26-27 May: Celebrate Singapore's Marine Biodiversity!

Come visit an awesome Marine Exhibition to be unveiled on 26 May (Sat). To celebrate Singapore's marine biodiversity for International Day of Biodiversity!

The exhibition will feature Singapore's amazing marine ecosystems, from mysterious mangroves to lush seagrass meadows, amazing reefs to strange sandy shores. Volunteers guide you through the exhibits with lots of stories. Check out live seagrasses, and learn more about our shores through interesting games and puzzles. Try out the amazing colouring sheet of Singapore's awesome shores! Find out how you CAN make a difference for our shores!

This special Singapore marine biodiversity exhibition will be launched on 26 May at the Festival of Biodiversity. The exhibition will then rove around various locations in Singapore for a year.

There's lots more going on at the Festival of Biodiversity too!

Be bedazzled by butterflies and birds, awed by trees and seagrasses, tickle your curiousity with crabs and colugos. Singapore is wilder that you might imagine. Find out more about our biodiversity and what you can do to make a difference!

The long awaited “Caterpillars of Singapore’s Butterflies” book will be launched!

Free film screening!
26 May (Sat): "Hardy Driftwood in A Wetlands Adventure" an animated movie for kids.
27 May (Sun): "The Return of the King" about the return of the Oriental Pied Hornbill to Singapore.

Talks!
26 May (Sat)

• 1pm: "Freshwater Swamp Forest Conservation"
• 2pm  "Dragonflies of Singapore"
• 2pm: "Biodiversity Apps for iPhone users" 

27 May (Sun)

• 1pm: "Macro world of Singapore" 
• 2pm: "Development History of the past 200 years and its effect on Habitat Loss"
• 2pm: "Bodies of evidence: A morbid celebration of biodiversity" 
• 3pm: "Going home!"
• 4pm: "Conserving South-east Asia's biodiversity: Mission impossible?" 

Walks! Join the Rainforest Tour and discover the enchantment of our tropical rainforest with our volunteer guides! Meet at the Visitor Centre 15 minutes before the start of the tour. Walks are limited to 20 persons per tour.

• 26 May (Sat): 10am to 11am, 11am to noon
• 27 May (sun): 9am to 10am, 4pm to 5pm

Story-telling sessions!
Be enchanted by the stories of "The Giving Tree", "The Lorax" and more! Brought to you by the Bukit Merah Regional Library, these sessions will encourage your child to start appreciating nature that is all around us! At Ridley Hall, limited to 20 persons per session.
26 May (Sat): 11am to 11.45am, 3pm to 3.45pm

There will also be a display of the winning photos of the BiodiverCity photo competition,  latest research done by Honours students at NUS and sales of nature books.
Visit the Festival of Biodiversity blog for the latest updates!

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

What is International Day for Biological Diversity? 
In 1993, the United Nations proclaimed May 22 The International Day for Biological Diversity, as a day to raise awareness of biodiversity issues around the world. In 2012, the theme is Marine Biodiversity!

The official page has a great downloadable booklet with lots of colourful photos and much information about marine biodiversity around the world.

Hope to see you at the Festival!