Join us at our Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 15 December, Sunday. This is a very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves, and the best way is to explore this place is with a nature guide. Our walks are designed for small groups of young families and friends. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Register on Eventbrite here.
Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of our volunteer guides, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing 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.
Date: 15 December 2019 (Sunday) Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin Meeting time: 9:30 am Duration of walk: 2 hours Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted Sign up here.
As with all of our other walks, we had a wonderful time exploring the mangroves in Pasir Ris Park with our participants!
Over 80 participants turned up despite gloomy weather
We had close to 90 participants despite the slight drizzle and grey skies at the start of our walk.
Instead of dampening our spirits, the light drizzle helped to cool the environment in the park and that made the walk more enjoyable.
Here's our guide, Ley Kun (pictured in a white hat), giving an introduction before the walk.
Our participants were made up of groups of eager families and friends, who were excited to learn more about the residents of our local mangroves.
Encouraging the curiosity of our young participants
Kids are the best spotters of wildlife and often ask the best questions!
With the help of our curious, young participants, we got to spot many crabs and interesting insects, such as the mangrove shield bug and a red-coloured assassin bug!
Photo of these gorgeous creatures by Ria Tan
Mangrove shield bugs are often found in clusters under leaves in the mangrove. To find out more about these beautiful bugs, you can read about them here on Wildsingapore's fact sheets.
A cotton stainer bug nymph, spotted by another young participant
This young individual of the cotton stainer was found near the sea hibiscus plant, which the adults and young often congregate around. You can read more about them here.
A young mangrove pit viper, spotted by a sharp-eyed visitor
Mangrove pit vipers are a key part of our walk as our visitors are always excited to see them.
As with all other snakes and wild animals, they will not attack unless threatened or provoked.
We really enjoy having families join us for our walks as visitors help us to spot wildlife and ask a lot of great questions about our local flora and fauna.
Comments and drawings from our participants
At the end of our walk, we usually let our participants draw or write about what they saw.
Hard at work
A quick drawing session in the mangroves
Here's some artworks and the young artists who drew them.
While the kids were drawing, we saw a smooth-coated otter fishing and a group of egrets resting in a tree.
We also had a grey heron and hornbills fly by when we ended our walk at the jetty!
We would also like to thank our participants for the encouraging comments on Facebook by our participants, Veronica Ong and Ahha Lim.
Veronica OngThank you for sharing with us this lovely place! Kevin (Evan) was awesome and so patient!
Veronica OngWe saw mudskippers, a purple snake, a dead horseshoe crab shell, otters, fish, snails etx
This March, the Naked Hermit Crabs are specially organising a very special nature walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves this Saturday, 23 November. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Pasir Ris Park.
Sign up now on Eventbrite! Don't miss the opportunity to see some wildlife in action! Pasir Ris Mangroves is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Pasir Ris MRT station. We only do Pasir Ris Mangroves two to three times a year, so don't miss this opportunity!
Ria explains to her participants that the best way
to find owls is to look out for their puke pellets
that usually contains undigested matter,
such as bones, feathers or plant matter
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
This puke pellet contains a shrew's skeleton
(a type of rodent)
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
One of the spotted wood owls
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
They aren't always easy to spot so guides usually point
them out. With a bit of patience and sharp eyesight,
the visitor finally spots the owls.
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
Kapok! The kapok tree produces pods that burst
to expose a cottony interior.
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
A grey heron heading back to the roost sight.
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
Taking in the sights and sounds at the shore
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
Everyone was intrigued by the crab moults
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
There are many creatures look out for in the mangroves, such as mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, snails, herons and monitor lizards. The best part of the nature walk is at the end when we get to the small jetty over the river. There is a lot of animal activity in the evenings. We have seen young monitor lizards crawling into their nests as they settle in before nightfall. Sometimes, you may even spot kingfishers, jellyfishes and water snakes! It really is quite exciting for the children to be able to see these animals in the wild.
Join us at our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 20 October, Sunday. This is a very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves, and the best way is to explore this place is with a nature guide. Our walks are designed for small groups of young families and friends. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Register on Eventbrite here.
Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of our volunteer guides, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing 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.
Date: 20 October 2019 (Sunday) Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin Meeting time: 9:30 am Duration of walk: 2 hours Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted Sign up here.
Join us at our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 8 September, Sunday. This is a very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves, and the best way is to explore this place is with a nature guide. Our walks are designed for small groups of young families and friends. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Register on Eventbrite here.
Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of our volunteer guides, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing 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.
Date: 8 September 2019 (Sunday) Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin Meeting time: 9:30 am Duration of walk: 2 hours Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted Sign up here.
