Two recent events enabled the public to discover the beauty and diversity of orchids as well as gain a better appreciation for Singapore’s wildlife.
SGF Orchid Show
The inaugural Singapore Garden Festival (SGF) Orchid Show took place at the National Orchid Garden and other parts of the Singapore Botanic Gardens from 21 to 29 April. The Orchid Show featured over 100 varieties of award-winning and heritage orchids.
The SGF Orchid Show was officially launched at a ceremony graced by Madam Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore. She was hosted by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance. The National Parks Board (NParks) and the Orchid Society of South East Asia (OSSEA) co-organised this event, which was an offshoot of the flagship SGF.
Visitors were treated to 17 landscape displays at the Orchid Plaza, 13 of which were competitive displays created by local orchid growers and others from Asia-Pacific countries. Non-competitive showcases included “Celebrations!”, which marks Singapore’s chairmanship of ASEAN this year. The showcase was made up of the most beautiful and robust orchids native to ASEAN countries, as well as the commemorative Renanthera ASEAN 2018 orchid.
More than 700 of the region’s best orchid plants, competing for 38 heritage trophies, were showcased at the National Orchid Garden. The finest orchid plants were displayed at Burkill Hall, including the winner of the President’s Challenge Cup which is awarded to the best plant in the show.
Missed this? Fret not, as there will be more splendid blooms and horticultural displays at the Singapore Garden Festival happening at Gardens by the Bay from 21 July to 3 August 2018! For more information, visit www.singaporegardenfestival.com.
Festival of Biodiversity
The Festival of Biodiversity is an annual celebration of the community’s efforts to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage. Now in its seventh year, the festival was held on 2 and 3 June at the open space next to Tampines MRT station. Apart from interactive booths, exhibitions, and arts and crafts workshops, it also had biodiversity-themed Escape Rooms created by youths from the Youth Corps Singapore Leaders Programme.
This year’s festival celebrates 25 years of community stewardship in nature conservation, in line with the theme for this year’s International Day of Biological Diversity “25 years of action for biodiversity”. At the launch, guest-of-honour Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament, announced new initiatives for the community to get involved in the conservation of our native biodiversity, including new guidelines derived from biophilic practices such as bird-friendly building designs. Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee also attended the launch.
At the festival, NParks announced a new targeted conservation approach for native birds, butterflies, bees, and bats which will be carried out over the next five years across Singapore in collaboration with various partners. This consists of projects that look into research, conservation, and outreach concerning these pollinators and seed dispersers. If you are keen to learn how you can do your part to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage, check out Community in Nature’s programmes!
The festival also saw the launch of the third edition of the Singapore Garden Photographer of the Year (SGPY) competition, which features a new Youth category to encourage more youths to explore, capture, and share the beauty of Singapore’s green spaces and biodiversity. The competition is supported through the Garden City Fund, NParks’ registered charity and Institution of a Public Character (IPC), and its partners Nikon and the Photographic Society of Singapore. SGPY is open to all, so if you would like to share your love for Singapore’s green spaces through photos, do visit the website and send in your entries!