Fishes and Jellyfishes at Chek Jawa in November

The Crabs are running the December walk at Chek Jawa next week, and I have not even posted the photos from November! Time to stop the procrastination!

So, here goes ..... We had about 35 visitors join us in November (10-Nov). They are mostly families and small groups of friends wanting to learn more about the mangroves in Chek Jawa.

We also had a group of 10 students from the School of Tourism Studies from Temasek Polytechnic join us. Their lecturer sent them to us with the request that we help to explain the biodiversity of plants and animals that still can be found in our natural places. We certainly hope we left some positive impression with them about natural places such as Chek Jawa. We wanted them to know that Singaporeans still care passionately about conservation issues despite the relentless development of our urban areas for economic growth.

10 Nov, 8 Dec (Sat): FREE Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs

It's the school holidays! Time to put aside the textbooks and computers, and get out to explore the interesting nooks and corners of Singapore. Chek Jawa Boardwalk in Pulau Ubin is one lovely gem of a nature place.

Specially organised for the kids and the family, we have 2 FREE walks during the school holidays - 10th Nov and 8th Dec, Saturday.

What about the adults? Yes, yes, we haven't forgotten about you. Lots of you write in to ask about the Chek Jawa walks. We have enough guides and can easily form a few groups for the grown-ups apart from the little ones.

Lots to see at Chek Jawa, especially when accompanied by an experienced guide. There are busy fiddler crabs, slithery snakes, cute mudskippers, placid monitor lizards, fascinating tree-climbing crabs, super spiders. Goodness! What a long list of animals! And if we are really lucky, who knows, we might spot the Oriental Pied Hornbills among the tall trees, woodpeckers, sharmas, sea snakes, mud crabs, herons feeding on the mudflats, or White-Bellied Sea Eagles in the sky. One can never be sure what one can find, but we know it will be a fun outing.

Date: 10th November and 8th December, 2012 (Saturday)

Time: 9:30 am

Duration: about 2 hours

Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin

Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa.

Registration:

We welcome small family and friend groups. Registration is through our online form. We will send you an email to confirm the number of places for your group.

If you have questions for us, write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

Families and students enjoying an outing to Chek Jawa

Last Saturday (13th Oct), we had a wonderful trip out to Chek Jawa Boardwalk with several families and lots of students on a study trip. October is typically our quieter month for visitors, but this time Pei Yan brought her Girl Guides student leaders from Katong Convent together with their teachers. We had a really boisterous trip, a fun way to spend a Saturday morning exploring Chek Jawa.

Here's PY sharing about rubber tapping with her students. Rubber was a major cash crop in South East Asia for decades, although with the introduction of synthetic rubber, natural rubber has lost its pole position in the cultivation of cash crops. Nonetheless, this is an eye-opener for our younger Singaporeans to be able to touch and feel the latex sap with their fingers.

13 Oct (Sat): FREE Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs

We're in the last quarter of 2012! Whew! Time flies.... If you had wanted to visit Chek Jawa Boardwalk this year and have not done so, delay no more. Join the Crabs on their monthly outing to discover local mangrove biodiversity.

Even though we are not going down to the inter-tidal mudflats, there are still lots of fascinating animals and plants next to the boardwalk for us to discover. The mudskippers and fiddler crabs are cute as they go about their busy ways. The monitor lizards should be there too, basking in warm sunshine until their cold-blooded bodies get sufficiently heated up before they get active. You want to see larger animals? Yes, there are wild boars in Chek Jawa. There are also hornbills and sea eagles flying above the tree canopy. The smaller birds like woodpeckers, tailorbirds, sunbirds and bulbuls are often spotted in the forests of Chek Jawa too. Come on and sign up. It should be a fun outing for everyone.

Date: 13th October, 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am
Duration: about 2 hours
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa.

Registration

We welcome small family and friend groups. Registration is through our online form. We will send you an email to confirm the number of places for your group.

If you have questions for us, write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

Holiday fun at Chek Jawa!

The Crabs are back at Chek Jawa with enthusiastic families at our monthly FREE guided tour of the boardwalk.