Join us at our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 18 August, Sunday. This is a very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves, and the best way is to explore this place is with a nature guide. Our walks are designed for small groups of young families and friends. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Register on Eventbrite here.
Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of our volunteer guides, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing 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.
Date: 18 August 2019 (Sunday) Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin Meeting time: 9:30 am Duration of walk: 2 hours Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted Sign up here.
Join us at our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 13 July, Saturday. This is a very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves, and the best way is to explore this place is with a nature guide. Our walks are designed for small groups of young families and friends. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Register on Eventbrite here.
Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of our volunteer guides, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing 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.
Date: 13 July 2019 (Saturday) Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin Meeting time: 9:30 am Duration of walk: 2 hours Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted Sign up here.
100 visitors. What a fantastic turnout of families and friends to our evening walk at Pasir Ris mangroves walk on 25 May, 2019! We had to take 2 wefies - thanks to our enthusiastic guide, Che Cheng.
Wefie #1 by Che Cheng
Wefie #2 by Che Cheng
Captured the wefie moment - by Ria
Highlights of the walk include two sightings of the shore pit viper. In fact, the first pit viper, spotted by a visitor in Sumita's group, is a cute tiny one, not more than 10 cm long. Its triangular head is so distinctive even though it is just a baby snake. What a special treat! The other shore pit viper was spotted on the mangrove mud, slithering away in a hole in the ground. Please know that the shore pit viper is a highly venomous snake, so do stay far away from it if you spot one.
Once a year, and only once a year, during Pesta Ubin, volunteers from several groups come together to offer a Chek Jawa Open House. Free, no registration required, simply come to Chek Jawa!
Date: 2 Jun (Sun)
Time: 10am - 2pm
Meeting point: Chek Jawa Info Kiosk More details here: tinyurl.com/balikcj2019
Volunteer guides will be stationed all over the boardwalk to share about Chek Jawa's amazing heritage and wildlife.
Have you ever wanted to experience what it’s like to be a nature guide? Looking for an interesting activity for your family to take part in during the holidays? The Chek Jawa Familiarisation Tour is here for you! No prior experience is needed. Sign up now! After you have completed the Familiarisation Tour on 1 June, you will be able to participate as a volunteer at the Balik Chek Jawa Day on 2 June. Come join us and make a difference for nature! Join us to help make a difference for nature!
What is this Familiarisation Tour about?
To help prepare you to contribute to Balik Chek Jawa on 2 June (Sun), this tour introduces you Chek Jawa and hopes to build your confidence to share at one station of your choice along the boardwalk.
It is also a chance to interact with like-minded people and more experienced nature guides while coming up with new and exciting ways to share about our shores. The tour will take you around the Chek Jawa coastal and mangrove boardwalk.
Why should I join this familiarisation tour?
By joining this FREE tour, you will not only learn about the wildlife at Chek Jawa, but also have a chance to contribute to Balik Chek Jawa by learning how to be a nature guide!
Your help is needed during Balik Chek Jawa:
(a) As guides at various spots or wandering the boardwalk
(b) To help at activities at House No. 1 or at TeamSeagrass or RUM booths
Training Session
Date: 1 June (Sat)
Time: 8.00 am-12 noon
Meeting point: Changi Point Ferry Terminal (near Changi Village)
Continue reading for more information on what you can learn, and who is eligible to join the tour!
You will learn:
- How to spot wildlife
- Guiding tips
- Tricky guiding situations, e.g. dealing with 'difficult' visitors
- You are expected to read up the bulk of the information on your own. Links to online resources will be provided.
Who can join the Familiarisation Tour?
- Participants should be 19 years old and above.
- Younger participants may participate if accompanied by a parent/guardian during both the familiarisation tour and Balik Chek Jawa.
- Families are welcome to join the familiarisation tour and volunteer at Balik Chek Jawa.
- Individual participants under 19 years of age will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Participants must commit to help at Balik Chek Jawa on 2 Jun, 2019 (Sun).
What is Balik Chek Jawa?
Part of Pesta Ubin, Balik Chek Jawa is a FREE Open House at Chek Jawa. Volunteers (you!) will be stationed all over the boardwalk to share about Chek Jawa's amazing wildlife. There are also lots of fun activities for kids and the family at House No. 1, Chek Jawa's Visitor Centre (There will be NO activities on the seashores).
Date: 2 Jun (Sun)
Time: 10am - 2pm
Meeting point: Chek Jawa Info Kiosk.
More details on Balik Chek Jawa 2018 here.
Click here to see what happened at Balik Chek Jawa last year!
