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Mon 08 Jun 2009 Mon 22 Jun 2009: 6.30pm – “Darwin, Wallace, and Evolution: Celebrating a major paradigm shift in science”Category : talks To go straight to registration, go to darwinwallace-reg.rafflesmuseum.net, otherwise click the poster for details.
Sat 06 Jun 2009 Nature/heritage on a bicycle: Pedal Ubin on Sat 13 June 2009Category : events The Raffles Museum Toddycats are conducting their quarterly Pedal Ubin ride once again on Saturday, 13th June 2009. Offered to the public since 1998, the relaxing four hour ride is suitable for novice cyclists and introduces the heritage and natural history of Pulau Ubin to participants. We will get off our saddles to take a close look at the island's flora, fauna and heritage sights.
Registration - there are 35 places left this time. To sign up for the public ride, please see the Participant's Page!.
Note that you have to be at Changi Point Ferry Terminal by 8am latest - we will ride rain or shine (e. g. see "Puddle Ubin" ride in September).
Wed 03 Jun 2009 Straits Times Forum (02 Jun 2009): [Raffles] Museum needs more space, better accessCategory : news A visitor to the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research reflects on his experience during a special International Museum Day open house on Sunday 24th May 2009 in the Straits Times forum page. "Museum needs more space, better access," by Jaya Kumar Narayanan. The Straits Times (Forum page), 02 Jun 2009 "On May 24, a Sunday, my family and I were at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore (NUS). It was fascinating to discover that Singapore has such a wide diversity of flora and fauna. Latest comments (as of 3rd June 2009 well, at least i did not get lost. Fri 29 May 2009 300 entangled horseshoe crabs rescued at Mandai Besar mangroveCategory : marine Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda is one of four species of horseshoe crabs in the world. It is found in the inshore waters of the Indo-West Pacific and associated with the mangrove-mudflat ecosystem. In Singapore waters, from eyewitness accounts alone, their numbers have depleted significantly since the 80's. This is not unexpected given the massive quantity of habitat loss and increased pollution over the past three decades along the Johor Straits. They still are found in the mangrove-mudflats of north-western Singapore, off the Johor Straits. However, nearshore fishing is unregulated, and Mandai mangrove and mudflats are not provided with any special protection by the law. It's fate appears to be undecided as yet. Meanwhile something else threatens its ancient denizen.  Telsons poking out of the net give an indication of the number of trapped animals in this section of a long net Frequently over the past decades, monofilament gill nets have been left behind over several tidal cycles in several mangrove patches in north-west Singapore. These poorly frequented areas without popular access are commonly only visited only by recreational fishermen and researchers. Fishermen normally harvest fish caught in a gill net after a single tidal cycle as the dead fish would rot very quickly. However, many nets I have encountered are unattended for days and are regarded as "ghost nets". Entangled fish will die once exposed but arthropod mangrove residents, can survive trapped in the net for several tidal cycles. Eventually it is the heat of the sun during the exposed low tide or starvation that kills them.
Given the reduced population size of these Xiphosurans ("sword tail"), the the impact of indiscriminate capture by gill nets has been heightened and it tragic to see the senseless slaughter of these animals, mirroring the larger-scale problem in the world's oceans. Two nights ago (27 May 2009) I chanced upon a gill net and the sound of horseshoe crabs struggling to be free at about 11pm. My labmates from Ecolab and myself had been in the area for about four hours and were leaving as the tide rose. Regretfully, we left behind the trapped horseshoe crabs. I reassured myself that the incoming tide would keep them relatively safe, even if they could not bury themselves. The next morning I returned alone to release the animals, thinking it would be a one or two hour job as was usually the case. Instead I discovered I had badly miscalculated the numbers trapped in the darkness of the previous night. And I had come directly without help or breakfast! But it was getting hot so I decided I'd best just work as fast as I could.  Mandai Besar mangrove, 27 May 2009 In the end it took five hours (8.45am - 1.45pm) to remove some 300 mangrove xiphosurans from a 100 metre gill net. They were in relatively good condition, being able to struggle reasonably vigorously. There was no mortality except for predator attack (possibly heron) on a two mature gravid females. Otherwise the other females were not full of eggs. I cut the net into several sections and dragged them into different lengths of a stream through some thigh-deep mud. I turned the thick bundles over every couple of hours (or when I thought the carapace looked alittle too dry) to ensure that all the individuals were kept wet. Thankfully there were intermitted clouds that reduced that stress on the animals. I cut out an individual at a time, removing the entangled net with the help of a pair of scissors. I tried to keep the cuts to a minimum to reduce littering the mud with short lines. By first removing the main tense filaments restricting the animal, the scissors was then used like a pair of forceps to pull loose any line entangled amongst its segmented legs. This often required cuts at either ends to remove knots before pulling a line free with the scissor tip - it helped that I was using a narrow-point scissors with a slightly dulled blade tip. I had to be careful not to cut and injure a grasping leg or a telson - the latter looks like a twig so I kept saying to myself, "there are no twigs"! So the release was a very deliberate exercise and it was important to be vigilant while working quickly. Sand grains and the filaments were wearing into my skin and I was thankful the water was brackish and not salty.  