As usual, the kids spot all kinds of interesting stuff, and we had a great time exploring Chek Jawa.

Holiday fun at Pasir Ris mangroves

We're back at Pasir Ris mangroves to share the marvels of the mangroves with about 30 enthusiastic mums, dads and kids!

As usual, the kids are great at spotting stuff!

8 Sep (Sat): FREE Chek Jawa boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs

It's the September school break! Come explore Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin with us. Even though we are not going down to the shore, Chek Jawa's rich mangrove and inter-tidal ecosystems will fascinate us. There are lots of cute mudskippers, fiddler crabs, monitor lizards, wild boars, little schools of fishes, bugs, birds, snakes, the list goes on. And if we are lucky, we may get to see the Oriental Pied Hornbills, White-bellied Sea Eagles, and perhaps even the otters!

(By the way, we have another walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves on 1st September. Check that one out too!)

At the end of the walk, we will let the young ones, as well as the young-at-heart, draw and write what they feel about Chek Jawa.

Date: 8th September, 2012 (Saturday) 
Time: 9:30 am Duration: about 2 hours 
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin 
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa. 

Registration

We welcome small family and friend groups. Registration is through our online form. We will send you an email to confirm the number of places for your group.

If you have questions for us, write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

Beautiful Day at Chek Jawa

The Crabs took a group of 30 visitors out to Chek Jawa Boardwalk on Saturday, and what a glorious and beautiful day we had! Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, verdant forests, cool sea breezes, interesting animals, funny stories and happy jolly people.  We truly enjoy our walks every month. I know it sounds like a cliché, but it is a privilege to be able to share the beauty of Chek Jawa with people who care about preserving natural places. Read on and enjoy the photos.

Here is the entire group before the start of the walk. We brought a Singapore flag in celebration of our nation’s 47^th birthday. May we have more natural places preserved for their precious flora and fauna biodiversity! 

1 Sep (Sat): FREE Pasir Ris Mangrove boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Specially for kids and the family during the September school holidays! Come explore the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk with us. There's lots to see: cute crabs, naughty mudskippers, huge herons and slithery snakes!

Liam (12 and a half) and Skylar (9 and a half) shared this lovely drawing of what we did and saw during our walk on 17 Mar.

We are offering this FREE walk on 1 Sep (Sat) during the September school holidays

11 Aug (Sat): FREE Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip with the Naked Hermit Crabs

The Naked Hermit Crabs are holding their monthly Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing next Saturday. Come and celebrate the National Day weekend with us. Even though we are not going down to the shore, Chek Jawa's rich mangrove and inter-tidal ecosystems will fascinate us.

Let the Crabs show you the mudskippers, fiddler crabs, monitor lizards, wild boars, little schools of fishes, bugs, birds, snakes, the list goes on. And if we are lucky, we may get to see the Oriental Pied Hornbills, White-bellied Sea Eagles, and perhaps even the otters! In between all the sightings, the Crabs will share their knowledge of the ecosystems, and of course, our lame jokes to make the trip fun and interesting.

At the end of the walk, we will let the young ones, as well as the young-at-heart, draw and write what they feel about Chek Jawa. The whole event will last about 2 hours.

Date: 11th August, 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am
Duration: about 2 hours
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa. 

Registration

We welcome small family and friend groups. You may sign up using our online form. We will send you an email to confirm the places for your group.

If you have questions for us, write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

Wonderfully wet Chek Jawa!

How nice to share Chek Jawa with families who braved the rain to join the Naked Hermit Crab's monthly free guided walks! Here's my group at the Jejawi Tower next to the towering Jejawi fig tree!

'One, two, tree!' and we have a great group photo, and an introduction to my many lame jokes.

14 Jul (Sat): FREE Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Come and join us for a fun morning at Chek Jawa Boardwalk in Pulau Ubin this coming Saturday. Even though we are not going down to the shore, there are still lots of animals and interesting plants to see from the boardwalk. With a trained guide and the keen eyesight of the children, we should be able to spot lots!


