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Opt-Out from Receiving Nature News by Slow Mail by Margie Hall, Honorary Secretary

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Opt-Out from Receiving Nature News by Slow Mail by Margie Hall, Honorary Secretary NATURE NEWS MAY- JUN 2009 May-Jun 2009 Jan-Feb 2009 Activities 2 The Joys of Dipterocarps Part II with Shawn Lum and the Plant Group May 16 NSS Round-Up: 4 Butterfly Walk at Alexandra Hospital Butterfly Trail with Gan May 17 News from Exco and Pre-AGM Book Launches & Talk by the Bird Group May 23 Council as of April 2009 55th Annual General Meeting May 23 Thoughts from the 5 Green Bird Watching Series 1 May 24 NSS President Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research May 30 Horseshoe Crab 6 NSS Kids’ Fun with Plants that Grow on Other Plants Jun 6 Population & Distribution Survey The Joys of Dipterocarps Part III with Shawn Lum and the Plant Group Jun 6 Results of the HSC 7 Pandan Riverside Ramble with the Nature Ramblers led by Rehan Yusoff Jun 14 Survey & Quadrat Sampling at Mandai Butterfly Walk at Bukit Batok Nature Park with Simon Chan Jun 21 Key Findings in the 8 Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research Jun 27 Fishermen’s Survey of Green Bird Watching Series 2 Jun 28 Horseshoe Crabs Go Paperless: Opt- 9 10th Mid-Year Bird Census Jul 11 & 12 out from Receiving Nature News by TRIPS ABROAD Slow Mail NSS Kids’ Fun 9 5N/6D Taman Negara with Raja Jun 21 to 26 at Lower Pierce Reservoir Kranji Reservoir 10 Join Us at (Marsh) Adoption: our 55th AGM & Meet Updates from the Working Committee Fellow Members Go How is Kranji Making 11 Pg 14 Paperless: Waves Over the Net? Opt-out 24th Annual Bird 12 from Census Report 55th Annual General 14 Receiving Meeting & Agenda Nature Announcements 14 News by NSS Directory / 15 Slow Mail Subgroups Pg 9 All Purpose Form 16 1 NATURE NEWS MAY- JUN 2009 Activities May occurred within Singapore since records began in the Saturday 16 19th Century. The Joys of Dipterocarps Part II with Shawn Lum Copies of the two books will be available for sale after and the Plant Group a brief talk on “Challenges in Singapore Ornithology” In February we walked through the Dipterocarp by Lim Kim Seng, co-editor of the first book and Arboretum at Yishun Park to learn about this iconic author of the second one. Kim Seng will provide some group of trees. This time we will combine a garden background to the writing of these books and preview stroll with a forest walk to meet dipterocarps in both certain upcoming trends and challenges in the local a cultivated and natural state. Learn to recognise the birding scene. different genera, spot the leaves, and with luck see Saturday 23 some fruits. Meet at 9.30am at the Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Information Counter area. 55th Annual General Meeting Sunday 17 NSS warmly welcomes all members to our 55th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 2pm, held at the MOE Dairy Butterfly Walk at Alexandra Hospital Butterfly Trail Farm Adventure Centre located at 30 Dairy Farm with Gan Cheong Weei Road. There will be refreshments available at the end. Alexandra Hospital is one of the best places in The Bird Group will be launching two new books just Singapore to observe butterflies. Species commonly before the AGM at the same venue, see Activity above. encountered here include the urbanised Lime Butterfly, Details of the AGM agenda and how to get there are the graceful Painted Jezebel, the fast-flying Common Tit, provided in the article on page 14. the black-and-white Common Mormon, the slow-and- easy Blue Glassy Tiger and the Autumn Leaf, a foreign Sunday 24 export that has settled in well. If we are lucky, we may Green Bird Watching Series 1 spot visitors from the forest, species like the Green Baron and Ambon Onyx. Meet at the carpark in front The Bird Group is contemplating holding a Green of Alexandra Hospital cafeteria at 9.30am. The walk will Bird Race this year. This is the first of our Green Bird last about three hours. Gan’s HP: 9754-4174. Watching series in preparation for this possibility. Meet Willie Foo at 7.30am at Segar LRT Station. We will Saturday 23 explore part of the Bukit Panjang Park Connector that links up with Zhenghua Park. These buffer areas along Pre-AGM Book Launches & Talk by the Bird Group the BKE provide breathing space for residents, as well Time & Venue: 1 to 1.45pm at the MOE Dairy Farm as homes for the birds. Do your part to Go Green Adventure Centre’s Meeting Room. Details on how to for this trip! Take public transport, use reusable water get there are provided in the AGM article on page 14. bottles, utilise ‘Green’ batteries for your electronic gadgets…every tiny effort goes a long way. The Bird Group would like to invite all members to a special pre-AGM launch