12 February 2018

It's fun and easy to guide on Singapore shores!

I had lots of fun with experienced guides and nature lovers at the Lepak in SG workshop this weekend.
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Mama Crab Wong Ley Kun suggests this lovely group photo.
After an enthusiastic classroom session earlier, we headed out to Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk to practise with real visitors. We saw an otter, a shore pit-viper, lots of birds, mudskippers, crabs, fishes and more!


The focus was on practising ways to conduct a fun and meaningful walk. Introductions are key to a great walk. Get to know one another, find out what visitors want to see and do. Share more of what to expect.
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Crab veteran Ivan Kwan starts off the first group


Visitors make the walk awesome!
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
We are very lucky to have a great dad
who is good at spotting animals,
and enthusiastic kids who ask a lot of questions.


Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
A very experienced visitor shares with another visitor
info she found on her smart phone about what we saw.

Being outdoors and immersed in nature means we should encourage visitors to listen, touch, smell and taste. The Sea holly secretes salt on its leaves. Touch and taste one!
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Using all the senses.

For a walk to have lasting impact, provide opportunities for great memories to be created.
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Good memories make for a good walk!

Thank you visitors and volunteers for a great walk!
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
A group photo of the early bird groups.

Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018 at Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk with the Naked Hermit Crabs
Thank  you everyone!

The highlight was a glimpse of an otter from the jetty over Sungei Tampines just before we ended the day.
Smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata)

The day before, we spent a Saturday afternoon in a classroom workshop. Thanks to all the participants who were really sporting! We had a great day sharing and learning from one another.
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018
Thanks to Singapore Sustainability Academy for use of their lovely room run on solar energy! More about the Academy here.
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018
We had lots of sharing over 6 small group discussions. To consider how to better connect with visitors, and to deal with some of our worries and concerns about doing a walk.
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018


Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018

Then it was time to do the Big Role Play where we act out some possible ways to deal with tricky situations.
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018
Please keep a distance from the wildlife!

Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018
Oh no. An injury!

Thanks to the Lepak in SG team for a great workshop!
Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018
Great presentations during the workshop

Sea Our Shores Workshop on Nature Guiding by Lepak in SG, Feb 2018
Taking care of all the details!


This is one of a series of monthly workshops organised by youths of Lepak In SG for International Year of the Reef 2018. This workshop was organised with the support of the Singapore Sustainability Academy, the Naked Hermit Crabs and wildsingapore.

To get updates on the next workshop, like the Lepak in SG facebook page and the Celebrating Singapore Shores facebook page.

Thanks to Liz Lim for the awesome photos and kind comments


Thanks to MJ Photography for these lovely photos of the walk.

This article is written for Celebrating Singapore Shores as part of International Year of the Reef 2018.

Celebrating Singapore shores for IYOR 2018 logo

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails