COST: $10 per participant, free for kids ages 6 and below (all kids must be accompanied by at least one adult guardian) REGISTRATION: Please register by emailing the name of the contact person and contact number, number of adult and kid participants, ages of kids, to Andrew at: andrewtay.sg@gmail.com.
Night Critter Watch at the Rainforest Boardwalk of Singapore Botanic Gardens
(MONDAY, 14 MARCH 2022 FROM 19:00-20:30)
SBG is a lovely old garden created about 200 years ago. It still retains its original Primary Rainforest remnant patch and this is where we will be exploring to look for the nocturnal critters living here. Although now totally surrounded by housing, busy roads and more development, the gardens is still home to some wildlife. Four species of lovely owls have been recorded in this patch—the Spotted Wood-owl, Collared Scops-owl, Brown Hawk-owl, and the Buffy Fish-owl who breeds here. We’ll also be listening out for the calls of several species of frogs, and of the Red-legged Crake, an enigmatic night bird. Both insect and fruit eating bats roost in the gardens’ palm trees. Kids get to try out our bat detector. As dusk falls, we venture onto the boardwalk to look for nocturnal creepy-crawlies, and hopefully a snoozing Whip Snake too. This easy walk is on level pathways and wooden boardwalks but there are some steps.
Colugo Watch at Bukit Batok Nature Park
(TUESDAY, 15 MARCH 2022 FROM 19:00-20:30)
The Colugo is one of the strangest animals in our world. It is a gliding mammal, with a skin membrane stretching from its neck to its webbed fingers, to its webbed toes, and to the tip of its long tail. As you can imagine, when gliding it looks like an opened umbrella whooshing by in the air! It also has an adorable face, with a pink nose and ears, and huge eyes to help it see and expertly navigate in the dark. Singapore may be the only place in the world that you could easily see a colugo on any night that you go out looking for it. A population lives in this mature park and we should be able to encounter some. While awaiting their emergence, we’ll look for other critters of the night, such as owls, nightjars, bats and lovely creepy-crawlies. This easy walk is on level pathways with no steps.
Night Critter Watch 1 at Old Upper Thomson Road PCN Path (WEDNESDAY, 16 MARCH 2022 FROM 19:00-20:30)
This PCN path goes between the rainforests of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Thomson Nature Park. Rainforest wildlife which can be encountered at the forest edge vegetation here include the gorgeous Wagler’s Pit-viper, Oriental Whip Snake, Lesser Mousedeer, Colugo, Palm Civet and Flying Squirrels. If we don’t see the Brown Hawk-owl and Collared Scops-owl, we should surely hear them communicating with each other. While hoping to glimpse these mega-fauna, we’ll look out for a diversity of moths, stick insects, Giant Forest Ants and other lovely creepy-crawlies. This easy walk is on a level pathway with no steps.
Nite Critter Watch at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk
(THURSDAY, 17 MARCH 2022 FROM 19:00-20:30)
This location is very good for a night wild critter walk and that’s why we always go there. As dusk falls, we look out for emerging bats and observe their acrobatic feeding flight. Kids will use our bat detector to catch their calls. We explore deep into the mangrove forest via the extensive boardwalks to look for other nocturnal critters who live here, such as water snakes and owls. Tree-climbing crabs may be seen perched high above on tree branches, as if they’re birds. Fireflies may still be found in this lovely mangrove forest patch. Other exciting nocturnal critters met here include the Reticulated Python, Palm Civet, Giant Centipede and Mangrove Flatworm. For those who wish to see a Giant Mudskipper, we should be able to spot some asleep in this swamp. This easy walk is on level pathways and wooden boardwalks with no steps.
Night Critter Watch 2 at Old Upper Thomson Road PCN Path (FRIDAY, 18 MARCH 2022 FROM 19:00-20:30)
This PCN path goes between the rainforests of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Thomson Nature Park. Rainforest wildlife which can be encountered at the forest edge vegetation here include the gorgeous Wagler’s Pit-viper, Oriental Whip Snake, Lesser Mousedeer, Colugo, Palm Civet and Flying Squirrels. If we don’t see the Brown Hawk-owl and Collared Scops-owl, we should surely hear them communicating with each other. While hoping to glimpse these mega-fauna, we’ll look out for a diversity of moths, stick insects, Giant Forest Ants and other lovely creepy-crawlies. This easy walk is on a level pathway with no steps.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
• To participate, all adults and kids aged 12 years and above must be fully vaccinated. We will abide by the latest covid regulations.
• Seats are limited due to current permitted Covid group size. More details and instructions will be given upon registration.
• Please do inform if after registering you cannot come for the walk, so that your seat can be offered to another person on the wait list.
• Payment in cash will be collected in person at the activity.
• Small kids get info-sheets and native wildlife stickers at our walks.
• Your nature guide will be Andrew Tay. He is fully vaccinated and will be doing ART self-testing on alternate days from 12 to 20 March 2022.