Chek Jawa, as you know, is one of the ecologically richest areas in the north-east part of Singapore. On a typical boardwalk trip, we should be able to see crabs, monitor lizards, mudskippers, fiddler crabs and wild boars. And if we are lucky, we should also see the Oriental Pied Hornbills and sea eagles. Just last month, a group of visitors led by KokSheng saw two otters swimming in the water off the boardwalk. It made quite an impression on the kids who were present.

Date: 14th July, 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am
Duration: about 2 hours
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa. 

Registration

We welcome small family and friend groups. You may sign up using our online form. We will send you an email to confirm the places for your group.

If you have questions for us, write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

More Pasir Ris mangrove fun with kids!

The Crabs had another fun outing sharing Pasir Ris mangroves with lots of families!

As usual, it's the kids who spot all kinds of cool mangrove critters!
 

Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on the eve of Father's Day

The Crabs had a wonderful outing to Chek Jawa Boardwalk last Saturday (16 June) on the eve of Father's Day. We are totally delighted that so many families joined us for the outing. In fact, look out for the fathers as you scroll through the photos. Bravo Dads, and happy belated Father's Day!

16 Jun (Sat): FREE Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip with the Naked Hermit Crabs

We are two weeks into the June holidays, and I am sure that everyone is having a great time. If you have not done anything special for the June holidays yet, why not come on down to join us for our monthly walk at Chek Jawa Boardwalk. Bring the kids! We have just a few places left.

Our trips out to Chek Jawa are managed by volunteers who love to share of their knowledge of biodiversity of Singapore shores with you. Even though we are not going down to the shore on this trip, there is still much to see and enjoy. Chek Jawa, as you know, is one of the ecologically richest areas in the north-east part of Singapore. On a typical boardwalk trip, we should be able to see crabs, monitor lizards, mudskippers, fiddler crabs and wild boars. And if we are lucky, we should also see the Oriental Pied Hornbills and sea eagles. A few of the Crabs explored Chek Jawa this morning, and we were rewarded with sightings of the extremely playful and adorable otters! We really hope the otters would make an appearance when we visit on 16th June!

Otters at Chek Jawa on 10 June, 2012

*** Registration is closed. Join us in July! ***


Dates: 16th June, 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am
Duration: about 2 hours
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa. 

Registration

We welcome small family and friend groups. You may sign up using our online form. We will send you an email to confirm the places for your group.

If you have questions for us, write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

Evening at Pasir Ris mangroves

Another another great walk with families and kids at the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk yesterday.

As usual, crabs are a great attraction for the kids. And there are LOTS of them at Pasir Ris mangroves!

2 Jun (Sat): FREE Pasir Ris Mangrove boardwalk tour with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Specially for kids and the family! Come explore the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk this weekend with us! There's lots to see: cute crabs, naughty mudskippers, huge herons and slithery snakes!

Liam (12 and a half) and Skylar (9 and a half) shared this lovely drawing of what we did and saw during our walk on 17 Mar.

We are offering this FREE walk on: 2 June (Sat) as well as on 30 June (Sat).

The Crabs at the Festival of Biodiversity (26-27 May)

The Naked Hermit Crabs were busy at the Marine Exhibition during the Festival of Biodiversity last weekend.

We are fortunate to have Pei Yan to share about our marine life with the President, who graced the event.

26-27 May - Festival of Biodiversity

The Crabs are really excited to be participating in the Festival of Biodiversity this coming Saturday and Sunday. There is a host of activities to suit all ages at the Festival. If you have time this weekend, pop over to the Singapore Botanic Gardens with your buddies and loved ones, and come find out more about the diversity of plants and animals that can be found in our natural areas. We just want to CELEBRATE!

