NATURE SOCIETY (SINGAPORE) ANNUAL REPORT 2013 (Jan Dec) (In Progress)

NATURE SOCIETY (SINGAPORE) ANNUAL REPORT 2013 (Jan Dec) (In Progress)

Nature Society (Singapore) is a registered Society in Singapore under the Societies Act, Chapter 311 on 30 March 1961. The Society is an approved charity under the Charities Act, Cap.37 since 19th February 2008 and has been accorded the status of an Institution of Public Character (IPC) for the period from 1st September 2008 to 31st August 2011 and renewed from 1st September 2013 to 31st August 2015. The Unique Entity No. (UEN) is S61SS0142H. The registered address of the Society is at 510 Geylang Road #02-05, The Sunflower Building, Singapore 389466. The premises are held in trust for the Charity by the following trustees by the trust instrument of 29 th March 2000: Prof. Lye Lin Heng Dr. Geh Min Prof. Ng Soon Chye

THE 2012-2013 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS Patron and Council Members Patron Prof Tommy Koh Immediate Past President Dr Geh Min Finance Advisory Group Members Dr Robert Casteels Dr Lee Lay Tin Mr Lim Chin Kheng Co-opted Council Member Prof P N Avadhani Tony O Dempsey Gan Cheong Weei Faizah Jamal Advisory Council Members Mr Iain Ewing Mr Richard Hale Mr Warren Khoo Prof Koh Kheng Lian Mr Kwek Leng Joo Birdlife International Coordinator Mr Lim Kim Keang Mr Lim Jim Khoon Mr Liu Thai Ker Prof Ng Soon Chye Mr Sim Wong Hoo Mr Mason Tan Executive Committee President Dr Shawn Kaihekulani Yamauchi Lum Vice President Mr Leong Kwok Peng Honorary Treasurer Mr Soo Choon Kiat Honorary Secretary Ms Margaret E Hall Honorary Assistant Treasurer Mr David Teo Honorary Assistant Secretary Mr Tan Hang Chong Committee Members: Mr Goh Si Guim Dr Ho Hua Chew Dr Hsu Chia Chi Environmental Law & Policy Coordinator Mr Vinayagan Dharmarajah Committee and Special Interest Groups Chairpersons Conservation Committee Acting Chairperson: Mr Leong Kwok Peng Education Committee Chairperson: Ms Gloria Seow Bird Group Chairperson: Mr Wing Chong Butterfly Interest Group Chairperson: Mr Anuj Jain Marine Conservation Group Chairperson: Dr Hsu Chia Chi Plant Group Chairperson: Dr. Shawn Kaihekulani Yamauchi Lum The Nature Ramblers Chairperson: Mr Pandian Parthasarathy Vertebrate Study Group Chairperson: Ms Ng Bee Choo Jalan Hijau Group Chairperson: Mr Tan Hang Chong

President s Report by Dr Shawn Lum (in progress)

Treasurer s Report Financial Year 2013 or Year Ended 31 December 2013 by Mr Soo Choon Kiat Hon Treasurer (in progress)

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES Conservation Committee by Ho Hua Chew (in progress) Education Committee by Ms Gloria Seow, Chairperson Fun with Nature for NSS Kids & the Public Fun with Nature (FWN) presents nature as it is taking kids outdoors to see, feel, hear, smell and even taste Singapore s wild offerings. It steers clear of conventional classroom sessions, workshops, art and craft, worksheets and the like. Rather, it allows nature to speak for herself through experiential learning, facilitated by guides who point out her wonders and explain her workings. Field craft comes into play, where spotting skills are enhanced by binoculars, cameras and scopes. These sessions are pegged at the kid s level, yet the whole family is invited to come along so that learning is heightened and reinforced by parents and caregivers. Often times, the adults ask even more questions than the kids! We had five sessions in the past year: 1. Fun with Beautiful Butterflies at Upper Seletar Reservoir on 8 June 2013 led by 10- year old Tan Teong Seng and assisted by Butterfly Interest Group s Amy Tsang, Lena Chow and Tea Yi Kai; 2. Fun with Nature at The Rail Corridor on 25 August 2013 led by Benjamin Ho; 3. Watery Fun at Kallang River@Bishan- Ang Mo Kio Park on 21 September 2013 with water testing kids sponsored by PUB; 4. Fun with Forest Wildlife at Venus Drive led by Goh Si Guim along the proposed Cross- Island Line (MRT); 5. Fun with Nature at Gardens by the Bay on 18 January 2014 led by Lena Chow. The sixth session Fun with Vertebrates at Upper Seletar Reservoir had to be cancelled due to thunderstorms, happening a couple of weeks after a prolonged dry spell. Our sincere thanks to all guides, as well as to our regular volunteers Timothy Pwee and Lena Chow. Fun with Nature News on the NSS Website The six years of FWN outings featured in the former Fun with Nature blog (http://funwithnature.blogspot.com/) have been replicated on the NSS website under its News segment. All archived blog entries can be resurfaced when one filters by Education Group and Year. Articles first appear in Nature News before being re- published on the website.

