In 1942 during Second World War, a company of the Malay Regiment fought a battle from Clementi Road back to a last stand at Opium Hill where they were all but wiped out by invading Japanese forces. Six British officers, seven Malay officers and 146 other ranks were killed in battle and Singapore would fall a day later on 15th February 1942. ["The Malay Regiment - "Ta'at Dan Setia": 1933-1945," by Lim Kay Tong].

Join the Raffles Museum Toddycats, volunteers of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, on Sunday, 12 Feb 2012: 7:00am – 12:00pm as we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge (now Kent Ridge)! This event is in collaboration with the National Archives of Singapore, NHB.

Your guides will share with you stories about the Battle of Pasir Panjang, the geography, history and the flora and fauna of the area. We will also reveal how the ridge got its present name as it was renamed ‘Kent Ridge’ in 1954.

Registration is now open! Just fill in the form at: http://tinyurl.com/bpp2012-reg

Route of the walk

This 5km walk will start at the University Cultural Centre and end at National Archives’ World War II Interpretative Centre at the Reflections at Bukit Chandu (RBC) via Kent Ridge Road, The Gap and Kent Ridge Park.

For more details on this walk: http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg

You can read more about Pasir Panjang/Kent Ridge heritage here – http://pasirpanjang.rafflesmuseum.net

Wild Carnivores at the Library - Toddycats volunteers all ready to start the show!

This time, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research kindly allowed the showcase of a real dinosaur vertebra from 150 million years ago! There were even paper crafts of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals from XinHeritage that helped children and adults to visualise the entire dinosaur skeleton.

Papercraft dinosaurs and dinosaurs books surrounded a real diplodocus vertebra fossil

Dinosaurs always get people of all ages excited; we used this opportunity to spread the excitement of the arrival of the three whole diplodocid skeletons (Apollo, Prince and Twinky), which will be the centerpiece of the new Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2014.

Happy volunteers with the dinosaur bones (Photo by Boh Zuze)

Reading all about the Diplodocus dinosaurs and how they live

Even the young ones were clearly thrilled by the sight of dinosaur papercrafts!

Besides the dinosaur bone showcase, there were many other specimens (eg. skulls, skeletons and many of our iconic local biodiversity specimens) on display! We also had a station with interactive games to play and for kids to understand various ecological concepts.

Toddycat Brandon Ang introduced visitors to our iconic dugong, small clawed otter and mangroves animals which fascinated many visitors!

Toddycat Joycelin uses a library book on snakes to educate the kids! They even got to view the snake skeleton prepared by Toddycat veteran Kok Oi Yee!

An elated kid who finally beats Toddycat Marcus Tay in getting a higher dice roll at snakes & ladders

Throughout the day, there were also talks scheduled, with prizes to be won if one gave the correct answers to the questions asked by the presenter -

• 11am – Marcus Chua on “The Secrets of Ubin’s wildlife”
• 12pm – Amanda Tan Hui-Ning on “The Adventures of the Red Jungle Fowl”
• 2pm – Meryl Theng on “Singapore’s River Otters”.
• 3pm – Me (Weiting Xu) on “Stalking the Civets of Siglap”
• 4pm – Ong Say Lin on “The return of the Wild Pig”
• 5pm – Fung Tze Kwan on “The fruit-loving Common Palm Civet”

Most of the talks were well-attended and many kids listened attentively in hopes of winning the pretty jigsaw puzzle prize which features our local biodiversity.

Marcus' talk introduced many people to the wildlife of Pulau Ubin!

Meryl captivates the attention of the crowd with stories and images of the smooth-coated otters in Singapore waters.

A happy kid gives the right answer and gets a prize from SayLin!

At the end of the day,we reached out to an estimated total of 130 individuals (adults and children). Although this number was not high, each individual had personalised attention from the guides and many of them stayed for 20 – 3o minutes,  thoroughly combing through each of the stations to learn more about our local biodiversity. Even some of the kids, whose curiosities were piqued, borrowed related books! We also received public feedback to bring the same exhibition to other public libraries around Singapore! This is very encouraging for Toddycats’ first attempt at a public library, and we really hope that we can reach out to other local branches.