Dates: 26 May (Sat) and 27 May (Sun)
Time: 9am - 6pm
Venue: Botany Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens
Website: http://festivalofbiodiversitysingapore.wordpress.com/

More blog posts about the Festival:

1. Full list of activities at the Festival:
- http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2012/05/26-27-may-celebrate-singapores-marine.html
- http://iyb2010singapore.blogspot.com/2012/04/26-27-may-sat-sun-festival-of.html

2. Participate in the Symposium - http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2012/05/26-may-sat-conserving-our-biodiversity.html

3. Lots of activities for the kids:
- Awesome marine colouring sheet for the kids - http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2012/05/awesome-marine-colouring-sheet-get-it.html
- see the collection of hand-made soft-toys of marine animals, Ms Soctupus and Friends - http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2012/05/meet-ms-soctopus-and-friends-at.html

4. Attend Ivan's talk, titled "Bodies of evidence: A morbid celebration of biodiversity" - http://lazy-lizard-tales.blogspot.com/2012/05/shameless-self-promotion.html

There are so many more activities happening over the 2 days. See you there!

June evenings at the Pasir Ris Mangrove boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Join us in June to explore the fascinating mangroves at Pasir Ris Park! The boardwalk allows a closer look at the mangroves and it's open even at night!

Kids have lots of fun spotting and learning about mangrove
creatures from the boardwalk!

Liam (12 and a half) and Skylar (9 and a half) shared this lovely drawing of what we did and saw during our walk on 17 Mar.

We are offering this FREE walk on: 2 June (Sat) and 30 June (Sat). What can we see at Pasir Ris? And more details about our walk!

Breakfast with Wild Boar and Sunshine on the Shores

It was a really hot and sunny morning. But that didn't deter many people, who made it for our guided walk out on the Chek Jawa boardwalk. Today, we had a big group from Temasek Polytechnic, here to gain some insight into the possible impact of tourism on the environment, as well as several families and other groups who had signed up for this tour.

Announcement - Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip on 12th May (and a belated blog post)

We're ready to accept signups for our next Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip on 12th May. Click here to access our online registration site. We will follow-up with an email to confirm the booking.

Update on 8 May: Registration for the trip on 12th May is closed. Please sign up for the trips in June and July instead.

More about our Chek Jawa Boardwalk trips:
Our outings are always entertaining and educational. They are suitable for kids and grown-ups alike. The Crabs just want to share our knowledge of mangroves and natural shorelines with you as part of ongoing efforts to create public awareness of inter-tidal biodiversity. Even though we are not going down to the shore at this outing, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, shore birds, spiders, rare plants, wild boars, mudskippers and lots of fruit trees. If we are lucky, we might even spot the Oriental Pied Hornbill and White-bellied Sea Eagle.

Dates: 12th May 2012 (Saturday) 
Time: 9:30 a.m. 
Duration: about 2 hours 
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin 
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa.

Kids out at the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk!

Another great evening out at Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk with lots of sharp-eyed kids!

We missed seeing the otters! But we saw lots of other great wildlife!

Earth Day with kids at Pasir Ris mangroves!

Crab! Fish! Snake! And other exciting encounters by kids on the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk!

What a great way to celebrate Earth Day!

21 Apr (Sat): Earth Day at Pasir Ris mangroves with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Celebrate Earth Day at the fascinating mangroves at Pasir Ris Park! The boardwalk allows a closer look at the mangroves and it's open even at night!

Kids have lots of fun spotting and learning about mangrove
creatures from the boardwalk!

Liam (12 and a half) and Skylar (9 and a half) shared this lovely drawing of what we did and saw during our walk on 17 Mar.

We are offering this FREE walk on 21 Apr (Sat) and 28 Apr (Sat). We welcome small family and friend groups. And we love kids! Here's more details about the walk ...

What can we see at Pasir Ris in the rain?

It was thundery and lightning filled start to our walk this evening. But after a long wait for safer weather, a small group headed out to check out the mangroves at Pasir Ris.

What special creatures can we find in such wet weather?

Announcement: Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip on 14th Apr (Sat)

Registration for our Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip in April is open!


For those of you who have heard of our trips, our outings are always entertaining and educational. The aim is to share our knowledge of mangroves and natural shorelines with you as part of voluntary efforts to create public awareness of inter-tidal biodiversity.  Even though we are not going down to the shore at this outing, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boars, 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.

Dates: 14th April 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am
Duration: about 2 hours
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa. 

