Did you know there is a tree-planting season in Singapore?
This occurs every November, when our Ministers and MPs take the lead to plant trees all over the island.
How did this tradition begin?
Its roots (pun intended) can be traced back to the 1960s, when then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew first envisioned the island as a Garden City of the tropics. As a visible show of commitment to this cause, MM Lee has planted a tree every year since he launched the first tree-planting campaign in 1963. Both former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and current PM Lee Hsien Loong have carried on this tree-planting tradition.
The first Tree Planting Day started in 1971. It has since evolved into a community event, held every November as part of a year-long Clean and Green Singapore (CGS) campaign. At the launch of the CGS campaign for 2010 on 30 Oct 09, PM Lee Hsien Loong planted a Bayur Bukit (Schoutenia accrescens) tree in HortPark. More than 350 trees were planted by our leaders in various constituencies this year.
Since 2007, individuals and corporations have also been able to join in this meaningful activity, through the Plant-A-Tree programme. A collaborative effort by the Singapore Environment Council and the Garden City Fund, the programme has enabled over 8000 trees to be pledged and planted by more than 135 corporations and 375 individuals.
For more information, please refer to www.gardencityfund.org.