This March, the Naked Hermit Crabs are specially organising a very special nature walk at Pasir Ris Mangroves on 25 May, Saturday. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Pasir Ris Park.
Sign up now on Eventbrite! Don't miss the opportunity to see some wildlife in action! Pasir Ris Mangroves is conveniently located 10 minutes away from Pasir Ris MRT station. We only do Pasir Ris Mangroves two to three times a year, so don't miss this opportunity!
Ria explains to her participants that the best way
to find owls is to look out for their puke pellets
that usually contains undigested matter,
such as bones, feathers or plant matter
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
This puke pellet contains a shrew's skeleton
(a type of rodent)
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
One of the spotted wood owls
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
They aren't always easy to spot so guides usually point
them out. With a bit of patience and sharp eyesight,
the visitor finally spots the owls.
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
Kapok! The kapok tree produces pods that burst
to expose a cottony interior.
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
A grey heron heading back to the roost sight.
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
Taking in the sights and sounds at the shore
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
Everyone was intrigued by the crab moults
Photo by Nicholas Yeo.
There are many creatures look out for in the mangroves, such as mudskippers, tree-climbing crabs, snails, herons and monitor lizards. The best part of the nature walk is at the end when we get to the small jetty over the river. There is a lot of animal activity in the evenings. We have seen young monitor lizards crawling into their nests as they settle in before nightfall. Sometimes, you may even spot kingfishers, jellyfishes and water snakes! It really is quite exciting for the children to be able to see these animals in the wild.
Join us at our regular Chek Jawa Boardwalk outing on 14 April, Sunday. This is a very special and beautiful corner of Singapore mangroves, and the best way is to explore this place is with a nature guide. Our walks are designed for small groups of young families and friends. Best of all, this nature walk is free! Register on Eventbrite here.
Chek Jawa is rich in biodiversity, and with the help of our volunteer guides, you should be able to see lots of interesting plants and wildlife. Even though we are not going on to the shore, there is still much to see and enjoy. There are monitor lizards, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing 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.
Date: 14 April 2019 (Sunday) Meeting place: Chek Jawa Information Kiosk, Pulau Ubin Meeting time: 9:30 am Duration of walk: 2 hours Fees: No charge for now, but small donations are accepted Sign up here.
The Naked Hermit Crabs had a blast at yesterday's Celebrating Singapore Shores' event at Berlayer Creek, Labrador Park. It was the first time the marine community got together to offer free activities for families to raise awareness about the wildlife found near our shores. We had over 300 participants sign up for our hourly walks. Over our 4 walk sessions, we saw a variety of wildlife. We saw birds such as the Ashy tailorbird, busy weaver ants and a family of otters.
The March school holidays will soon be here, and we have a new location to explore with you! We are holding a mangrove walk at Berlayar Creek, Labrador Park, on 16 March, Saturday.
To celebrate the closing of the International Year of the Reef, the marine community and Naked Hermit Crabs are organising activities and special guided walks at Labrador Park on 16 March, Saturday. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Berlayar Creek. We are only doing this walk this year, so don't miss this opportunity! Check out this video to see what we saw yesterday at Berlayer Creek!
In addition, there will be more than 20 marine community groups offering an evening of fun. FREE activities. This mini festival is designed specially for kids and the family with games and prizes, nature walks and films.
To celebrate World Wildlife Day (3 March), the Naked Hermit Crabs are specially organising a special walk at Labrador Park on 10 March, Sunday. This is a FREE nature walk on the mangrove boardwalk at Berlayar Creek, Labrador Park.
We had a great day at Chek Jawa with about 20 visitors on 23 Feb 2019. So happy to meet with enthusiastic visitors. Very lovely people!
We saw lots of animals including monitor lizards, an Oriental Whip snake, fiddler crabs, tree-climbing crabs, wild boars and macaques. Strangely, we did not see mudskippers in the mangrove and at the coastal side too. Not sure why.
The sun was out, the sky was a beautiful blue, and lots of fresh air. It's a good day to be out enjoying some nature!
One of the kids in the group spotted a pair of needlefishes in the waters just after the beacon. The fishes are about 40 cm long. What a treat to be able to see theses fishes!
We saw lots of long-tail macaques before and after the walk. The guides took the opportunity to remind visitors not to feed the monkeys.
A shout-out with thanks to our volunteer guides - Sumita, Ria, Xiang Tian, LK and our intern, Francine, for guiding!
10 March, 2019 (Sunday) - guided walk at Berlayar Creek by trainee guides
16 March, 2019 (Saturday), 4 to 8pm - a community event organised by Celebrating Singapore Shores. Come and meet the wonderful people who are involved in marine conservation and education in Singapore! No registration is needed.