The event would not have been a success without the help of Junius Soh, Janice Lee & Ong Saylin to help with transportation, thanks to Kelvin Lim (RMBR) for helping us with the specimens preparation, Hazelina Yeo and staff of RMBR for helping us with the dinosaur bone showcase! Besides transportation, we want to express gratitude to the photographers, Foo Fang Chee, Boh Zuze and Kenneth Pinto for capturing the priceless interaction between the guides and people. Lastly, the volunteers who helped to made a difference, many of you took time and effort to prepare for this event and all your hard work is greatly appreciated – Jocelyne Sze, Cheong Shu Min, Nandini Srinivasan, Lim Huan Hock, Marcus Chua, Ong Saylin, Meryl Theng, Tan Hui-Ning Amanda, Eunice Soh, Yang Yi Yong, Joycelin Teo, Lee Benjamin, Lee Kai Xin, Letchumi d/o Mani, Marcus Tay, Vivien Lee, Kong Ching Wan, Wong Jinfa, Foo Maosheng, Pang Wei Han, Kok Oi Yee, Ivan Kwan, Lim Kim Yong, Brandon Ang, Deanna Lye, David Tan, Jeremy Ng, Wu Bokai & Zestin Soh.

Our guides shared stories and helped connect the kids and adults with nature during their stay at the library exhibition. A positive atmosphere with lots of laughter and smiles was established, and many left with a twinkle in their eyes and joy on their faces. Hopefully, the specimens and the dinosaur vertebra will help to inspire our next generation of biologists (and paleontologists)!

Toddycat Marcus Tay who is a International Coastal Cleanup Singapore veteran was both delighted and surprised to meet this big group of new volunteers! We are also very glad that many of our new volunteers are NUS Life Sciences undergraduates who have decided to spend their holidays in a very meaningful way! Toddycats welcome both NUS, non-NUS, biology and non-biology volunteers as long as they are passionate about nature and eager to interact with the public.

During the get to know you session where each volunteer shared why they wanted to join Toddycats, it was really great to hear some students expressing their wish to share their knowledge with the public instead of just memorising them as theory.

All new Toddycats Engage! volunteers get a sneak peek of the specimens to be showcased at the exhibition!

It is important to conduct a training session before every exhibition event because this will not only allow us to get to know each other, it is also a great opportunity for experienced guides to share interesting stories with the new volunteers.  Toddycats also get to learn the importance of giving accurate information and to be extremely careful when handling the museum specimens.

Civet girls, Tze Kwan and myself, sharing information about the Toddycat, our last wild urban carnivore and the threats it faces in urban Singapore.

At the end of the training session, many stayed to help out with the packing of the specimens that we will be bringing down to Geylang East Public Library on Saturday. It was very heartening to see Toddycats all cheery, enthusiastic and ready for show time  tomorrow!

Toddycat Ivan Kwan writes about this session on his Lazy Lizard Tales blog with a sneak preview at the specimens we’ll have to show you, and the volunteers who have plenty of stories to share!

Interested in finding out what our volunteers are looking at? Join us tomorrow at Geylang East Public Library!

An exciting day of talks, papercrafts and animal specimens

The preparations for this event has been ongoing! Everything is in order, enthusiastic volunteers with great stories to tell, animal specimens and dinosaur bone all ready. Lastly, since we are at a library, we also have exciting books available for any one who is interested in finding out more!

Check out the exciting selection of local biodiversity and dinosaur books! They are all readily available for loan at the Geylang East Public Library.

So come join us tomorrow from 10am to 6pm! It will definitely be a fun time of learning and sharing at the Geylang East Public Library!

Take a look at what two of our new volunteers thought – Lim Kim Yong and Sarah Seo.

Lim Kim Yong is in charge of the Young Educators in Science Programme at the Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore. He decided to try his hand at biodiversity education and we were very glad to have him with us. He also recruited a bunch of Young Educators which was a great boost to the team numbers that day!

Kim Yong introducing a child to Singapore's natural heritage

“It is one thing to hear of a volunteer group and quite another to volunteer for the group itself. No matter that I have done similar things in the past – it helps to remember that every group is quite unique in its own way, whether by force of history, people dynamics or the content of the volunteer efforts.”

