Programme Highlights: Documenting Nature Workshop
During the September school holidays, sixty aspiring young naturalists participated in the Documenting Nature Workshop held at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM). Open to youths from 7 to 16 years old, this three-hour public workshop was held thrice over the week. Read on for a recap on the programme highlights!
Through hands-on activities and a guided gallery tour, the participants were introduced to techniques used by naturalists across time to document their observations of flora and fauna. It was an opportunity to gain not only greater insight into the work of natural history research, but also cultivate a deeper appreciation for our local biodiversity.
The workshop started off with a session of gyotaku printing, which is a printmaking method that Japanese fishermen used in the 19th century to record their catches. Guided by our outreach staff, the budding naturalists made their own gyotaku prints on tote bags which they brought home with them at the end of the day.
The participants also had the opportunity to try out various methods of nature journaling. Binoculars and a notebook in hand, they explored the lush greenery surrounding the museum and learnt how to record sightings of plants, fish and birds that caught their attention. Back inside the classroom, participants also made anatomical drawings of taxidermized bird specimens. Through these activities, as well as interactive games, they were acquainted with numerous bird species commonly sighted across Singapore such as the collared kingfisher and the yellow-vented bulbul.
At the end of the programme, our young naturalists went on a guided gallery tour specially designed for this workshop. Our outreach staff highlighted different ways that nature is preserved within a museum, comparing artefacts and equipment used by taxidermists and naturalists from the late 19th century to more recent specimens such as the magnificent sperm whale skeleton that LKCNHM staff meticulously prepared and mounted in 2015. The tour opened up their inquisitive minds and deepened their curiosity about specimens on display.
The Documenting Nature Workshop is special holiday programme organised by our Outreach and Education Unit. For more information about other workshops and programmes at the museum, visit here!