SINGAPORE - A new Ethnobotany Garden will be developed at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the National Parks Board (NParks) said on Monday (April 18).
The garden, which will span about one hectare - about one and a quarter football fields - will feature plants used by indigenous cultures of South-east Asia, including Singapore. It will be located at the Bukit Timah Core of the gardens.
There will be four zones, where plants will be grouped according to their traditional uses: in craft and construction, for domestic, medicinal and for spiritual purposes.
The centrepiece of the garden will be a stream lined with important ethnobotanical species. It will showcase useful plants, such as the Water Mimosa and Akar Paku, that are commonly eaten in the region.
The garden aims to engage visitors with an immersive experience through hands-on activities and tactile displays. NParks will also offer a range of educational programmes related to ethnobotany, including workshops and guided tours.
When completed in late 2017, the garden will boast four shelters with displays of traditional handicraft made from plants. The shelters' designs will be inspired by South-east Asian architecture and will incorporate the use of traditional materials such as attap thatch and woven bamboo slats.
The shelters will also serve as activity spaces and resting points for visitors.
NParks has called a tender for the development of the garden, and interested parties are required to submit their proposals by May 18. Work on the garden will start in the third quarter of 2016.
