In conjunction with the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May), NParks organised its annual Biodiversity Week from 20 – 28 May to celebrate Singapore’s natural heritage and to encourage people to explore and encounter our rich biodiversity.
Many events and activities took place during the week, such as Singapore’s first Nationwide BioBlitz. The event, organised as part of NParks’ Community in Nature Biodiversity Watch programme, was conducted over seven days across more than 80 sites in schools, parks, gardens, and nature areas.
Nearly 3,000 participants, including students, members of the public, corporate partners and citizen science volunteers worked alongside naturalists and researchers to document the flora and fauna in our parks, gardens, and waters. This was the first time that citizen scientists and volunteers came together to plant biodiversity-attracting plants in our parks to enhance the habitats in these areas.
The highlights of the Nationwide BioBlitz were shared at the Festival of Biodiversity held on 27 and 28 May at the event plaza of NEX shopping mall. Now in its sixth year, the Festival is a community-led nature outreach event organised by NParks and the Biodiversity Roundtable to celebrate the community’s efforts to conserve Singapore’s natural heritage.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Leader of the House Ms Grace Fu attended this year’s edition as the Guest-of-Honour, and was hosted by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development Mr Desmond Lee. The Festival included a nature art exhibition, talks on conservation in Singapore, nature-themed storytelling sessions, and free art and craft workshops for children to learn more about Singapore’s biodiversity.
At the festival on 27 May, NParks also announced that more than 500 species have been discovered and rediscovered over the past five years in Singapore. These discoveries were made during in-depth surveys such as the Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey and concerted efforts to survey Singapore’s nature reserves and nature areas. This shows that, despite Singapore being highly urbanised, there is a lot more biodiversity in our City in a Garden that has yet to be discovered and studied. It also demonstrates that the decades of efforts to enhance our nation’s urban greenery and to safeguard our nature reserves and other green areas are paying off.
You too can get involved in NParks’ Community in Nature activities, such as our wildlife surveys to help gather data to contribute towards conservation measures. For more information, check out our website www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversity/community-in-nature-initiative.