Community programmes and activities

3 May 2026 (2.00 pm - 3.00 pm), Toa Payoh Library

Choose compassion: How our actions can help or hinder wildlife conservation and animal welfare

Many animals suffer from the exotic pet trade, fashion industry, and traditional medicine. Some species are being pushed towards extinction as a result.

ACRES is known for wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, but the NGO also works to investigate crimes against animals. In this session, Mr Beng from ACRES will expose the harsh realities of how the illegal and legal trade in animals and animal parts threatens animals such as pangolins, songbirds, slow lorises, monitor lizards, pythons, turtles and other animals.

Come and learn more about these issues, what we can do to help animal protection, and how our choices can either fuel the problem or be part of the solution.

Speaker: Beng Yong Tang, Humane Education Executive at ACRES

This event is now closed.

10 May 2026 (11:30 am - 12.30 pm), Choa Chu Kang Library

From Rescue to Release: Navigating Wildlife Emergencies in Singapore

The Animal Concerns, Research and Education Society (ACRES) is a registered Singaporean Charity and Institution of Public Character that aims to create a world where all animals are treated as fellow sentient beings. One of their key focus areas is Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, where they rescue thousands of animals each year.

In this talk, learn more about how Singapore's only Wildlife Rescue charity functions and hear about their most exciting rescue stories. Empower yourselves to play a part in helping animals by learning what to do when you see various animals who are injured or in distress.

Speaker: Karina Lim, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Manager at ACRES

This event is now closed.

30 May 2026 (8.30 am - 10.30 am), Chestnut Nature Park

Walk with your neighbour at Chestnut Nature Park

By residents, for residents! Friends of Chestnut Nature Park present to you a free nature walk guided by your neighbours. Come learn about the plants and animals (some endangered!) that share our neighbourhoods and green spaces, and share stories about the history of the area. Bring your family and friends down to meet neighbours — and if you're lucky, you may even get to meet a mousedeer or two!

This volunteer-run activity is a Friends of Chestnut Nature Park initiative supported by NParks.

This event is now closed.

30 May 2026 (2.00 pm - 3.30 pm), Choa Chu Kang Library

Avian Photography with Mr. Loke Peng Fai

Peng Fai will introduce Avian Photography and walk the audience through some of the specialised equipment used.  Participants can expect a showcase of spectacular moments and lesser known sightings in Singapore. 

The talk will conclude with some general pointers on ethical behavour in the field, closing off with a short Q&A session.

Speaker: Mr. Loke Peng Fai, member of Nature Photography Society, Singapore.

This event is now closed.

30 May 2026 (4.00 pm - 5.00 pm), Punggol Library

From Rescue to Release: Navigating Wildlife Emergencies in Singapore

The Animal Concerns, Research and Education Society (ACRES) is a registered Singaporean Charity and Institution of Public Character that aims to create a world where all animals are treated as fellow sentient beings. One of their key focus areas is Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, where they rescue thousands of animals each year.

In this talk, learn more about how Singapore's only Wildlife Rescue charity functions and hear about their most exciting rescue stories. Empower yourselves to play a part in helping animals by learning what to do when you see various animals who are injured or in distress.

Speaker: Kalai Vanan, Chief Executive Officer of ACRES

13 June 2026, (2.00 pm - 4.00 pm), Punggol Library

Fishes in Our Markets: A Research Learning Experience

Pasarfish is a platform dedicated to seafood sustainability, which includes research on the different fish species sold in Singapore markets. This workshop will introduce Pasarfish’s research surveys at local wet markets, including their research methodology and a simulation of their research activities, to share the experiences and difficulties of their research process, such as traversing a crowded market and identifying fish species.

Through a hands-on activity, you will also get to learn about the taxonomy of fishes and the identifiable traits to tell fish species apart, despite their generic appearances. Plus, gain insight into the efforts behind conservation initiatives that seek to preserve our heritage and biodiversity.

Click here to register.