Discontinuation of NSS Kids Guide Initiative The NSS Kids Guide initiative was started in January 2012. At some of the regular Bird, Plant, Butterfly and Marine Conservation Groups trips, there is a dedicated kids guide present. For bird walks, the guide will even carry a scope set to a child s height. Special thanks to these four SIGs for their support. This initiative has since been discontinued as kids are welcomed on all NSS outings unless stated otherwise. Revamp of Fun with Nature (Schools) Fun with Nature (Schools), partially sponsored by HSBC, is at present undergoing a revamp. There will be new content and banners for the exhibition segment, as well as new nature guides. The HSBC funds will continue to be used to subsidise assembly talks, nature exhibitions and nature workshops at primary schools across Singapore. Marketing of this programme will be carried out by the NSS Secretariat once revamped materials are ready, targeted at August 2014.

REPORTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS Vertebrate Study Group (VSG) by Ms Ng Bee Choo, Mr Nick Baker, Mr Kelvin Lim, Mr Yeo Suay Hwee, Mr Marcus Chua, Dr Vilma D Rozario, and Mr Tony O Dempsey Talks A talk entitled Uncommon Tales of Common Monkey by Amanda Tan a primatologist- in- training was held on 04 Oct 2013. Surveys 16 days and nights surveys at Central Catchment Forest. VSG members with assistance from members of Toddycat (NUS). 2 sessions each (Mar/May & Aug/Oct) of camera traps (trail cameras) deployment and retrieval of 36 and 67 trail cameras respectively. 5 Springleaf night surveys and 5 day surveys organized by Nick. Contribution of vertebrate images WRS for Snakes of Singapore app NSS Facebook and Earth Hour SBWR displays Dairy Farm displays Images and videos for the Love our MacRitchie Forest Music Video Feedbacks to various authorities Stream siltation, Venus Drive, PUB & Government Minister, 2013 (recent prosecutions) Macaque Feeding, Old Upper Thomson, Nparks, 2013 (prosecutions undertaken) Wire snare removal, Nparks, 2012-2013 Illegal Dumping at Old Upper Thomson, NParks & PUB, 2013 (recent prosecutions) CRL working group report Subaraj, Marcus and Kelvin wrote the Vertebrate section and Tony wrote the Flora chapter.

Noteworthy sightings and records for 2013 1) Haas' Bronzeback - 1 each from Lower Peirce boardwalk and MacRitchie Shinto Trail* in March 2013. 2) Speckle-head Whip Snake - 1 from BTNR in July 2013. 3) Jasper Cat Snake - 1 roadkill from Upper Seletar* in March 2013. 4) Blue Bronzeback - 1 from Shinto Trail* in June 2013. 5) Keel-bellied Whip Snake - new record from NTU Jurong Campus* in Nov 2013. 6) King Cobra - 1 from Choa Chu Kang in Oct 2013, 1 from SBWR in January 2013. 7) Swamp Skink - 1 from Shinto Trail stream* in March 2013, 1 from MacRitchie Bukit Kallang in Dec 2013. 8) Clouded Monitor - new record from SBG*, seen in July & Oct 2013. 9) Lowland Dwarf Gecko - new record from Bidadari* in Oct 2013. 10) Sunda Pangolin - 8 records from Petir Road, Labrador Nature Reserve, BTNR (Singapore Quarry), Shinto Trail, BKE, PIE (Eng Neo exit), Sime Track, Upp Thomson. Most of the noteworthy sightings were provided by contacts of VSG groups. Some of them have been published in 'Singapore Biodiversity Records' (indicated by *). Urban Wildlife app being prepared by Ng Bee Choo, Marcus Chua, Vilma D Rozario and Kelvin Lim with contribution of images by various members of VSG, it should be ready by July 2014. Bird Group Report by Mr Wing Chong The Bird Group had another eventful year with more than 40 activities for the members. Trips and Walks: # The monthly trips to Kranji Marsh and trips to Semakau Landfill for our members and public continued to be very popular. We added quarterly outings to the Lorong Halus Wetlands under the PUB s ABC program. Special trips were also arranged to these sites in conjunction with the World Water Week in March 2013.

