Centre. This 8km/4hour ramble ends at Zhenghua HDB estate.

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Title: Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research
Date: Sat 25 July 2009
Time: 8:00 am
Meet at: Kranji Road
Organiser : Dr Hsu hsu_chia_chi @hotmail.com
Register with Dr Cartwright-Taylor at cartwrighttaylor@gmail.com, stating your name, if you are a NSS member or not, affiliations (eg. school/company), experience (if any) and contact details.

Join us for this monthly mission to rescue and study the Mangrove Horseshoe Crab (HSC). We have also started an ongoing HSC Training & Accreditation Programme for anyone keen to be a qualified HSC R&Rer. Meet at the extension of Kranji Road, at the junction with Kranji Loop at 8 am. Take bus 925 from Kranji MRT station and alight at the Chinese temple along Kranji Loop, cross the road and look for the nameless track that starts beside Leong Soon Pte Ltd (251 Kranji Road). We recommend that you bring a cap, shoes/booties, sun block, repellent, cutter (for HSC rescue) and camera. Washing facilities available.
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Title: Birdwatching at the Botanic Gardens
Date: Sat 25 July 2009
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Visitor Centre of the Botanic Gardens

Meet Chung Cheong at the Visitor Centre of the Botanic Gardens at 4 pm. We will take a late afternoon walk (2 to 3 hours) through one of the best botanical gardens in the region. Many species of birds make this place their home and we might spot colourful ones like the Long-tailed Parakeet, Crimson Sunbird, Banded Woodpecker, Common Iora, Pink-necked Green Pigeon and Stork-billed Kingfisher. We might even see some early bird migrants.
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Title: NSS Kids’ Fun with Colourful Crabs at Chek Jawa
Date: Sun 26 July 2009
Time: 8:00am
Meet at: Changi Point Ferry Terminal
Coordinator: Gloria Seow gloria_seow@yahoo.com,

Colourful pincers waving in the air, feeding crabs are everywhere. Plenty of multi-coloured fiddler crabs colonise the mangroves and beaches of Chek Jawa (Pulau Ubin), clothed in electrifying colours if you care to look closely. Help Tan Hang Chong and Timothy Pwee spot these tiny crustaceans and learn fascinating facts like how their burrowing promotes nutrient cycling. We will also get to observe the much talked about marine life of Chek Jawa which will be exposed during the low tides. Meet at 8 am at the Changi Point Ferry Terminal. You will need to bring $9 per person to cover the return ferry fares to Pulau Ubin ($5) and the return van ride to Chek Jawa ($4), excluding registration fees. Please register your kids (4 to 12 years old) at gloria_seow@yahoo.com, stating their names and ages, if you are a NSS member or not, your mobile number, and if you need us to provide binoculars or not (to see the tiny crabs). A fee of $5 per child (member) or $10 per child (non-member) will be collected on the spot. Parents are encouraged to come along at no charge. Details will be emailed to those who sign up.

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Title: The Joys of Dipterocarps Part IV
Date: Sun 26 July 2009
Time: 3:00 pm
Meet at: Visitor Centre of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
No registration needed

Enjoy a view from Singapore's culminating point with Shawn Lum. We will see and learn more about our tallest and most distinctive primary forest trees at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR). The dipterocarps in hill forests such as BTNR differ somewhat from lowland ones such as the forest we saw at MacRitchie in June. We have one of Singapore's oldest trees, a 360 year old Seraya (Shorea curtisii), growing at Bt Timah. This time we hope to get twirling helicopter seeds floating down to greet us! Meet at 3 pm at the Visitor Centre of BTNR.

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Title:Pulau Ubin Ramble
Date: Sat 22 August 2009
Time: 8:00 am
Meet at: Pulau Ubin Jetty
Organiser : Dr Ho Hua Chew

Led by Dr Ho Hua Chew of The Nature Ramblers, we will visit less-frequented trails to savour the rustic charms of Malay kampongs and their surrounding fish ponds, coconut groves and fruit trees. The highlight of this 8km/4hour ramble is a visit to Chek Jawa where we can admire its marine treasures from the boardwalk, and climb its tower for a bird’s eye view of the surrounding mangrove swamps. Meet at 8 am at the Pulau Ubin Jetty. Participants will have to take the ferry from the Changi Point Ferry Terminal. Not suitable for children below 12 years old.

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Title:Plant Walk at Upper Seletar Reservoir Park
Date: Sat 22 August 2009
Time:9:30 am
Meet at: viewing tower of Upper Seletar Reservoir
Organiser: Dr Shawn Lum

See more dipterocarps and other distinctive forest species at Upper Seletar Reservoir Park with Shawn Lum. We will come across examples of secondary forest, primary forest, and even a freshwater swamp forest. The edge of the Reservoir also affords a panoramic view of a key part of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. With luck, we might observe some interesting insect and vertebrate life as well. Meet at 9.30 am at the viewing tower of Upper Seletar Reservoir.

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Title:Birdwatching at Bukit Brown
Date: Sun 23 Aug 2009
Time:8am
Meet at: Junction of Sime Road and Kheam Hock Road
Organiser: Wing Chong

Meet Wing Chong at the junction of Sime Road and Kheam Hock Road at 7.30 am, near the entrance to the historical Bukit Brown Chinese cemetery. We will take a casual walk around this unique and quiet corner of Singapore. The area is well-covered with huge trees and other vegetation. Expect to see a mix of parkland, open country and forest birds such as babblers, bulbuls, doves, flowerpeckers, parakeets, sunbirds and woodpeckers.

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Title:Debate and Public Forum on Sharks and Shark’s Fin
Date: Fri 28 August 2009
Time:7:30pm
Venue: Training Room P303, Spring Singapore, 2 Bukit Merah Central, Singapore 159835.
Chaired by Dr Shawn Lum

Are sharks killed mainly for their fins, their meat or both? Some believe that it is western propaganda that sharks are killed mainly for their fins, saying instead that they are slaughtered chiefly for their meat. However, the majority viewpoint is that the demand for shark’s fin is the key factor driving sharks towards extinction. Hear both sides of the story and watch the exciting debate between proponents of the two camps. The debaters include Dr Giam Choo Hoo, an Asian representative at CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) meetings, and Louis Ng, Executive Director of ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society). This debate and public forum will be chaired by Dr Shawn Lum, President of NSS, and is open to all including NSS members, the public and the media. Venue: to be announced on the NSS website and various email loops one week before the date of the debate. The venue can also be checked by calling the NSS office.

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Title:International Coastal Clean-up Singapore 2009
Date: Sat 5 September 2009
Time:3.30 pm
No registration required

The International Coastal Clean-up, coordinated by The Ocean Conservancy, conducts the world’s largest effort to clean, categorize and record the manmade waste present at shores and water bodies around the world on one September day every year. Since 1992, Singapore has shown solidarity with thousands of individuals and organizations worldwide by participating in this massive litter picking and cataloging exercise. Log onto coastalcleanup.nus.edu.sg for more information.

This year, NSS will support International Coastal Clean-up Singapore (ICCS) by sprucing up the Mandai mudflats, which is our regular horseshoe crab monitoring site. Time: 4 to 6 pm. If you can help, please register with Dr Hsu at hsu_chia_chi@ hotmail.com stating your name, if you are a NSS member or not, affiliations (eg. school/company), experience (if any), contact details and if you need car pooling from the Kranji MRT station or if you can provide car pooling.

Meet at the extension of Kranji Road, at the junction with Kranji Loop. Car parking is available at the hawker centre next to this junction. As for car pooling (both drivers and passengers), please meet at the Kranji MRT station’s taxi stand at 3.30 pm. Alternatively, take bus 925 from Kranji MRT station and alight at the Chinese temple along Kranji Loop, cross the road and proceed down the nameless track that starts beside Leong Soon Pte Ltd located at 251 Kranji Rd.

Please bring along drinking water, cap, covered shoes/booties, sun block, and plastic bread wrappers as makeshift gloves or heavy duty gloves. In addition, you might want to take with you gardening cutters, a change of clothes and camera. Washing facilities available.