Registration

We welcome small family and friend groups. You may sign up using our online form. We will send you an email to confirm the places for your group. 


If you have questions for us, write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com

Families enjoying day out on Chek Jawa Boardwalk

The Crabs went out to Chek Jawa Boardwalk on 10th March 2012 with about 26 visitors. We had a wonderful time exploring the mangroves and coastal area with the families. Our visitors are ever so enthusiastic with all that they saw. In fact, I am quite impressed by the moms and dads in this group as they appear to be adventurous and their kids had loads of fun. Kudos to the Lee, Tan, Heng and Tay families for being a real sport!

When we arrive at Chek Jawa, we were able to show the kids how rubber tapping works. Rubber used to be an important cash crop in the past (until natural rubber was replaced by synthetic rubber), and there were a number of rubber estates in Pulau Ubin. The rubber estates are no longer in operation, but the rubber trees are left to grow wild all over the island, gradually turning into secondary forests. LK explained to the kids how the rubber tree is "tapped" and the sticky sap collected from the trees is called latex which coagulates on exposure to air. The kids were able to stretch the ribbons of latex.

Ria's group of visitors saw the male Oriental Pied Hornbill feeding on fruits. They were so excited with the sighting as can be expected because the hornbill is indeed a magnificent beauty of our forests. The kids and adults made the tedious climb to the top of Jejawi Tower and were rewarded with yet another wonderful sighting, this time of a White-Bellied Sea-Eagle, soaring above their heads. Yup! This is a typical day out to Chek Jawa, a treasure trove of biodiversity in Singapore!

Kids out at the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk!

It's the last days of the school holidays and lots of families joined the Crabs for another exciting walk at the Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk! About 80 mums, dads, kids and nature lovers! Hurray!

The kids, as usual, are super spotters and thanks to them, we see all kinds of awesome mangrove life!

Announcement: CJ Boardwalk trip on 10th Mar (Sat)

We still have a few places available for our March outing to observe the wildlife at Chek Jawa Boardwalk. Do write in to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com to register.

For those of you who have heard of our trips, our outings are always entertaining and educational. The aim is to share our knowledge of mangroves and natural shorelines with you as part of voluntary efforts to create public awareness of inter-tidal biodiversity.  Even though we are not going down to the shore at this outing, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boars, 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.

Dates: 10th March 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am
Duration: about 2 hours
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa. 

Mangrove Pitta in Pasir Ris!

We had our very first public walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves last Saturday (25th Feb) and you won't believe what we saw! The elusive Mangrove Pitta in the mangroves! Thanks to one of the kids who spotted it first. For the past few weeks, the Internet was abuzz with news among nature lovers and birders that the Mangrove Pitta has been sighted at Pasir Ris Mangroves. So it is quite a special treat for us to see it with our own eyes. The Mangrove Pitta (Pitta megarhyncha) is a nationally endangered bird species due to widespread loss of its habitat. There are few mangroves left on mainland Singapore, so let's hope this rare and much-loved species of bird thrives in the natural habitat of Pasir Ris Mangroves.

To learn more about the Mangrove Pitta, read the 31 Jan 2012 post on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog.

Mangrove Pitta sighted at Pasir Ris Mangroves on 25 Feb 2012

March and April: Evening at the Pasir Ris Mangrove boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Join us in March and April to explore the fascinating mangroves at Pasir Ris Park! The boardwalk allows a closer look at the mangroves and it's open even at night!

Kids have lots of fun spotting and learning about mangrove
creatures from the boardwalk!

Liam (12 and a half) and Skylar (9 and a half) shared this lovely drawing of what we did and saw during our walk on 17 Mar.

We are offering this FREE walk on: 17 Mar (Sat) (school holidays!), 24 Mar (Sat), 21 Apr (Sat), 28 Apr (Sat). What can we see at Pasir Ris? And more details about our walk!

25 Feb (Sat): Evening at the Pasir Ris Mangrove boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs

There are fascinating mangroves at Pasir Ris Park! A boardwalk allows us to explore it easily and it's open even at night! Join the Naked Hermit Crabs for an evening stroll through this interesting but often overlooked mangrove.