“As I have had acquaintances in Toddycats in the past, the name always bears a vague familiar ring  but I never quite get to really know what they do, until last Saturday. So, it is really all quite interesting for a ‘physics person’ to try to get the tucked away biological facts straightened out again. There is some consolation that there are a few other physics majors doing the same, all struggling to reconfigure our brain circuitry to make sense of what ‘life’ really means.:)”

“The day itself is, for the most part, pleasant. People were generally relaxed on an almost festive Saturday morning and receptive to our approaches. And having some uncommon exhibits certainly helped to draw in the crowds. I first watched as the more senior Toddycats enthralled the young and old alike with their skills and knowledge. Having picked up some tips from them, I attempted to do the same. The first few attempts were naturally shaky but having some confidence and a thick skin helped. As usual, the kids were great, mostly curious and eager but a few couldn’t get over the fear of touching the animal skulls.”

“We hope they will in the future. Also, it was great to hear from the aunties and the grandfathers, many of whom gladly share their childhood stories or the dialect translations of the ‘horseshoe crabs’ and ‘mudskippers’. The crowds came continuously and if not for the fact that we have some extra hands, we would have tire pretty quickly. Towards the end, the rains came and the extra hands again came in handy for moving everything into the shelter. It felt great to be able to be a nature guide again. And they said they are going to bring the pangolin the next round, so I think I am going again.”

Ng Qiqi (left) & Sarah Seo (right) showing kids our iconic dugong specimen and vertebrate skulls

Sarah Seo is a year 1 NUS student, majoring in Environmental Studies.  She is also a new volunteer with the Raffles Museum Toddycats,  she reflects:

“Volunteering with the Toddycats Engage exhibition team was a truly enlightening experience for me. While I have had many experiences interacting with the public through other volunteer opportunities, it was my first time educating the masses about Singapore’s rich biodiversity.”

“Through the public showcase at Khoo Teck Puat hospital, I was both an educator and learner simultaneously. One moment, I was grasping the facts and linguistic terms of the specimens on display, and in the next, I had to frantically craft all the facts into an interesting dialogue to engage the public with.”

“Due to the lack of prior experience and some knowledge in this field, thinking and speaking on my toes proved to be quite a challenge, especially when many eyes (and camera lens) were watching me.”

“Undoubtedly, the responses from the public were what made the whole event memorable. The general response garnered from interacting with the people was pure awe and surprise. The majority were amazed by the array of wet specimens and animal skulls that were showcased. “

“Some comments though, were amusing, while others were cynical. One amusing question I received was, “Does this (baby dugong) have any medicinal value or can it be used as a tonic?” Many others commented about how cruel it was to keep the specimens in such tight glass jars. Not to worry, I provided a neutral yet insightful answer to the public each time.”

“In retrospect, the event at Khoo Teck Puat hospital was certainly an eye-opener and has made me more inclined to participate in future volunteering opportunities with Toddycats.”

Don’t worry, if you lack experience in guiding or in natural history! Come learn about our wonderful natural heritage and share this with others! So join us and be a Raffles Museum Toddycats volunteer today!

Our exhibition stations will showcase specimens of our local biodiversity, featuring our famous baby dugong, otter, pangolin and for the first time – a dinosaur vertebrate bone! In addition, it will be a day lined up with activities, and stories about civets, otters, red jungle fowl by our student researchers.

A group of children with their eyes fixed on the baby dugong as Toddycat Ng Qiqi tells them interesting facts about this amazing animal!

Join us now!
If you would like to contribute to raising an awareness of and empathy for biodiversity in Singapore, join us in engaging the public on the event day by signing up at: http://tinyurl.com/volunteer-lib

First time guiding?
Do not worry! All you need is a passion for nature and eagerness to share stories with the public! There will be a briefing and training session to prepare all volunteers for the event on Thursday, 8 Dec 2011: 6.30pm @ DBS Lab 7 [Block S2, Level 3]; map.

We look forward to your participation in our battle against the Sixth Extinction!

Toddycat David Tan intrigues children withthe specimen of a giant mudskipper

As usual, while setting up, passer-bys were intrigued by the specimens and a few even asked if the specimens were on sale. Sorry, no, these are not alternative medicinal products!!

Though it was the re-launch of the freshwater Yishun Pond, we inserted a mangrove and marine theme – after all, it still aquatic and we have lovely stories! And we sold some of Junuis’ native wildlife paper crafts which families loved!

Toddycat Jocelyne Sze and Pang Wei Han with 3D wildlife papercrafts

There was a constant stream of people so we were busy, busy, busy! The many new volunteers in our midst received their baptism of fire – and they were enthusiastic. They actively engaged the public and found that they were intrigued and surprised that Singapore still had such a diversity of animals. Yes, happiness! Our mission to educate and enthuse met once again!

