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DOWNLOAD GARDEN CITY The extension of Singapore's green infrastructure continued
in 2019 with the opening of new parks and gardens, enhancement
of our streetscapes and introduction of features that bring people
closer to nature.
Singapore Botanic Gardens Celebrates 160 Years
In October 2019, a high-tech arboretum was opened at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Located at the Gallop Extension, it will house more than 2,000 specimens of over 200 species of Dipterocarps. The OCBC Arboretum is the first-of-its-kind in Southeast Asia, utilising an Internet of Things (IoT) system to remotely and continuously monitor the trees and their environment as they grow.
Complementing this is the Mingxin Foundation Rambler's Ridge, a trail which showcases plants such as Ant Plants (Hydnophytum spp. and Myrmecodia spp.) from habitats found in tropical hills of Southeast Asia that have adapted to harsh hillside conditions that include strong winds and poor soil.
Other features including a forest discovery centre, a botanical art gallery and a nature playgarden are expected to be ready in 2021 in the Gallop Extension. Apart from expanding its Nature Area, the Extension adds to the Gardens' significant work in research, conservation, education and recreation.
Stroll through Mingxin Foundation Rambler's Ridge to spot critically endangered trees such as the Spoke Oak (Lithocarpus elegans) and Braided Chestnut (Castanopsis inermis) that line the path.
Dendrobium gouldii 'Nong' grown by the National Orchid Garden was awarded the First Class Certificate from the Orchid Society of South East Asia.
The first three volumes of the Flora of Singapore series were published this past year. More than 100 local and international plant experts are working tirelessly to put together a comprehensive catalogue and description of all families, genera and species of plants in Singapore. When completed, the remaining 11 volumes will strengthen the Gardens' standing as a premier botanical research institution.
The opening of Singapore's first Seed Bank in July 2019 further augmented the Gardens' role in safeguarding plant biodiversity in Southeast Asia. This facility is able to store seeds of up to 25,000 plant species, about half the total number of plant species in the region.
Orchids grown by the National Orchid Garden in Singapore Botanic Gardens garnered 12 awards from the Orchid Society of South East Asia (OSSEA) during a judging held on 22 February 2020. Of these, the Golden Tiger Orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum var. flava) and Dendrobium gouldii were awarded the First Class Certificate, the top tier of OSSEA's certificates.
These are just some of the newest achievements in the Gardens' 160-year history. Visitors celebrated this milestone by enjoying exhibitions on the evolution of Singapore's landscapes over the past two centuries and the growth of birding within our community, as well as a Heritage Festival held in July 2019. In all, the Gardens conducted 650 runs of educational programmes that reached out to over 30,000 participants, and hosted nearly 80 events that attracted more than 283,000 visitors.
Jurong Lake Gardens Welcomes Visitors
Lakeside Garden, the 53-ha western section of Jurong Lake Gardens, was opened in April 2019. In conjunction with this, it also welcomed guests to the inaugural Singapore Garden Festival Horticulture Show. An offshoot of the main Singapore Garden Festival, this biennial horticulture show is set to be a mainstay at Jurong Lake Gardens, our first national gardens in the heartlands.
Within the first fortnight of its opening, Lakeside Garden welcomed close to a million visitors. This is testament to its position as a people's garden, with landscapes and spaces created for families to come together. Lakeside Garden has gone on to host other programmes such as gardening masterclasses, festivals, a monthly bazaar, guided walks and workshops to further engage the community.
The other two segments of the 90-ha Jurong Lake Gardens – Chinese and Japanese Gardens as well as Garden Promenade – will open progressively from 2022.
Rasau Walk at Lakeside Garden takes visitors right down to the water's edge and is the perfect place to welcome a brand new day.
Watch video to view what goes into the making of a People's Garden: Jurong Lake Gardens.
Recreating Historical Experiences at Fort Canning Park
Named after Singapore's first ancient king, the Sang Nila Utama Garden reimagines the Southeast Asian gardens of old, and is one of nine historical gardens in Fort Canning Park.
Fort Canning Park hosted The Bicentennial Experience, the centrepiece of Singapore's bicentennial commemoration, from June to December 2019. In the lead-up to this, nine historical gardens – the Pancur Larangan, Artisan's Garden, Sang Nila Utama Garden, Jubilee Park, Raffles Garden, First Botanic Garden, Farquhar Garden, Spice Garden and Armenian Street Park – were opened, with refreshed wayfinding and trail guides for visitors to plan for their own exploration of the hill.
Visitors can also learn from a range of educational programmes such as simulated archaeological digs while enjoying easier access to the park, thanks to the installation of escalators and the pedestrianisation of Canning Rise and Armenian Street. Since these enhancements, over 760,000 people have visited, soaking in the rich historical and natural heritage of the hill.