# Usual monthly birding trips were regularly organised. Familiar sites like Bidadari, Bukit Batok Nature Park, Diary Farm, Rifle Range, Pulau Ubin, Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserve, Springleaf Park and Tampines Woods were visited yearly. Talks and Workshops: # Jimmy Chew shared with us his experience and fantastic Slides of Antartica on 20/July/2013. # Alan Pearson, the bird illustrator who had illustrated birds in A Field Guild to the Birds of Peninsula Malaysia and Singapore, gave us a Talk on Bird illustration on 26/Jul/2013 # Mr. Mathieu Musnier of Leica gave us some insight of Optics for Birding on 26/Jul/2013 # Tan Gim Cheong conducted the 2 nd Raptor ID Workshop on 1/Nov/2013, just before the annual Raptor Watch on 3/Nov/2013 Birder s Corner: # In collaboration with SLA s OneMap enhancement program Birder s Corner was launched in March/2013 to enable the reporting of bird sighting with location. Out-reach: # In May/2013, Alan Owyong gave a talk on the Bird Guide apps to the members of Hollandse Club in conjunction with their Kheam Hock Road Project. # Working with Professor Tay Kheng Soon, SPBA and NUS Alumni, a few Bird Group members conducted a Rapid Bird Survey at Pulau Ketam on 25/May/2013 # In June/2013, Mediacorp Channel 8 s Frontline featured a short story about the Bird Watching at Lorong Halus. Alan Owyong, Lee Bee Yong, Francis Yap and Wing Chong were interviewed. # Wildlife Reserve Singapore organized and coordinated Native Bird Day on 23/Nov/2013. Representatives of Bird Group including Dr. Ho Hua Chew, Alan Owyong, Lim Kim Keang and Wing Chong participated in the launch and symposium. Bird Race: # 2013 Bird Race, our 30 th Bird Race, was held over the weekend of 20/October/2013 ~ 21/October/2013. This Bird Race set new milestones in our Bird Race. It was in this Bird Race that for the first time, we have a Photography Category in the race. And for the first time we had the participation of a Minister in the race. Mr. Desmond Lim, the Minister of State for National Development teamed up with society members and raced. And with the kind sponsor of Leica the race ended with prize giving and buffet lunch in a local hotel. # A total of 12 teams took part in the race that flagged off at Sungai Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Bird Surveys: # In addition to the 4 annual bird surveys i.e. Asian Annual Waterfowl Census, Annual Bird Census, Mid Year Bird Census and the Fall Migration Bird Census, we conducted the 6th Raptors Watch (3th Nov 2013) and the 3rd Parrot Count (23rd Feb 2013) for IUCN. # We continued the Ecolink Survey 2nd Phase (Construction) in Jan, April, July 2013. # Rapid surveys along the Rail Corridor and Bukit Brown were undertaken to provide updated data for the conservation proposals to keep these two nature areas intact and free from development. Overseas Symposium, Bird Fairs and Trips: # Lim Kim Seng and Lim Kim Keang took part in the 1st Borneo Bird Race. # Willie Foo represented us in the 4 th Asian Bird Fair on 26/Oct ~ 27/Oct at Taipei, Taiwan. All these overseas engagements give us the opportunity to network, build and strengthen our relationships with regional bird groups, share our conservation programs and promote regional co- operation. Bird Research Grants: # A grant was awarded to Mr. Felix Wong for studying escapees Lineated Barbet and White- crested Laughingtrush s distribution and their impact on local avian lives. Acknowledgement: We would like to thank the members of the Bird Group Committee for their collective effort to organise and lead many of the trips, walks and talks. Some have spent their time travelling to regional meetings to strengthen the relationship among birding communities. Many others have also lead trips, both locally and abroad, took part in the surveys and census. Again, we would like to record the Bird Group s thanks to all of them. Marine Conservation Group (MCG) by Dr Hsu Chia Chia 1. Official Integration of the Aseanarean Expedition Series (AES) with Marine Conservation Group (MCG) of Nature Society (Singapore) (NSS) and Official Launch of Marine Parks of Indonesia (MPOI) book on Fri 27 September 2013. 2. Exploratory discussions on tripartite collaboration with Raffles Marina, Asian Geographic Magazine and MCG (NSS) on various projects including next AES project to Myanmar.