14 June 2026 (10.30 am - 12.30 pm), Central Library

Human Nature: Strengthening our Conservation Efforts, Protecting our Ecosystems

The horseshoe crab has roamed our planet for hundreds of millions of years. A species that predates human history, may not survive the impact of the human species. How do we drive conservation efforts to prevent their extinction and other vulnerable habitats, and strengthen Singapore's wildlife ecosystem as a whole?

Join us to explore Singapore's biodiversity, and how human nature can have both bad and good influence on the environment. Through the film screenings of City in Nature, Singapore and Moon Crab (2025), followed by a conversation with our expert speakers, discover how we can cultivate a symbiotic relationship with nature, and how you can advocate for our planet.

Speakers: Lester Tan, member of the IUCN Horseshoe Crab Species Specialist Group (SSG), and Bronwyn Tan, Landscape Architect at Shubin & Tan

Click here to register.

14 June 2026 (2.00 pm - 4.00 pm), Bedok Library

Living Fossils of the Sea: The Story of Horseshoe Crabs

Horseshoe crabs, ancient arthropods that have roamed the Earth for over 450 million years, are not true crabs but more related to spiders and scorpions. This talk explores the remarkable biology, history, and ecological significance of these creatures. We will delve into the fascinating features of horseshoe crabs, including their unique anatomy, behaviour, and the important role they play in the marine ecosystem.

Additionally, the talk will address the conservation challenges horseshoe crabs face, including the impact of overharvesting and habitat loss on their populations, and the measures being taken to protect them. By the end of the session, participants will gain a deep appreciation for these “living fossils”, their critical role in modern medicine, and the ongoing efforts to ensure their survival in the face of increasing environmental pressures.

Speaker: Mr. Ng Yi Long, lecturer at Republic Polytechnic from the Diploma in Environmental and Marine Science.

Click here to register.

20 June 2026 (1.30 pm - 3.00 pm), Central Public Library

Beetles and Spiders of Woodlands Botanical Garden

Come immerse in the magical world of beetles and spiders through the lens of the Woodlands Botanical Garden! Did you know that not all ladybugs are red and black? Did you know that the various threads in a spiderweb have different functions? Or about the spider that looks like our favourite seafood? Join us as we give you the answers to these questions and pay homage to the intriguing beetles and spiders of Woodlands Botanical Garden!

Speakers: James Khoo, managing director of The Curious Pangolin, a film and biodiversity consultancy, Finn Tan, a macro photographer with a particular interest in invertebrates, and Damien

Click here to register.

20 June 2026 (2.00 pm - 3.30 pm), Jurong Library

Landscape Photography

Weehan will introduce Landscape Photography and walking the audience through some of the specialised equipment used.  Participants can expect a showcase of spectacular moments and lesser known sightings in Singapore.  The talk will conclude with some general pointers on ethical behavour in the field closing off with a short Q&A session.

Speaker: Weehan, commercial photographer and filmmaker

Click here to register.

22 June 2026 (7.00 pm - 8.00 pm), Zoom

Fantastic Fruits and the Beasts that Eat Them

For millions of years, plants have evolved attractive fruits to entice animals to consume them and get their seeds dispersed in the process. From dinosaurs to civet cats, this plant-animal relationship is among one of the most endearing and ancient of ecological interactions. This talk explores the important role that animals play in the life history of plants and the stories behind the everyday fruits that we consume!

Speaker: Jun Ying Lim, plant ecologist and biodiversity scientist who heads the Plant Ecology, Evolution and Biogeography (PEEB) lab in NUS

Click here to register.

27 June 2026 (11.00 am - 12.00 pm), Bukit Batok Library

Macro Photography with Mr. TM Seah

Seah will introduce Macro Photography and walk the audience through some of the specialised equipment used.  Participants can expect a showcase of spectacular moments and lesser known sightings in Singapore. 

The talk will conclude with some general pointers on ethical behavour in the field, closing off with a short Q&A session.

Speaker: Mr. TM Seah, member of Nature Photography Society, Singapore.