There will also be more links between the park and nearby historic green and blue spaces in the city centre. In February 2020, NParks and the Urban Redevelopment Authority unveiled plans to transform Orchard Road into a lush green corridor, part of a 6km-long green connection from the Singapore Botanic Gardens to the Singapore River. The plan includes elevated and underground pedestrian links as well as sheltered linkways to bridge Istana Park at Orchard Road to Fort Canning Park and the Singapore River.
Rejuvenating East Coast Park
There are now even more recreational facilities to enjoy in East Coast Park. Cyclist Park, a one-stop hub for cyclists, was opened in November for visitors to practise cycling techniques at two new circuits. Visitors can also enjoy a nature playgarden as well as F&B and retail outlets, while taking in the beautiful vistas of the nearby sea.
The opening of Cyclist Park, a stop along the Round Island Route, is part of the on-going rejuvenation of East Coast Park which will be completed in 2021 with the reopening of Big Splash.
Hone your cycling technique by navigating the 500m long Advanced Circuit in Cyclist Park at East Coast Park that includes undulating tracks, sharp turns and a narrow bridge.
Capturing the Kampung Spirit in Sembawang Hot Spring Park
After a long day, everyone can appreciate soaking their tired feet at Sembawang Hot Spring Park that was reopened in January 2020.
The rustic and natural Sembawang Hot Spring Park was reopened in January 2020 after multiple engagement sessions with the community. The feedback received resulted in features such as cascading pools and a water collection point to bring the geothermally heated groundwater closer to visitors.
Singapore's only hot spring park holds many collective memories for residents and NParks tapped on this "kampung-like" spirit while designing and building this unique site.
Holistic Benefits of Therapeutic Gardens and Nature Playgardens
Singapore's newest therapeutic garden opened at Telok Blangah Hill in March 2020. It offers a mid-canopy view of the forest layer and leverages therapeutic elements of Telok Blangah Hill Park's natural forest setting. This is the fifth such garden in our growing network of therapeutic gardens, with the target to establish 30 such gardens by 2030. To date, over 120 Therapeutic Horticulture sessions have been conducted in these therapeutic gardens, benefitting 1,400 participants.
The therapeutic gardens are deliberately planned to facilitate people's interactions with nature and improve their mental well-being. Interim findings continue to indicate benefits of having such contemplative green spaces nestled within our communities.
Increased self-confidence, creativity and overall well-being are amongst some of the outcomes reported in children who play outdoors in specially curated nature-themed areas.
Encouraged by such positive feedback after the opening of our first Nature Playgarden in HortPark in early 2019, NParks has opened 13 more of such spaces, with plans to expand this network.
Nature Playgardens are set within nature and use natural materials to encourage creative play and decision making, allowing the young ones to explore a different form of play compared to a typical playground.
Strengthening Green Links
NParks aspires to make every road a Nature Way with the objective of achieving 180 km by 2030. In 2019, we completed 30 km of Nature Ways along our streetscapes. New stretches were created in locations such as Woodlands, Toa Payoh and Jalan Jurong Kechil.
Nature Ways are designed to replicate the natural structure of forests. Trees, shrubs and groundcover are planted to re-create habitats similar to those found in the emergent, canopy, understorey and undergrowth layers in forests. Flowering plants in Nature Ways also attract butterflies and birds.
Another 10.7 km of park connectors were built in the reporting year, extending our Park Connector Network to more than 340 km.
These included park connectors at Old Upper Thomson Road, Dairy Farm and Seletar, enabling residents to access and enjoy nature while travelling between communities more readily.
Significant progress was made in the rollout of the Round Island Route with the opening of the Coast-to-Coast (C2C) Trail which stretches from Jurong Lake Gardens to Coney Island Park.
More than 26,000 users have registered to use the C2C mobile app with many completing challenges along the 36 km trail to win attractive prizes. More than 50 km out of the 60 km Round Island Route has been completed.
Greening Public Infrastructure
Singapore's landscape has been enhanced with the planting of about 134,000 trees. This includes about 8,750 native plants that replaced storm-vulnerable species.
The work to green up public infrastructure such as pedestrian walkways and bus shelters has also been intensified.
The latest additions to our 71 greened MRT stations are Woodlands North, Woodlands, Woodlands South and Springleaf stations. In addition, over 26 km of covered linkways have been planted with trellis climbers, making commuters' journeys even more pleasant.
NParks is also working with our counterparts to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. More than 110 community facilities managed by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, People's Association, SportsSG and National Library Board were greened up with nearly 4,000 trees planted in schools, nursing homes, community centres, integrated developments and sports facilities.
Elevating our Skyrise Greenery
Watch video to learn more about what goes into how NParks cares for trees and greenery in Singapore.
In 2019, another 5.7 ha of rooftop greenery was added, increasing the skyrise greenery across Singapore to 120 ha. At the same time, officers reached out to more than 220 buildings and facilities owners on horticulture maintenance matters, advising on mitigation measures for existing installations. NParks aims to have 200 ha of skyrise greenery by 2030.
