40,000 Primary Three Students Receive Planting Kits to Commemorate 50 Years of Greening Singapore

'Every child a seed' initiative inculcates appreciation of greenery in the young

Singapore, 21 February 2013 - For the first time, 40,000 Primary Three children from 183 Primary schools will each receive a seed-planting kit by the end of this month under the 'Every child a seed' initiative. Organised by the National Parks Board and supported by the Garden City Fund, this initiative seeks to inculcate an appreciation of greenery in our young. The initiative is also part of activities commemorating 50 years of greening Singapore.

The seed planting kit includes a pot, potting mix and seeds of either kangkong, roselle (a common home garden vegetable) or sunflower, instructions on planting and caring for the plant, and an activity booklet for them to record their observations in planting. The teachers will also receive resources such as videos and guides on Singapore's greening journey, the importance of the greenery around us, and step-by-step planting instructions for the children. The videos and instructions are also available on the NParks website.

"Every Singaporean plays a part in shaping our City in a Garden. We hope that through planting the seeds and caring for the plants, our children will appreciate that our City in a Garden is a result of the hard work and careful planning of our predecessors; and that it is the collective responsibility of Singaporeans to take care of this City in a Garden," says Mr Poon Hong Yuen, Chief Executive Officer, NParks.

The initiative is also tailored to complement the Primary Three Science syllabus on Diversity in which children will learn about plant parts, their functions and the life cycle of plants. Through this experience, the students will learn more about values such as care and responsibility, and also appreciate the planting process.

"Our school has a very strong and pervasive Green programme. NParks' initiative is in line with our school theme which emphasises care for people, the environment and Singapore. It also further augments our environmental care effort and supports the learning areas and goals of our school's holistic development of students by nurturing their curiosity for nature. In adopting this initiative, we play our part in helping to realise the City in a Garden vision", Mrs Celine Ng, Principal, Rosyth School.

"Every child a seed is a very good initiative as it brings benefits to the children. Planting not only allows children to learn the process of nurturing a plant, it also teaches them that plants are important to our environment. It also provides our students an opportunity to play an active role to build our City in a Garden," says Ms Tan Seow Yun, Science teacher, Bedok Green Primary School.

After planting, the students are invited to submit photographs of their plants and reflections of their experience to the NParks website.

'Every Child a Seed' is an outreach initiative supported by Garden City Fund's Plant-A-Tree Programme (Education and Conservation) fund and Ministry of Education.

50 Years of Greening Singapore

On 16 June 1963, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew planted a Mempat tree at Farrer Circus, signifying the start of Singapore's greening campaign. Through the dedication and commitment of Singapore's pioneers, the city is now filled with majestic trees, colourful ?owers and vibrant parks. Singapore has also moved on to its next phase of greening - to become a City in a Garden.

Together with support from our sponsors, partners and tenants, NParks has planned various activities for the community to be a part of our City in a Garden vision. Some of the key events include roving installations of nostalgic play sets, and the planting of 1,963 trees to commemorate 50 Years of Greening Singapore.