of its two latest publications. Saturday 30 One of these is the “State of Singapore’s Wild Birds and Bird Habitats: Results of the Annual Bird Census 1996- Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research 2005”, edited by Lim Kim Chuah and Lim Kim Seng. Please register with Dr Hsu at hsu_chia_chi @hotmail. This book contains the results of the second decade com, stating your name, if you are a NSS member of the 24-year old Annual Bird Census conducted or not, affiliations (eg. school/company), experience since 1986. It gives insights into trends at the 33 sites (if any) and contact details for this monthly mission monitored, and provides information on the 220 bird to rescue and study the Mangrove Horseshoe Crab species in 43 families counted during the period. (HSC). We have also started an on-going HSC Training The second book, “The Avifauna of Singapore” written & Accreditation Programme for anyone keen to be a by Lim Kim Seng, features colour photos from well- qualified HSC R&Rer. Meet at the extension of Kranji known local photographer Jimmy Chew and over Road, at the junction with Kranji Loop at 9am. Take bus a hundred line drawings from bird artist and birder 925 from Kranji MRT station and alight at the Chinese Yong Ding Li. This book condenses data from the Bird temple along Kranji Loop, cross the road and look for Group’s newsletter Singapore Avifauna, and other the nameless track that starts beside Leong Soon Pte published and unpublished sources, to provide a Ltd (251 Kranji Road). We recommend that you bring a complete summary of the status, distribution, breeding cap, shoes/booties, sun block, repellent, cutter (for HSC seasonality, migration patterns, conservation and rescue) and camera. Washing facilities available. museum collections of every wild bird known to have Activities June species of wild mistletoes (yes, the same one that people Saturday 06 kiss under during Christmas) that typically grow on the branches of tall trees? Learn about mistletoes and other Fun with Plants that Grow on Other NSS Kids’ plants that grow on trunks and branches (ie. epiphytes Plants and parasites), and see them flourishing wild at eye-level Do you know that Singapore has several of our own 2 NATURE NEWS MAY- JUN 2009 in the garden of a classic black-and-white bungalow near com, stating your name, if you are a NSS member or not, Sembawang Park. Margie Hall, NSS Honorary Secretary affiliations (eg. school/company), experience (if any) and and professional nature guide, whose house we would contact details for this monthly mission to rescue and be visiting, will personally give us a fun-filled introduction study the Mangrove Horseshoe Crab (HSC). We have to these fascinating plants, with insights to their peculiar also started an on-going HSC Training & Accreditation survival strategies. Time: 8am to 10am. Please register Programme for anyone keen to be a qualified HSC R&Rer. your kids (4 to 12 years old) at gloria_seow@yahoo. Meet at the extension of Kranji Road, at the junction com, stating their names and ages, if you are a NSS with Kranji Loop at 8am. Take bus 925 from Kranji MRT member or not and your mobile number. A fee of $5 station and alight at the Chinese temple along Kranji per child (member) or $10 per child (non-member) will Loop, cross the road and look for the nameless track that be collected on the spot. Parents can sit in at no charge. starts beside Leong Soon Pte Ltd (251 Kranji Road). We Details will be emailed to those who sign up. recommend that you bring a cap, shoes/booties, sun block, repellent, cutter (for HSC rescue) and camera. Washing Saturday 06 facilities available. The Joys of Dipterocarps Part III with Shawn Lum and the Plant Group Sunday 28 Spot wild dipterocarps! Get to know these plants better Green Bird Watching Series 2 and learn how to recognise different forest types in the The Bird Group is contemplating holding a Green Bird process. Beginners and experienced forest hands alike Race this year. This is the second of our Green Bird should revel in a pleasant afternoon of botanising. Meet at Watching series in preparation for this possibility. Meet 3.30pm at the refreshment kiosk of MacRitchie Reservoir. Wing Chong at 7.30 am at Bukit Gombak MRT Station. We will explore the Choa Chu Kang Park Connector, Sunday 14 birding along Bukit Batok West Avenue 5, Bricklands Road Pandan Riverside Ramble with the Nature Ramblers and ending at Choa Chu Kang Park, next to Choa Chu led by Rehan Yusoff Kang MRT Station or Bricklands Road at the junction of Rehan will take us in search of a disused railway track Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3. The newly-opened Bricklands that runs along the left bank of the Ulu Pandan River Road cuts through abandoned farms and army camps.
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