A ‘City in Nature’ — sounds amazing, right? This is exactly what OneMillionTrees is aiming to do in Singapore, with an ambitious goal to plant one million trees by 2030!
Image: NParks / Facebook
OneMillionTrees Has Already Planted More Than 400,000 Trees!
Launching in April 2020, the OneMillionTrees has already made headway towards its goal of planting 1 million trees by 2030! Already, the initiative has successfully planted more than 400,000 trees. But the movement — part of the ‘Singapore Green Plan 2030’ — isn’t just focussed on planting trees. For OneMillionTrees, it’s about planting the right species in the right location and integrating nature into the city!
This means that trees will be planted in Singapore’s existing parks, university grounds, rooftop gardens, roadsides and outlying islands. OneMillionTrees is also helping to create 26 therapeutic gardens across the city for the aging population.
The project also aims to instill a sense of stewardship among Singaporeans — towards our trees and environment.
Image: NParks / Facebook
Singapore’s Streets Will Become “Nature Ways”
As a sprawling city-state, Singapore lost much of its forested areas in the 19th century due to logging and rapid urban development. Now, the country is working hard to reforest its streetscapes, parks and nature reserves!
This is also in an effort to mitigate the urban heat island effect caused by its concrete pavement and skyscrapers. The trees “serve as natural air filters, they reflect radiant heat, cool surfaces and provide ambient temperatures through shade and evapotranspiration,” said Adrian Loo.
Singapore's city streets will become aesthetically pleasing “Nature Ways”, with trees and shrubs set to cover the sidewalks. “The planting along these Nature Ways is not only designed to cool the environment, but also attract butterflies, birds and small mammals — bringing biodiversity and nature into our urban landscape,” Loo said.
Image: NParks / Facebook
By 2030, All Singaporeans Will Have Access To A Park!
By 2030, it’s expected that the OneMillionTrees movement will bring Singapore’s total number of trees to 8 million! For OneMillionTrees, this objective is also about transforming the lives of Singaporeans and their future generations.
As a community-oriented initiative, OneMillionTrees is getting Singaporeans involved in propagating and planting native tree saplings, forest restoration, and community outreach. When OneMillionTrees initiative wraps up in 2030, all Singaporean households will be just a 10-min walk from a park. Amazing!
According to OneMillionTrees, “by providing cool and shaded environments that are conducive for physical exercise, active transportation and the communal use of green spaces, trees help to enhance the physical, mental and social aspects of community well-being”.
By 2030, Singapore will truly become a ‘City in Nature’! We love that this ambitious plan to plant one million trees isn’t just about reforesting Singapore, it’s also about boosting the wellbeing of all Singaporeons by incorporating nature right into the city.
Do you love hearing about amazing tree-planting initiatives? We do too! Head to our Eco News category for more incredible stories.
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