WHAT WE DO

Singapore’s urban and natural landscapes teem with biodiversity and wildlife, providing opportunities for the community to learn and coexist with wildlife. Nature Kakis can:

• Participate or organise biodiversity surveys and watches;

• Self-organise biodiversity/photography walks for residents;

• Incorporate wildlife management topics into other community programmes organised by the Nature Kakis Chapter;

• Educate the community on good practices to ensure safe and enjoyable encounters with wildlife, such as observing wildlife from a distance, refraining from feeding animals, keeping food/plastic bags out of sight, and disposing of waste properly; and

• Conduct outreach, ranging from webinars and engagement talks to sharing advisory materials with the community at noticeboards or house visits.

Find out more here.

Promoting responsible pet ownership and care for community animals is essential for improving animal health and welfare in our urban environment.

Nature Kakis Chapters can look to organise the following types of educational outreach programmes:

• Responsible pet ownership: Nature Kakis can organise educational programmes for current and potential pet owners, emphasizing responsible pet ownership and AVS guidelines. Topics may include sterilization, microchipping, licensing, and proper pet care etiquette.

• Care for community animals and animal welfare: Nature Kakis can educate residents on best practices for interacting with and caring for common community animals such as community cats and free-roaming dogs. The topics covered could include responsible community animal feeding and the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) programme.

• Engaging the community as a whole: Nature Kakis may plan and execute engagement events tailored to their community, including social media campaigns and collaboration with pet interest groups.

Find out more here.

Community in Bloom is a nationwide gardening movement started by NParks in May 2005. It seeks to promote community spirit and a gardening culture among Singapore residents, young and old.

As part of the Community in Bloom programme, Nature Kakis Chapters can champion or co-lead with community gardeners to develop community gardens in their precinct and plan activities to encourage residents and volunteers to participate in gardening activities together.

Nature Kakis Chapters can also take the opportunity to empower more community gardeners to share their gardening experiences with the community through workshops and talks.

Find out more here

Friends of The Parks is a ground-led initiative that sets out to involve the wider community in the development and management of our green spaces by choosing to be involved in the following community engagement areas:

1.      Conceptualisation and Park Design by engaging the community to reimagine their park experiences;

2.      Park Development by involving stakeholders and residents in the construction of the park through community-based activities, such as tree planting, habitat enhancement, installation/painting of amenities and design of interpretative signage; and/or

3.      Park Management by empowering the community to co-organise activities and events, while encouraging the community to use the park responsibly.

 Find out more on Friends of the Park here!

Nature in the Neighbourhood initiative serves as a creative outlet for Nature Kakis to design engaging activities tailored to their community by leveraging on their surrounding green spaces and community groups.

Nature Kakis Chapters have the freedom to brainstorm and implement innovative initiatives that encourage residents to connect with nature in their surroundings. These initiatives may include organising nature mural painting sessions, devising interactive games, and incorporating gamification elements like Bingo cards and Nature Podcasts to make learning about the environment enjoyable and interactive for participants.

Find out more here.

With the transformation of Singapore into a City in Nature, all households will be a 10-minute walk from a park by 2030, bringing nature closer to our homes. Through our capacity building programmes, Nature Kakis can conduct nature walks for the community, and/or assist in facilitating nature walks organised by other Nature Kakis Chapters within their vicinity.

Our Nature Kakis Youth Stewards have curated walking trails at MacRitchie with varying difficulty levels - check out the digital map that they have done up:

To easily view this map, click here to open it in Google Maps.

Easy Trekking Route at MacRitchie Reservoir (designed by Nature Kakis Youth, Kango)

Time Taken: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Number of steps: 5,765

Distance: 4.26 km

Calories Burnt: 223 kcal

This path offers beautiful views and is easy to walk, running along the south of MacRitchie Reservoir. It's mostly paved and flat but includes scenic spots and some steps for a bit of a challenge. There are plenty of benches and conveniently located restrooms. Check our Instagram reels here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

TIPS BY OUR YOUTHS:  

- Some parts of this route have gentle inclines that may cause discomfort.

- The northern part of this route is unpaved with relatively steep elevation: wheelchair and stroller users are advised not to take this route.

- Some parts of this route have narrow roads - watch out for other park visitors!

- Abovementioned parts are highlighted in the map.

Medium Trekking Route at MacRitchie Reservoir (designed by Nature Kakis Youth, Valerine)

Time Taken: ~ 2 hours

Number of steps: 13,300

Distance: ~ 5km

Calories Burnt: ~ 300 kcal

This scenic trail is wheelchair-accessible, offering calming views of MacRitchie Reservoir. The Lornie Trail's shaded paths wind through one of Singapore's last primary forests, teeming with wildlife. Notable sites include Lim Bo Seng’s tomb, though access requires stairs and isn't wheelchair-friendly. For an easy exit, use the halfway point at Jering Hut connecting to the bus stop (Aft Wallace Way). Enjoy your hike! See our Instagram reel on the route here.

TIPS BY OUR YOUTHS:  

-          Remember to keep all food and drinks secured, as monkeys are often spotted along the way!

Hard Trekking Route at MacRitchie Reservoir (designed by Nature Kakis Youth, Malcom)

Time Taken: 4-5 Hours

Number of steps: ~20,000

Distance: 14km

Calories Burnt: ~700

If you have half a day for a more extensive trekking route, consider exploring this path to enjoy the highlights of MacRitchie Reservoir!

Start at the visitor centre and walk along the MacRitchie Reservoir boardwalk. Climb up and cross the Treetop Walk for an above-ground experience. Climb up Jelutong Tower on the way back for a picture with the forest backdrop. Check out our Instagram reel on the route here.

TIPS BY OUR YOUTHS:  

Route not suitable for those with mobility-related issues due to rough terrain and high inclines

The OneMillionTrees movement is a key strategy in achieving Singapore’s City in Nature vision, where everyone can play a role in intensifying the greenery in Singapore to build climate resilience. By planting one million more trees by 2030 to tackle climate change, we are also reaping environmental benefits such as cleaner water, fresher air, cooler urban temperatures and better health and well-being.

Nature Kakis can organise and run tree planting sessions for the community and get trained as OneMillionTrees facilitators to conduct tree planting sessions for their residents.

Nature Kakis Chapters can also take this opportunity to grow their pool of volunteers equipped to be tree planting facilitators to teach participants the basics of tree planting while ensuring that the planting is carried out in a safe manner.

Find out more via the OneMillionTrees movement website here!

Nature, greenery, and its benefits should be enjoyed by all, regardless of age or ability. Therapeutic horticulture programmes are specially designed to be accessible and beneficial for elderly groups, persons with dementia and persons with special needs, promoting health and mental well-being.

Nature Kakis Chapters can help facilitate or organise therapeutic horticulture activities such as:

·        Propagation of Edible plants

·        Gardening (Pruning/Watering/Weeding)

·        Scent Bag Making

·        Flower & Leaf Pressing on Cards

·        Seed Mandala Decoration

·        Plant Pot Decoration

Find out more here.