Have you ever heard the old wives’ tale that looking at green objects can improve your eyesight? For today’s children, who are practically born with iPhones or Playstation Portables in their hands, there may be a grain of truth to this adage.

If you thought that fine jewellery stands only for luxury and excess, think again. Local jewellery designer Choo Yilin uses jewellery design as a vehicle to spread environmental messages. The latest collection from her label,Choo Yilin Artisan Jewellery, is called the Tree Series. Each necklace, bracelet and ring features motifs derived from the forest: leaves, roots, vines and buds. In some pieces, the bronze lustre and rugged texture even imitate the colour and feel of tree bark.

Colourful dragonflies greeted me with a fluttering dance as I stepped into Tampines Eco Green, the newly-opened ecologically-themed park in the east.

Where other people see dead leaves and flowers, Myrth Tan sees art. A Year 2 student in Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary), Myrth uses art as a way to connect people with nature. Based on her experiences of a trip to the Dairy Farm Nature Park, she created seven colourful paintings using dead plant material.

It’s a sunny Sunday, and you have two options: head outdoors for a day out in the park, or retreat to the air-conditioned comfort of a mall? This is a familiar dilemma to many, especially those with young children. Fortunately, City Green combines the best of both worlds.