60 families plant trees to celebrate young children at West Coast and Jurong Central Parks
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Minister for National Development Desmond Lee joins a family to plant a tree at Jurong Central Park on Saturday.
ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM
SINGAPORE - As a nature-lover, young Tara enjoys going to the park every weekend with her parents and extended family.
On Saturday, her regular weekly visit to West Coast Park held special meaning, as she helped plant a tree that commemorates her birth.
Her father, Dr Raj Kumar Menon, a 41-year-old surgeon, said his 2½-year-old daughter got her hands dirty as she explored the leaves and bark of the tree before helping to top up the soil and water the plant with him and his wife.
The Menons – who also invited along Tara’s grandfather, grandaunt and granduncle – were among 60 families who planted trees at West Coast Park and Jurong Central Park on Saturday.
The initiative is a collaboration between the One Million Trees movement by National Parks Board and Families for Life, a volunteer-led council, and is meant to commemorate the Year of Celebrating SG Families.
It provides Singaporean families with a child up to three years old an opportunity to plant a tree.
The tree planting was part of the annual family day carnival at both parks organised by the Citizens’ Consultative Committees, Family Life Champions and Integration and Naturalisation Champions from West Coast GRC and Pioneer SMC on Saturday.
Dr Menon said that West Coast Park was also where Tara first saw the sea and where she first touched sand.
He said: “We go there frequently to play and it’s a great place to spend time together as a family. We will definitely bring her back to the tree every time we’re here, and maybe get her to water it. She can grow up with it and call the tree her own.
“If every kid has such a tree, it will go a long way in creating a sense of environmental consciousness in them.”
Coincidentally, when Tara turned one, the family had also planted a mango tree in his parents’ home to mark the occasion, added Dr Menon.
On Saturday, more than 1,200 young families attended the carnival at both parks, which focused on sustainable living and inclusiveness.
As part of efforts towards greater sustainability, the organisers distributed welcome packs with seed packets, reusable picnic mats and tote bags to bring the love of gardening to the community and encourage more Singaporeans to be stewards of nature, said the West Coast GRC office in a statement.
The carnival activities at both parks included a 40m inflatable obstacle course, an outdoor film screening, cultural dance performances, and handicraft-making masterclass and recycling workshops.
Minister for National Development and West Coast GRC MP Desmond Lee, who was at Jurong Central Park, said that the Government wants to support families and that families are at the heart and centre of all that it does.
He said: “We want to make Singapore a place made for families. So some of you may be dating, or looking to get married, we have many programmes to support you.
“The Government will fully support all our Singaporeans in their aspirations to get married, to set up home, and to have children.”
