Mr Paul Lawrence, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, HSBC;

Prof Leo Tan, Chairman, National Parks Board;

Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen,

A very good morning. It is great to see so many families enjoying themselves here in the Nature Reserves.

2. In transforming Singapore into a vibrant global city, the handling of nature plays a key role. With respect to our nature reserves, we are adopting a pragmatic, three-pronged approach of conservation, education and recreation. We do this by allowing access to designated fringe areas of our nature reserves where carefully planned and managed recreation activities can take place while ensuring that our core conservation areas are protected. To provide visitors with diverse and enriching experiences of our reserves, we have, over the years, developed facilities like the Jelutong Tower and the MacRitchie Trails. The HSBC TreeTop Walk adds to this offering of outdoor recreation options in the nature reserves, and has since its opening last year, attracted over 200,000 visitors.

3. The TreeTop Walk is an impressive structure, put together with much thought and care. It was successfully erected without any tree having to make way for it. It gives breathtaking views of the forest and more than 95 bird species have been recorded over it in a year-long bird survey. I am told one of the more unusual sightings was that of a Christmas Frigatebird – a marine bird not usually found in the forest. I hope that as we undertake to conduct more research and surveys, more new species can be recorded.

4. The TreeTop Walk is more than the suspension bridge. It also comprises a 2.3 km trail designed to engage your senses as you move from the tree crowns to the forest floor. Along the way, you feel the pulse of the forest, and the primordial rhythm of its ecosystems. With the launch today of the a guidebook, visitors will be able to conduct do-it-yourself tours of the trail. From the delicate Common Tree Nymph to the towering Pulai tree, this guidebook features little gems of the forest, which I hope will help inspire in us a dialogue with nature and the natural sciences.

5. At the same time, visitors to the TreeTop Walk now have the option of taking another trail which starts from Venus Drive. That wil take them through an old kampong area featuring fruit trees against the backdrop of the soothing trickling of a nearby stream. NParks has also put in place additional parking amenities at Venus Drive that can accommodate 100 vehicles.

6. The tripartite partnership between the government, private sector and the community plays an important role in shaping and engendering support for outreach activities and programme. It is heartening to note that corporations such as HSBC have dedicated their time and resources to care for nature and the environment with such passion and commitment.

7. HSBC’s Care-for-Nature programme is in its sixteenth year and has made a tangible difference in safeguarding our environment. Its wide array of environmental education and nature conservation projects has benefited a whole generation of children, many of whom have gone on to win environmental awards.

8. HSBC’s support also does not stop at monetary sponsorship. They have given their business partners and customers the opportunity to appreciate and protect nature through such activities as the Care For Our Forests programme. Their example of good corporate citizenship is one that I hope other companies will emulate.

On this note, it gives me great pleasure to officially launch the HSBC Care-for-Nature TreeTop Walk stamps and the TreeTop Trail Guidebook.

Thank you.

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