Singapore BioDiverCity - a photo competition

Singapore is often known as a bustling metropolis and a centre for commerce. Through the lenses of residents, we hope to show that it is also a haven for biodiversity.
Share YOUR photos of our wonderful biodiversity! Winning entries will be showcased in roving exhibitions around Singapore, including the World Cities Summit. What a great way to tell everyone that Singapore has wild places and wildlife!

New facebook group: I love SG Reefs!

Is there any life in the murky and sedimented waters of Singapore? Do you want to know how to dive Singapore's reefs? Yes! And here's how!
I love SG Reefs showcases Singapore coral reefs and the threats to them. It also hopes to be a platform for keen divers who would like to explore our reefs in safety and comfort.

5 Feb (Fri): Workshop for Nature Guides - Life Between the Tides

Where are our shores? What has been lost? Find out about our wonderful intertidal ecosystems and threats to them. And what you CAN do for them.
If you're keen to learn about designing and managing projects for our shore, reading the tides and getting an introduction to our shores, this is the workshop for you! We had a great time the last time this workshop was held last year.

What wildlife can you find in one cubic foot of ecosystem?

Famed David Liittschwager was astonished by the abundance of life that passed through a 12-inch metal frame he placed in different environments on land and in water.'It was like finding little gems' - just some of the creatures photographed by David Liittschwager for National Geographic. Photograph: David Liittschwager/National Geographic

I wonder what we might see if we do the same in Singapore's ecosystems?!

Nature in Singapore: worms transformed and good and bad vines

What does this pretty worm-like thing turn into? We find out in the first series of papers for 2010 in Nature in Singapore by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research!
Often called an 'inch-worm' because of the looping way the animal moves - it seems to measure out inches - it is the caterpillar of a moth!

A species a day!

As part of the IUCN's celebration of International Year of Biodiversity, each day of this year, a species will be highlighted with information on the threats it faces.

It starts with some better known species, but will move on to cover plants, fungi, invertebrates and more. Both charismatic and obscure species will be featured, providing an insight into the astonishing level of biodiversity that exists.

You can add the 'Species of the Day' widget to your blog or website (here's the code), or follow the IUCN twitter http://twitter.com/speciesoftheday.

19-31 Jan: Singapore mosses and sponges on display at the Science Centre Singapore

Singapore's tiny mosses and blobby sponges are often overlooked. But they are quite beautiful and fascinating! As I found out during the launch of two new guidebooks on Singapore mosses and Singapore sponges.
As part of the launch of the guidebooks, our mosses and sponges are on special display at the Science Centre Singapore.

Singapore Nature: Library Resources

I'm feeling nerdy today.

If you're working on a paper for school or are just curious about nature in Singapore and can't figure out where to get reliable information: read on!

For Kids! MAD Lesson on Critters' Cribs with Cicada Tree Eco Place

In celebration of the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity 2010, Cicada Tree Eco Place celebrates with mad lessons on wildlife! Our first topic for the year is mad lesson on critters' cribs.

Phylomon: Pokemon meets Real Wildlife

8-year old children can identify 120 Pokemon characters. However, they fail horrendously at identifying photos of “real” wildlife from their own backyard.

Thus was the Phylomon Project born.

Official global launch of International Year of Biodiversity 2010

"The question of preserving biological diversity is on the same scale as climate protection," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday at an event to launch the United Nations' Year of Biodiversity.

Message from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

Merkel also suggested setting up a new body to deal with the science of biodiversity, similar to the U.N.'s panel of climate scientists, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Nature walks at St. John's Island with the Tropical Marine Science Institute

The Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) offers walks to explore St John's Island's intertidal shore, mangroves, and terrestrial forest areas!

This is part of the TMSI's Public Outreach Programmes led by Ms Jun Lin.

What can you see at St. John's?

Seagrasses, mass orchid blooms, hornbills and serious tree climbers

The latest issue of My Green Space by NParks features interesting articles about Singapore's biodiversity!
Seagrass: Dugong Food for Thought by Lim Wei Ling & Siti Maryam Yaakub shares fascinating facts about our seagrasses. For example, did you know that we have 12 species of seagrasses?! That's a good portion of the 23 species found in the Indo-Pacific Region!

BioD in the City: What is the Singapore Index?

In 2008, more than half of the world’s population lived in cities. The number and size of cities will continue to grow. At the same time, biodiversity is disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Successful biodiversity conservation must thus involve city dwellers. But how can city dwellers monitor their efforts at biodiversity conservation?

View of the city from Pulau Tekukor, one of our natural shores.

Enter, the Singapore Index. A self-assessment tool to help evaluate and benchmark the health of biodiversity in cities.

Nature in Avatar: the movie

Holy moley, did you guys catch Avatar yet? Unless you've been living under a rock, you must have heard of James Cameron's latest movie release, Avatar, a film that is set to revolutionize the industry in terms of visual effects, as well as telling a story with a good message but not in a lame way at all.

But back to holey moley -- if you watch Avatar, the world of Pandora, a distant planet rich in biodiversity will surely take your breath away. And if you are as excitable as I am, the lush forests and quirky animals would have reminded you of so many organisms we see in real life right here in our world. So just how much of actual nature was "ripped off" in the making of this movie? :p

You are what you eat: resourceful slugs

Black-margined glossodoris nudibranch feeds on sponges, making it toxic.

Giving new meaning to the old adage "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" -- which I never believed until now, really -- this recent article by Sean B Carroll asks, and answers, the very simple question: how come some poisonous animals aren't killed by their own poison?