Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore

Last Thursday, 21 November 2024, we were pleased to welcome EU attachés’ to the Museum! They were brought on a tour of the Museum’s gallery and collections, followed by a sharing session about LKCNHM’s projects, including SIGNIFY. We hope they enjoyed their time here! 

[Research and conservation efforts for Peregrine Falcons] Earlier this year, we recorded the nesting of the Peregrine Falcon (𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪) in Singapore for the first time. The Peregrine Falcon is one of the most widespread bird species in the world, found in all continents except Antarctica and is possibly Singapore’s rarest breeding bird. The biodiversity record of the Peregrine Falcons nesting in a recess of the OCBC Centre building was published in the scientific journal Nature in Singapore on 30 August 2024, and was authored by a team which includes Dr Malcolm Soh (Principal Researcher) and Mr Max Khoo (Senior Researcher) from the Wildlife Management Research team at NParks. Unfortunately, breeding was observed to be unsuccessful as the two eggs were eventually abandoned by the parents. To bolster future nesting success, the research team implemented further measures such as the installation of a nesting tray with loose gravel to provide a more suitable nesting substrate, and a CCTV system to monitor the progress of the falcons’ breeding cycle. These were made possible through OCBC’s donation of $10,000 to Garden City Fund, NParks’ registered charity and IPC. Our researchers worked with robotics researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and successfully retrieved the two abandoned, unhatched eggs using the Egg Retrieval and Nesting Enhancement Support Tool (ERNEST), a device adapted from SUTD’s drone system. We then sent the eggs to Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore for further research. We are grateful for the support from our partners, which will help further our understanding of the Peregrine Falcon’s breeding ecology in Singapore and more broadly, in the tropics. In the long run, the findings can guide conservation strategies for this species in Singapore's urban landscape. Read more about the Biodiversity Record here: https://lnkd.in/gQRPrWJm #NParks #NParksBuzz #CityinNature #CityinNatureSG #GardenCityFund

[Job Opportunity] We are looking for a Marketing and Communications Intern who is excited to assist with content creation, social media and publicity! Internship period: Dec 2024 – May 2025 (Part-time) Learn more about the role or apply here: https://lnkd.in/g_2XHhy4 #LKCNHM #NatureSG #SGNature #SGBiodiversity #SGJob #JobSG #Publicity #CommsIntern #MarketingIntern #ScienceComms 

Thank you, The Straits Times, for the feature! These 'mini-hotels' are actually Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS). Find out more about how they will be used in phase two of the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey (CMBS II) here: https://lnkd.in/gPsBY_RJ

On 28 October 2024, Monday, the second phase of the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey, CMBS II, was officially launched by National Parks Board and National University of Singapore (LKCNHM and NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute)! The first phase of this survey, CMBS I, was launched in 2010 to assess the diversity of Singapore’s marine ecosystem. CMBS II will expand on the findings from CMBS I, employing novel techniques such as Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS), the use of seabed corers, and mobile DNA labs. It aims to deliver a more comprehensive understanding of Singapore’s marine biodiversity.  Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gPsBY_RJ #LKCNHM #NatureSG #SGNature #SGBiodiversity #CMBSII #MarineBiodiversity #MarineSurvey #Collaboration #CityinNatureSG 

[Job Opportunity—Deadline extended] We are looking for an Education Officer who is excited to assist with the development and execution of the Museum’s indoor and outdoor biodiversity education and natural history programmes. This opportunity involves coordinating and conducting tours, workshops, nature walks and other programmes, as well as creating the publicity materials for these programmes.  Learn more about the role or apply here: https://lnkd.in/geS5PdJC  #LKCNHM #NatureSG #SGNature #SGBiodiversity #SGJob #JobSG #EducationOfficer #NatureTours #NatureGuide #ScienceComms #Education #NaturalHistory #NatureWalks 

We were thrilled to welcome Dr Nobuyuki Yamaguchi and Ms Athirah Nabilah Azli from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu from October 14 to 17 2024! They conducted an insightful examination of Southeast Asian wild cat skulls using our Felidae collection at the Museum. Their research focuses on understanding the relationship between skull morphology and the ecological niches of these fascinating species. We hope their visit was both productive and enriching! #LKCNHM #SoutheastAsia #SEACats #WildCats #Felidae #SoutheastAsianCats 

From 4 to 10 October 2024, we were pleased to host Dr Sharon Birks and Mr Chris Wood from Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Experts in their field, Dr Birks manages their museum’s cryogenic collections and is known for her work on Megapods, and Chris is a seasoned ornithology collection manager, having prepared over 10,000 specimens! 🦅 During their visit, they brought along an incredible donation of 140 bird specimens of 61 species, enhancing our collections significantly! This donation is part of an ongoing specimen exchange collaboration with Burke Museum and Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates. We were eager to learn from their expertise and specimen preparation techniques. Thank you, Dr Birks and Mr Wood, for your invaluable contributions! #LKCNHM #SpecimenExchange #BurkeMuseum #BirdsOfTheWorld #MuseumCollaboration #Ornithology 

On 26 September 2024, the Museum held an exclusive showcase, the opening of ‘The Nature of Things’ exhibition! The exhibition is a joint effort with the Design Incubation Centre, National University of Singapore, and multidisciplinary design studio Greydient Lab. We were honoured to have Her Excellency Ms Minh-di Tang, Ambassador of France to Singapore, grace the event as our Guest-of-Honour. Find out what went down here: https://lnkd.in/gd2k6i28 Learn more about ‘The Nature of Things’ here: https://lnkd.in/gNGtyHaA 

Singapore Design Week may have ended, but The Nature of Things exhibition continues until 5 January 2025! We're grateful to everyone who's visited the exhibition at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore over the past two weeks. In the coming weeks, we'll showcase specific projects, sharing insights into their creation, motivation, and inspiration. Experience the works presented in a scenographic manner in person, and discover how they connect with the museum's specimens. Visit The Nature of Things website at thenatureofthings.sg Book your tickets to the Museum at https://lnkd.in/ePyZWpab