Written by: Rominia Leonard
Photos by Jeryl Sim, Merey Tan, Pui Cuifen, Seetha Sharma, and Teresa Teo Guttensohn
What better way to celebrate Singapore’s 61st birthday than by spending a morning discovering some of the wonderful wild neighbours with whom we share our island home?
For our National Day Walk 2026, Cicada Tree Eco-Place welcomed nature lovers and friends for our annual walk, this year at the Rail Corridor — a simple tradition that reminds us that Singapore is not only a city of buildings and roads, but also a living landscape of trees, birds, butterflies, flowers and many other forms of life.
This year, we explored in two groups, led by our volunteer nature guides Tan Hang Chong, and Lifang together with Dr Vilma d’Rozario. With their sharp eyes, knowledge and enthusiasm, participants were encouraged to slow down, look more closely and discover the little wonders that are so easily missed in our everyday lives.
And nature did not disappoint us.
Among our feathered encounters were a flock of juvenile Asian Glossy Starlings, four colourful Blue-crowned Hanging Parrots feeding on powderpuff flowers, and a Yellow-vented Bulbul. We also spotted catfish, and along the way stopped to admire the many beautiful flowers, plants and other flora and fauna that make Singapore’s green spaces so full of life.
We were also treated to the beautiful serenading call of a cicada looking for love. Sometimes nature is not only about what we can see, but also what we can hear. Turn up the sound and listen!
As we celebrated National Day, we were reminded that Singapore’s natural heritage is also part of our national heritage. Protecting the places where our native plants and wildlife can continue to thrive is something each of us can play a part in.
A heartfelt thank you to Hang Chong, Lifang and Dr Vilma, and to everyone who came along, asked questions, shared sightings and celebrated Singapore with us in nature.
Cicada Tree Eco-Place hopes to continue this National Day Walk every year, bringing more people outdoors to discover and cherish the wild Singapore that is still all around us.
There were many more beautiful moments and sightings from the morning, do visit our Facebook page to see the photographs from the walk.
Happy 61st Birthday, Singapore!
Keep looking, keep learning, and keep caring for our little red dot island.
See you again at our National Day Walk next year!