3. Continuing engagement with Marine Port Authority on: (i) (ii) (iii) Pasir Panjang Development - EIA, water quality monitoring, coral monitoring and relocation results. Tuas Terminal Project - EIA, coral monitoring and relocation, coral nurseries, volunteer activities for relocation and monitoring of transplanted corals Oil spill mitigation measures MCG Outreach Activities by Kerry Pereira 1) Horseshoe Crab Rescue and Research Programme Date of HSC R & R and related outreach sessions No of Volunteers Saturday 9 Mar 2013 60 Saturday 16 Mar 2013 70 Monday 11 Mar 2013 (Credit Suisse) 22 Saturday 01 Jun 2013 40 Saturday 15 Jun 2013 74 Saturday 27 Jul 2013 61 Saturday 24 Aug 2013 61 Saturday 19 Oct 2013 80 Monday 18 Nov 2013 (Credit Suisse) 30 Sunday 15 Dec 2013 45 Total Volunteers 2013 543 Collaborating Groups Youth.SG Ngee Ann Polytechnic Environmental Rangers Club Raffles Institution/Junior College Green Club Glaxo Smith Kline Vaccines Meridian Junior College River Valley High School Fengshan Primary School Tampines Secondary School Anglo-Chinese Junior College Temasek Polytechnic Green Interest Group Republic Polytechnic Australian-New Zealand Association of Singapore (ANZA) Scout Troop Nanyang Junior College SMF Institute of Higher Learning Nanyang Technological University Earthlink Credit Suisse Bank Our sincere thanks to the following members and regular volunteers who have helped ensure the continued success of this programme: Leong Kok Peng, Vanitha J, Soh Lay Bee, Felicia Wee, Leslie Cartwright- Taylor, Mona Toh, Ng Harn Hua, Bernadine de Britto, Amanda Hogan, Bryan Quek, Olivia Chee, Cheryl Lao, Isabelle Lee, Lester Tan, Elson Tan, Bryan Leong.

2) Kayaking Kayaking Activity Date Kayaking to Mandai Mangroves 25 May 2013 Kayaking Sungei Khatib Bongsu 03 Aug 2013 Kayaking and Cycling at Pulau Ubin 05 Oct 2013 3) Talks Titles Date Kayaking the Raja Ampat Islands 05 Apr 2013 Marine Conservation at Raja Ampat, Indonesia 14 Sep 2013 Plant Group by Dr Shawn Lum/Ms. Angie Ng 2013 was a relatively quiet year for the Plant Group. Activities were focused on the theme of the MacRitchie forest and possible impacts of the Cross Island Line (CRL). Three walks for members were conducted in July and August, and Plant Group members assisted in compiling plant species lists and participated in a few surveys of primary and secondary forest plants in the area that may be impacted by the CRL. An interesting finding although the joy may be ephemeral was the discovery that a considerable number of primary forest plants that had established on the Bukit Brown side of Lornie Rd, just past Andrew Rd. These plants were not only seedlings of wind- dispersed trees such as kempas (Koompassia malaccensis) but comprised animal- dispersed plants as well. The riddle of how did the primary forest cross the road? may be rendered moot by the construction of the new road through Bukit Brown. 2014 and beyond promises to be a more active era for the Plant Group, which may be coming under new management publications, more walks, weeding and other hands- on activities are in the works. Stay tuned. Butterfly Interest Group (BIG) by Anuj Jain (in progress) Jalan Hijau Group by Tan Hang Chong (in progress) Nature Ramblers Group by Mr. Benjamin Ho/Pandian P. (in progress)