Monday, November 7, 2016

FREE Nature Walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk - November and December


Gold-spotted mudskipper seen at high tide at Chek Jawa (October 2016)
It's the year-end school holidays! We are opening registration for our FREE nature walks at Chek Jawa for the months of November and December. Register at this link!

The Naked Hermit Crabs have been running these nature outing for small family and friend groups since 2007. Run by a small group of nature volunteers, we want to raise awareness of rich and fragile coastal ecosystems such as Chek Jawa. It is common to hear people dismiss mangroves as "useless swamp land", or talk about "draining the swamp" as a metaphor for getting rid of something useless or harmful. We want to dispel that kind of thinking that mangroves and inter-tidal coastlines are useless land.

When you visit Chek Jawa, you will see just how rich it is with plant and animal biodiversity, and why we should protect it for future generations. Chek Jawa is a gem among the nature places in Singapore.  Even though we are not going down to the shore (yes, the nature walk is conducted on the boardwalk), there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boar, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill, White-bellied Sea Eagle and the giant Atlas Moth.

Let the volunteer guides show you the amazing biodiversity that is in our own "backyard"!

Date: 19 November and 17 December (Saturday)
Meeting time: 9.30am
Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Duration of walk: Around 2 hours
Cost: Free (small donations are accepted)

a typical scene during our walks

Read on for more information...





How to get the Chek Jawa:

1. At Changi Point Ferry Terminal, (Lorong Bekukong, Changi Village), catch the bumboat to Pulau Ubin.

2. At the Ubin Jetty, you will see many drivers and their taxis (vans) waiting for passengers. Tell the taxi driver to take you to Chek Jawa.

3. You will alight at Punai Hut. Chek Jawa is just a short walk from Punai Hut. Make sure you get the telephone number of the driver so that you can call him/her for the return trip.

4. We will be waiting for you at the Chek Jawa Information Kiosk.

FAQS:

Q: Suitable attire?
A: Comfortable outdoor clothes and walking shoes

Q: What should I bring?
A: Drinking water (important), rain gear, hat/baseball cap. Optional: change of attire, camera, binoculars.

Q: Age restriction?
A: None as long as the participants are prepared to walk 2 km, climb a 6-storey high tower, able to tolerate the hot sun or wet weather, and be responsible for their own well-being during the walk.

Q: How do I recognise the guides?
A: We will be the ones doing a roll-call at Chek Jawa Information Kiosk. As long as you make it to Chek Jawa, you will definitely see us.

Q: What if it rains?
A: This is a rain-or-shine event. The Crabs will be there at Chek Jawa regardless of the weather. Usually we are able to resume the walk once the rain stops. Please come prepared with rainwear. You make your own decision whether to come or not in the event of bad weather.

Enjoy the rest of the photos to get a better idea of what to expect at our Chek Jawa Boardwalk walks!

Hairy Emperor Dragonfly

Striated heron

Sun skink

Dollar bird

Carpet anemone

Horseshoe crab

Cotton-stainer bugs

wild boar piglets

Grey heron

fiddler crab

mangrove tree-climbing crabs

herons feeding at low tide

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