In pictures_ Nature is thriving in locked-down Singapore—is it time to rethink the city in a garden_ _ News _ Eco-Business _ Asia Pacific

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the coronavirus How is changing pandemic 23/06/2020 In pictures: Nature is thriving in locked-down Singapore—is it time to rethink the city in a garden? | News | Eco-Business | Asia Pacific whether the neat, image-conscious city-state should make wilder green spaces a permanent feature after the lockdown is lifted. The sight of rarely seen wild owers and the noticeable increase in butter ies, dragon ies, grasshoppers and bees has delighted some residents, particularly children, in a city not known for its tolerance of nature, leading to calls for less severe management of grassy areas that allows biodiversity to thrive even in the busier parts of the city. Singapore’s small but vocal community of nature lovers has taken to social media to propose a reduction in grass-cutting to help wildlife proliferate, and reduce labour costs. Local natural areas have come to feel like new destinations and, for some, the wilder green spaces around the city bring back memories of a bygone era. and our planet people Read now Gary Lim, a supporter of Nature Society Singapore, a nature conservation group, commented on Facebook: “In the 60s and 70s, whenever you stepped into an open eld, grasshoppers would y in every direction. We would net grasshoppers to use as bird feed. Nowadays the elds are empty. Little wonder that our birds dine at hawker centres.” CARBON & CLIMATE Cuifen Pui, who focuses on community building of a sustainability network, Foodscape Collective, said that as a child she remembers seeing large elds of lalang, long grass native to tropical Asia. Such elds are mostly “interim” spaces planted with imported cow grass that will eventually be built on, she said. The latest news on COVID-19 delivered to your inbox. Subscribe now. Not Now https://www.eco-business.com/news/in-pictures-nature-is-thriving-in-locked-down-singapore-is-it-time-to-rethink-the-city-in-a-garden/ 2/14
a grass native to tropical Asia, growing near an underpass in Tiong Bahru, Central Singapore, during the coronavirus Lalang, period. This was previously a patch of short grass. Image: Robin Hicks/Eco-Business lockdown 23/06/2020 In pictures: Nature is thriving in locked-down Singapore—is it time to rethink the city in a garden? | News | Eco-Business | Asia Pacific Dr Shawn Lum, president of the Nature Society Singapore, told Eco-Business that the “circruit breaker” lockdown period has been a good time to re ect on how green areas could be managed di erently in Singapore. Singapore is famous for being one of the world’s lushest cities because of greening e orts that began more than 30 years ago, and has branded itself a “city in a garden”. But much of the ora that adorns its roadsides and verges are imported, ornamental species that do not host much, if any, wildlife. The rest is grass cut short. “Rather than uniformly manicured parks and walkways, we could try natural grassy patches at di erent stages of growth. This would give us a range of landscapes that support greater biodiversity,” said Lum. The latest news on COVID-19 delivered to your inbox. Subscribe now. Not Now https://www.eco-business.com/news/in-pictures-nature-is-thriving-in-locked-down-singapore-is-it-time-to-rethink-the-city-in-a-garden/ 3/14
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In pictures_ Nature is thriving in locked-down Singapore—is it time to rethink the city in a garden_ _ News _ Eco-Business _ Asia Pacific

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