The boardwalk takes us through tall mangrove trees
and allows to see all kinds of curious creatures.

Chek Jawa, a trove of treasures

We had our first public walk of 2012 at Chek Jawa Boardwalk on 11th February. There were 15 visitors , and they certainly had a wonderful time exploring the Chek Jawa in a smaller group!

We had 4 students from NUS, 3 from NTU (Earthlink), 2 groups of friends, and a family with young children. The NUS students said they are learning about biodiversity in an inter-disciplinary course and decided to make special trip to Chek Jawa to learn more. When they saw the different habitats found in Chek Jawa, the lessons finally sank in that ecosystems and biodiversity have such a tight relationship, that one cannot exist without the other. In their words, they say Chek Jawa made their university lessons come "alive"!

Here's what they wrote:

"Chek Jawa is a trove of treasures, containing the natural heritage of Singapore. Away from the mainland, it is the last recluse from the concrete jungle. Chek Jawa is not to be missed!"

"After coming to Chek Jawa for several times, I still find Chek Jawa beautiful. The flora and fauna I have encountered certainly educate me. Please keep Chek Jawa as it is, so that the next generation can enjoy the beautiful part of Singapore. Thank you for not building HDB flats, resorts, etc."

Coming up ... first Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing in 2012

CNY 2012 is finally over! Time to work on the New Year resolutions .... visit more nature places in Singapore, gain a better understanding of biodiversity conservation issues, get out to places where the air is cleaner, do some bird-watching, and to walk off the excesses of CNY feasting! Seriously... Pulau Ubin is a wonderful retreat away from the urban environment, and Chek Jawa, located in the eastern tip of Pulau Ubin, is a real gem of a wild and natural shore line where you could pause to observe nature and be enchanted by it.

The Naked Hermit Crabs would like to introduce you to Chek Jawa without getting your feet wet. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, spiders, rare plants, wild boars, 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.

Dates: 11th February 2012 (Saturday)
Time: 9:30 am
Duration: about 2 hours
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Cost: The Crabs do not charge for the trip but you will have to pay for the bumboat and taxi rides to get to Chek Jawa.


Write to nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com to register. We welcome small family and friend groups.

2012 - Free Chek Jawa Boardwalk trips on the 2nd Saturday of each month

We concluded our Y2011 Chek Jawa Boardwalk trips on a high note in December with a record number of more than 80 visitors. What a wonderful time we all had, and for a good cause too! The visitors enjoyed visiting one of Singapore's natural shores with a trained guide, while we, on our part, are happy to play a part in raising awareness of the ecosystems found in Chek Jawa.

Visitors at our Dec 2011 walk (Photo credit: Kok Sheng)

The Crabs are pleased to commit another year to run these free monthly walks for the public. Yay!!! We have done these free Chek Jawa Boardwalk trips for about four and a half years now. Time flies! Our very first Chek Jawa Boardwalk trip took place on September 8, 2007, and we have probably taken about nearly 2000 people out on our trips.

For 2012, we will hold our monthly walks on the 2nd Saturday of each month with the exception of January and June. These are the dates:

January - No walk. The Crabs take a break!
11 Feb (Sat)
10 Mar (Sat, school holidays)
14 Apr (Sat)
12 May (Sat)
16 Jun (Sat, school holidays) - we switch to the 3rd Saturday just for this month.
14 Jul (Sat)
11 Aug (Sat)
8 Sep (Sat, school holidays)
13 Oct (Sat)
10 Nov (Sat)
8 Dec (Sat, school holidays)

Meeting Time: 9:30 am
Meeting Place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin
Duration of walk: Approximately 2 hours
Cost: No charge still
Pre-registration is required.

Use our online form to register for the walks.

If you have questions for us, write to us at nakedhermitcrabs@gmail.com.

We welcome small family and friend groups. If you are organising a corporate or community project, we recommend that you engage the professional nature guides.

Additional information for first-time visitors, please read on: