Nature Society Singapore

flashback to 1991 ..
one of the last printed items under our old branch name - Malayan Nature Society - a set of fund-raising greeting cards designed by Sutari Supari

Our rewilding project continues unabated by carefully collecting native forest tree saplings from Nparks-approved parks.
At the Pasir Panjang Nursery, these saplings are lovingly replanted in potting bags, where they are tended and watched over as they grow strong.
Once they reach the right height, they are taken offsite to be planted in their new homes, where they can thrive and restore the ecosystem.
This effort requires a permit from Nparks for sapling collection.

sharing about our native biodiversity …

We are pleased to invite you to a research seminar with speakers from SJINML. Our speakers Ms Helen Wong and Dr Lee Bee Yan will be sharing about Singapore's native biodiversity. All are welcome, online!
https://nus-sg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_H7uPMjvpS9-EK4A6ZUI3UA #/registration

Although it has healthy populations in the Indo-Pacific region, and the molluscs have been found on Singapore’s reefs in the past, it is “now exceedingly rare” to see the tiger cowrie.

Native sea snails bred for the first time by marine biologists in Singapore The tiger cowrie is endangered locally due to habitat loss and overharvesting of its shell. Read more at straitstimes.com.

flashback to 2013:
‘Living in a Garden – The Greening of Singapore’ – a new book by Nparks
Photo: page 186-187 (showing Chek Jawa and the Green Corridor Run)

“(the NSS) is a valuable pressure group in society.
They push for their interest and we take their views seriously.
We cannot always accommodate everything they would like us to do in an ideal world, but they remind us what it is that we are giving up when we have to make a choice. And I think we have a good working relationship with many of these groups. We would be the poorer without such passionate people.”
- Lee Hsien Loong, prime minister

a low-down on mushrooms …

Why are Mushrooms Amazing? | 13 Aug, 7.30 pm Learn from sustainability experts!

Happy National Day, everyone! Let us stand united to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage.

our rewilding work included ground preparation such as clearing the elephant grass as well as maintenance - the clearing of overgrown undergrowth vegetation of the newly planted trees

flashback to 2003 …
recorded & compiled by Bird Group’s stalwart Sutari Supari, NSS published ‘Bird Songs of Singapore’ - a recording of 79 of our most vocal bird species.
It provides an identification guide to bird songs heard in the field.
ID narration by Tracy Seah

our new publication 'A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants in Singapore' - available for purchase at Singapore Garden Festival, Suntec

Changi Creek kayak

NSS helped to organise a kayak trip into Changi Creek to do a quick survey of the flora & fauna recently.

Sungai Changi, also known as Changi Creek, is a short river situated at the northeastern end of Singapore. The estuary is home to the Changi Point Ferry Terminal, the departure point for bumboats to Pulau Ubin. Despite redevelopment, the original coastline and the lower creek alignment have largely remained intact.
The lower banks of Changi Creek have been transformed into an esplanade featuring a landscaped park and a children's playground.

The stretch beyond Telok Baku Road remains largely covered by mangrove forest, encompassing a mangrove ‘island’ and occupying about 7 hectares.
The upper part of the creek, after the mangrove forest, has been converted into a concretised canal. Interestingly, clusters of leaf oysters (razor clams) have established themselves on the canal's banks and floors, with mangrove saplings also sprouting in these areas. Leaf oysters have flat, purplish-brown shells and attach to rocks, mangrove roots, and monsoon drain walls using their byssal threads.
At the end of the creek, the Changi Creek Reservoir was established as part of the Changi Airport service reservoir.
There is potential to naturalise the concretised canal to establish a fringing mangrove forest, which could enhance conservation and recreational opportunities in the area.

The kayak trip on Changi Creek was made possible with permission from the Changi Airport Group and assistance from the Ministry of National Development (MND).

In Singapore, crocodiles can mainly be found at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.
As of last year, the reserve has reached full capacity with about 20 crocodiles, according to Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of National Development Tan Kiat How.

https://mothership.sg/2024/07/crocodile-water-monitor/?

Juvenile crocodile eats baby water monitor at Sungei Buloh Hunter and prey.

a number of NSS members awarded in this event yesterday …

Good Stories Movement, APCEL, Jen Hotel, 29 July 2024

Flashback to 2004 ..
the Education Group, led by Vilma D'Rozario published a series of bookmarks celebrating Singapore's birds & trees

it was World Mangrove Day yesterday … Changi Creek

Disguising themselves as birdwatching enthusiasts and wildlife photographers, these poachers infiltrate communities, forums and chat groups, befriending genuine hobbyists to gather information on the locations of birds.

Bird poachers in Malaysia hijack hobbyists' forums to track down rare species Bird enthusiasts are urged not to disclose the location where photos of birds were taken. Read more at straitstimes.com.