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Title:6th Fall Migration Bird Census
Date: Sunday 6 September 2009
Time:7.30 am
Registration: Send an email to coordinator Lim Kim Seng at ibisbill@yahoo.com before 31 August 2009.

In September 2004, we conducted our first bird census covering the autumn migration period, something we had not done before. Fifty-five people were involved in the island wide effort counting at 25 sites. This census yielded 8,035 birds from 135 species, approximately 35% of Singapore’s avifauna. Last year, we recorded 6,864 birds from 129 species. Will we see a decline or upsurge in 2009? Join us for this important census and help determine the trends affecting our wild birds. All birdwatchers are welcome. The census will start at 7.30 am and finish at 10.30 am. If you can help, please email coordinator Lim Kim Seng at ibisbill@yahoo.com before 31 August 2009.

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Trips Abroad


Title: 2D/1N Sedili Kechil Nature Trip
Trip Dates: 18 to 19 July 2009
Cost: SGD$190 per pax (including insurance, guide, accommodation, meals and transport.)
Minimum Group Size: 10
Closing Date: 11 July 2009

Organiser: Sutari bin Supari Tel: 6283-5069, HP: 9770-0432, or email sutari@gmail.com
The Sedili Kechil river is flanked by lush mangrove forests with a distinct gradation of riverine vegetation and freshwater swamp forest. Its untouched beaches and idyllic kampung life are amongst some of its attractions. We can enjoy various activities here such as a leisurely river cruise, birdwatching, stargazing, firefly cruise and sampling of its local delicacies.
Sedili Kechil hosts a rich biodiversity such as the playful Smooth Otter, riverine prawn, varieties of freshwater fishes and many species of birds like the beautiful Mangrove Flycatcher, Mangrove Pitta, Mangrove Whistler and Malaysian Plover. Its mudflats are teeming with crabs, sea shells, snails and crustaceans. The "Pelaga" or the uncommon giant Malayan Fighting fish is also found here.
Accommodation at Tg Sutera Resort.
For more details, please contact Sutari bin Supari at Tel: 6283-5069 or HP: 9770-0432, or email him at sutari@gmail.com.

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Title: 3D/2N Kuala Selangor Nature Trip
Trip Dates: 14 to 16 August 2009
Cost: SGD$290 per pax (including insurance, guide, accommodation, meals and transport.)
Minimum Group Size: 10
Closing Date: 8 August 2009

Organiser: Sutari bin Supari Tel: 6283-5069, HP: 9770-0432, or email sutari@gmail.com
Kuala Selangor Nature Park boasts 800 acres of mangrove and secondary forests situated at the mouth of the Selangor River, ideal for a quiet and relaxed getaway. The park is operated by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).
In the day, there will be nature walks along the park trails, tower and boardwalks where animals like the Silver Leaf Monkey and Smooth Otter are commonly encountered, as well as a visit to Bukit Melawati with its royal mausoleum and lighthouse. Come evening, we will drop by the Kampung Kuantan Fireflies Sanctuary to witness a scintillating and synchronized display of thousands of flashing fireflies. At nightfall, we can enjoy views of the Milky Way in a stargazing session. We can also look forward to a seafood dinner at the famous fishing village of Pasir Penambang. If time permits, a visit to the Sekincan rice field for some birdwatching can be arranged. Accommodation will be at MNS operated dormitory and chalets.
For more details, please contact Sutari bin Supari at Tel: 6283-5069 or HP: 9770-0432, or email him at sutari@gmail.com.

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Title: 4D/3N Endau Rompin Nature Park with Raja
Trip Dates: 5 to 8 September 2009
Cost: SGD$280 per person which covers travel by train and road, meals, accomodation, guided tour, insurance etc
Minimum Group Size: 20
Closing Date: 8 August 2009
Organiser: S.Rajamanickam. Email: sithuraja@hotmail.com

Apply on All-Purpose Form. Make a cheque out to Nature Society Singapore and mail it to

   S.Rajamanickam
   61 Chestnut Crescent
   Singapore 679412

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