As each animal was cleared of all filament, it was released away from the net to prevent re-entanglement - horseshoe crabs can move away quite fast in precisely the wrong direction sometimes! I bundled the net fragments away from the stream for collection later. Thunder crabs and forceps crabs were set aside as they require a much finer pair of scissors and would take too much time. Those I would bring back to the Systematics & Ecology lab at NUS for release and return later. It was hot and I ran out of water but that spurred me to work faster before these creatures dried up. By creating sections, I turned a large job into a series of smaller jobs to encourage myself with intermediate success. By 10.30am (1 hour 45 minutes) I estimated that I had released over a hundred horseshoe crabs. By then I was sitting in the mud and pretty much covered with it as bending over and even squatting was too tiring. As the tide rose, I went back to turn over individuals that had returned to a belly up position. I was encouraged when I saw some crawl off but did not examine them. As they were submerged, I cleared the cut nets and stuffed them into large plastic bags I found amongst the trash on the forest floor. Rain threatened but did not come, unfortunately. Eventually, the last individual was released about five hours after I had first started. I dreamt of them later and woke up in the middle of the night hoping they were all okay. Until the next ghost net appears.  Fri 22 May 2009 Envirofest 2009 and the handing over of The Blue PlanCategory : events Sat 23 & Sun 24 May 2009 - Envirofest @ Toa Payoh Hub from 11am to 8pm will include the handing over of The Blue Plan, a proposal by civil society for an integrated and balanced conservation of Singapore’s Marine Heritage, to Minister Yaacob, the Guest of Honour at the official opening ceremony on Saturday 23rd May 2009 at 3.00pm. Everyone is welcome. Envirofest is an annual celebration to share information about Singapore's biodiversity and environment with the public at large. Guiding and activities at the exhibition will be conducted from 11am to 8pm on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th May at the HDB Hub, Toa Payoh (above the MRT). Raffles Museum Toddycats will be down in force over the two days and about 40 of us will turn up for various shifts over the two days. At 3.00pm on Saturday, 23rd May 2009, Envirofest will be declared open by the Guest of Honour, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Dr Yaacob Ibrahim. Shortly after, the finalised version of the Blue Plan (which has been circulating for public comment) will be handed over to the Minister for the government's consideration. The Minister is also co-chair of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Sustainable Development (IMCSD). This will mark the final act of the International Year of the Reef Singapore. 
Entry is free and amidst the hustle and bustle of Toa Payoh Hub, friendly guides are on hand to escort and engage visitors to Envirofest around the arena as well at each exhibit. Free tickets and sign-ups for nature events around Singapore will be offered. Envirofest is a happy collaboration between groups from the non-governmental community, government agencies, businesses and schools. This is also a good opportunity to learn about and from various biodiversity groups in Singapore who will be manning booths and introducing Singapore fauna and flora to the public with the use of specimens from the Raffles Museum, games and guiding. Throughout the day, you will be able to interact with passionate volunteers manning the various booths. This year the biodiversity guides will pepper a trail of ecosystems from terrestrial to mangrove to marine. Find out more at: envirofest.wordpress.com.  Tue 19 May 2009 The Animal Protectors Grant 2009 is open for applicationCategory : animalwelfare Do you have a brilliant idea that will help animals here in Singapore and need some funding to help get it started? Well any group of at least three individuals (including students) now has some help - the Singapore Animal Welfare Symposium (SAWS) once again invites proposals for a project that will have a positive impact on animal welfare here in Singapore.
The grant, which awards up to S$1,500, is sponsored by the Lee Foundation. Applications are subjected to a selection and interview process, and in 2008, nine grants were awarded. The results which were shared with audience members during SAWS2009 were extremely encouraging! They included:
Schedule:
To apply, go to animalwelfare.sg/grants.html Sat 16 May 2009 "No whale sharks at Sentosa IR"Category : animalwelfare Check out the The Straits Times, Saturday print edition today. 
Fri 15 May 2009 Envirofest @ Toa Payoh Hub, 23 May 2009Category : events
Thu 14 May 2009 International Museum Day activities, 23-31 May 2009Category : heritage More than 40 events and free entry opportunities in over 20 museums this May! Visit museums.com.sg/imd09
 Wed 13 May 2009 International Museum Day: MIA Trail, one night onlyCategory : heritage Update, 5.11pm - All places have been taken. Sorry we are unable to offer more than 80 spaces due to the limitation of space at the galleries and the number of volunteer guides. As part of International Museum Day celebrations, the Pasir Panjang Heritage Guides from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, NUS (RMBR) and National Archives of Singapore (NAS) present The M. I. A. Night Trail on Saturday 23rd May 2009 Discover secrets of Singapore's biodiversity at the Raffles Museum and stroll through picturesque Kent Ridge Park to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, which marks the defense of the ridge during WWII by the Malay Regiment. We will explore diversity, heritage, enjoy the view and share other stories of the ridge. This tour is conducted just one evening a year with experienced guides and both museums are specially kept open. Unfortunately places are limited due to the carrying capacity of the museum so register quickly at: imd.rafflesmuseum.net. 
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In several instances, I have found entire lengths of "ghost nets" with the still-trapped carcasses of animals in an advanced state of decay. In other instances, I have been fortunate enough to detect them early enough to release the living indiviudals. A few of such instances are featured in Habitatnews over the years, e.g. in 