A family engaged with the native biodiversity boardgamefacilitated by Toddycats Foo Fang Fang and Eileen Lim

A group of curious children examine the tree-climbing crabwhile Toddycat Nandini Srinivasan reveals secrets of its lifestyle

Light, mid-day showers threatened so we switched to an indoor venue with volunteers ensuring none of the precious specimens got wet. We have an important responsibility to ensure these specimens last longer than we will on this planet, and indeed many are older than us!

A quick shift indoor and setup to avoid the drizzle!

Rain did not dampen the guides’ spirits nor the crowds. We took a brief respite then continued with renewed passion, taking specimens out for people to have a closer look!

Back in action! The morphology of horseshoe crabs explained by Toddycat Germaine Leng

We must have talked to almost 1,000 people over a period of 6 hours, phew! Guides were actively interacting with the public, exciting many children and adults about the biodiversity of Singapore with the brave ones touching the specimens.

Thanks to the team of enthusiastic volunteers who ranged from high school to undergrads and graduate students, alumni and working adults, the new guides who came for their training in the evening after work and school and prepared well for this event – Pang Wei Han, David Tan, Jocelyne Sze, Lim Kim Yong, Junius Soh, Chong Jun Hien, Chia Pei Ying, Foo Fang Fang, Eileen Lim, Kong Ching Wan, Ng Qi Qi, Sarah Seo, Germaine Leng, Nandini Srinivasan, Teo Kah Ming, Robert Lasley, Maxine Mowe and Seok Teng.

Thanks to Junius and Jun Hien who gladly transported the specimens from NUS to Khoo Teck Puat hospital – real early mind you, because we were ready for show time at 8am! And thanks to Kelvin Lim from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, for the support with the specimen preparation as always!

Crowds at the Toddycats booth!

Homodont reptilian dentition discussed by Fung Tze Kwan to a group of kids all eager to touch the crocodile skull

Happy kids with horseshoe crabs specimens- these were once common on our shores

For more photos of this event, see the facebook album of photos here.

Passionate about nature and the environment? Join us at Geylang East Library next, on 10 December 2011. And we are recruiting volunteers, always!

Raffles Museum Toddycats! are a group of volunteers of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore dedicated to public education and outreach since 2000. The programme intends to expose, develop, enthuse and apply individuals to programmes in conservation, education and research.

Right now we rebuilding our core activity (Toddycats Engage!) – public exhibitions and education through the use of zoological specimens and station guiding. This is something we have been doing since Museum Fest 2002! Most recently, we were in action at the Biodiversity of Singapore Symposium III and Yishun Pond Rejuvenated at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Toddycats and our specimen show and tell!

We are recruiting!
If you have a passion for nature and the environment and would like to contribute to raising awareness of and an empathy for biodiversity in Singapore, apply to join us as a Raffles Museum Toddycat by filling in the relevant form:

• http://toddycats-nus.rafflesmuseum.net/ (NUS)
• http://toddycats-join.rafflesmuseum.net/ (Non-NUS)

Toddycat David Tan interacting with the public using a magnetic boardgame!

Jump into action immediately!
We spring to action once again after a station guiding training session with an event at Geylang East Public Library on Sat 10 Dec 201 to celebrate the International Year of the Forest! Our booth’s roll call will include the famous baby dugong specimen, otters and crabs and we will bring down a really heavy dinosaur vertebrate bone! We will conduct activities matching diet and habitats with wildlife and ecosystems and some 3D papercrafts created by Toddycat Junius Soh: http://xinheritage.blogspot.com.

Sign up now at: http://tinyurl.com/volunteer-lib !

Toddycat Nadini with a group of curious preschool children!

Join us in helping all in Singapore discover and conserve biodiversity in Singapore!

Cheers,
Tze Kwan & Weiting

• 0730 – 1000 Shift 1 (including booth set up)
• 1000 – 1400 Shift 2 (including booth pack up)

Don’t worry about not knowing enough facts, we just need people with the passion for nature and to share stories with the public! We definitely need passionate people to come down and help especially for Shift 1 (perfect if you are an early-riser!). If you are interested, please sign up with this form- http://tinyurl.com/volunteer-ktp.

Tze Kwan and I hope to see more new faces this Thursday and Saturday! Have a good week ahead everyone!