Nature Keeper - a biodiversity programme for our primary school students

Nature Keepers is the first programme in Singapore for primary school students that focuses on Singapore's forests.
Designed to interest kids and stimulate their appreciation of our forests, the programme will take place at the Bukit Timah and Central Catchment Nature Reserves.

Beyond the workshops, the programme also aims to nurture young volunteers in protecting our natural heritage over the longer term.

For selected workshops organised in June and December, parents are encouraged to attend the workshops together with their children to bond with them.

Following the workshops, the students are encouraged to act upon what they have learnt and volunteer (together with their parents and teachers) in various activities to care for the forests.

Participants will receive a stamp for every activity they participate in. At the end of every four activities, the participants will be rewarded with a token such as a file or a badge. There are eight badges with various forest animals that the students can collect.

NParks aims to reach out to 1,000 students over the next two years through the programme. Workshops that are held on scheduled dates over the next two years will be free for students. Schools or groups that request to organize the workshops on other dates will be charged a nominal fee of S$5 per student.

The range of exciting activities include:

If You Love Me, Don't Let Me Go
Find out why releasing animals into the nature reserves, reservoirs, parks
and waterways will cause them more harm than help. Kids will also learn about being responsible for their pets.

Singaporeans You've Never Met
Our forests are home to many native plants and animals, and some are unique only to
Singapore. Learn about the richness of our biodiversity and their importance.

My Neighbours Don't Like Me
Sometimes, conflict can occur between neighbours or people living together. Similarly, when living near the forests, some conflict can occur between human and nature (for example, flying insects) because of different needs. Learn various ways
to reduce the conflict between human and nature.

Monkey & You
Learn how to read and decipher the different facial expressions and behaviors of Long-tailed Macaques, and how to react appropriately and safely to their
behavior.

The Green Factory
Forests are important to us as they are a source of food (such as figs) and material needs for mankind. Over the years, researchers have harvested ingredients for various medicines from research on plants found in the forests. Many of the items used in our everyday lives (such as timber furniture) also come from the forests.

Nature's Air-Conditioner
The forest is an important regulator of the earth’s climate, as the trees cool down the surroundings and absorb carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. Also learn about the devastating effects of deforestation such as global warming.

Searching for Giants
Learn about emergents (tall trees) in the forests of Singapore, and their importance as forest habitats for various species of animals such as eagles and hawks.

Symphony of Sounds
Learn to identify the different sounds of the forests (such as sounds from birds, cicadas, frogs), and learn what their mean, and their importance to the animals in warning of predators and mating.

Contact Jeanne Tan (Ms) at 65545123 or email Jeanne_Tan@nparks.gov.sg for enquiries on the programme and workshop dates and topics.