A Garden of Birds: Community Photography Exhibition of the Birds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens

Date: 7 May – 31 October 2024

Venue: CDL Green Gallery and additional exhibits on display at People’s Gallery exhibition spaces at located near the Visitor Services Counters at Botany Centre, Nassim Gate, Tyersall Gate, and Gallop Gate and Bukit Timah Gate (MRT Station Exit A).

The CDL Green Gallery is opened daily from 9am - 6pm* (Last entry at 5.30pm)

*Closed on the last Tuesday of every month. If the closure day falls on a public holiday, the closure will be moved to the following working day.

The People's Gallery exhibition spaces are opened daily from 5am - 12mn.

About the exhibition

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is not only the caretaker of the botanical heritage of Singapore, it is also a haven for numerous resident and migrant birds in the island state. To date, 180 bird species, about 44% of the total number of species recorded in Singapore, have been spotted in the Gardens, contributing to its status as a designated Nature Area of Singapore and a favoured spot for birding in Singapore. This exhibition is a curated selection of photographs shared by the community of birding enthusiasts who come to the Gardens to observe, admire, study and research the amazing diversity of birds found in Singapore Botanic Gardens. Through it, we also highlight the role of green spaces like the Gardens to support the biodiversity conservation goals of City in Nature.

That such a diverse cross-section of avian species can be found in the Gardens did not happen by chance. It is a result of the long-term botanical research and horticultural works undertaken by the Gardens in conserving and rehabilitating natural habitats and the flora of Singapore. The birds, in turn, contribute to enriching the habitats by playing their part in the complex food webs that underpin our urban and forest ecosystems.

This exhibition welcomes you to step into A Garden of Birds – Community Photography Exhibition of the Birds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The photographs on display in the exhibition have been selected by our panel of three esteemed judges.

Mr Wong Tuan Wah is a nature photographer, scuba diver, certified drone pilot and is a former staff of NParks. Spending his career working with parks and nature, he was tagged by ChannelNewsAsia as “the Istana gardener who served four Presidents”. Mr Wong led the NParks Singapore Garden Photographer of the Year competitions during the 2010s that attracted thousands of entries. He was also instrumental in leading conservation efforts for the Oriental Pied Hornbill in Singapore, a successful project that witnessed the spectacular recovery of the Hornbills through a range of innovative measures taken including the provision of artificial nest boxes. During that project, he took many photographs of the Hornbills that were used in publications to promote their conservation.

Dr Chua Ee Kiam is one of Singapore’s most passionate author-photographers. A dentist by profession, he loves to capture the diverse wildlife of Singapore with a camera and has published many well-received nature books. Dr Chua’s first book, Nature in Singapore – Ours to Protect, won the National Development Book Council of Singapore Book Award in 1994. He has followed that with a treasure trove of books on nature areas in Singapore, as well as one on Sabah’s biodiversity. His latest book, Moments of Wonder published in 2022, continues a trend where Dr Chua has helped to raise funds for green causes. Concerned with the adverse global impacts to natural ecosystems, he continues to focus on showcasing the beauty of nature.

Mr Lee Tiah Khee is one of Singapore’s top nature photographers. A photojournalist by profession, he is Chief Photographer of Lianhe Zaobao. His work has won him many awards including a Ngee Ann Photographer of the Year 2021, FIAP Silver Medal in the 54th Singapore International Photography Award 2007 (Digital Nature Section), first prize in the Merlion Park International Photo competition 2002, Overall Best Award in the Discovering Singapore and the World Photography Competition 1995, the Young Artist Award in Photography in 1992. Among some of his acclaimed works are photographic contributions to the book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of Singapore as well as Birds in a Garden City.

List of featured photographers