100 trees planted in Kent Ridge Park to tackle global warming

By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia
29 August 2007

SINGAPORE: A hundred trees were planted in Kent Ridge Park on Wednesday morning in a joint initiative by the South West Community Development Council, the National Parks Board (NParks), and corporate partner Bayer.

In a small but significant step to tackle the global warming problem, about 40 National University Singapore (NUS) students, Bayer employees and other volunteers planted 100 trees along a 50-metre cycling trail.

The day's activity was part of the 100,000 Native Plants @ South West Programme which the CDC and NParks initiated last year.

Some 40,000 plants and trees have since taken root.

Dr Amy Khor, Mayor of South West District, said: "This programme was actually (initiated) to bring back our green heritage by the planting of native plants, as well as to create a greener environment in the district in the next two years. If the programme continues to be very welcomed by the community, which I think it is, we will look to increasing the target."

"I think it's very special in the sense that it allows youths to actually have something hands-on to do, something tangible that they can do for the environment," said Teo Shu Li, a 17-year-old junior college student.

Pharmaceutical company Bayer also has good reasons for taking part.

Marcus Yim, Senior Bayer Representative, South ASEAN, said: "Environment protection is always a very big part of requirements for all the corporate organisations around the world. It's very important to protect our environment as the future generations will also benefit from it."

Its green cause was in support of the worldwide Billion Tree Campaign by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).


- CNA/so