Happy World Elephant Day 🐘! #DidYouKnow that the day is dedicated to the preservation and protection of elephants around the world?

👀 We spotted a few okras growing on our plants today - happy to see them grow well in the hot weather recently. #DidYouKnow that the okra plant can grow close to 1.8m tall?

NParks Gardening with Edibles is one of the initiatives under the City in Nature vision. With more residents starting home gardening and growing edible plants, the community will also play a key role in the ownership of Singapore's nature.

Help spread the word! Sign up for MND’s Telegram channel at https://t.me/MNDSingapore for the latest updates.

#Didyouknow that studies have shown that the therapeutic horticulture may potentially boost immunity and moderate geriatric conditions, including inflammatory diseases, dementia and depression. Since the launch of the first therapeutic garden in Hort Park in 2016, there are now 5 therapeutic gardens in our parks around Singapore, with a target to have 30 therapeutic gardens in our parks across Singapore by 2030, as part of our City in Nature journey!

👀 Read more about it here:
https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/advance-article/doi/10.1093/gerona/glaa271/5929672
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-74828-w
https://ahta.memberclicks.net/journal-of-therapeutic-horticulture-30-1---2020

Photo by NParks

Here's another #Didyouknow! All new HDB developments are designed with environmental sustainability in mind.

HDB has test-bedded various urban solutions over the years to make our HDB estates more sustainable and liveable. Under the Green Towns Programme, HDB will install solar panels on the rooftops of more housing blocks, introduce more greenery, including urban farms, on the top decks of multi-storey car parks, and change the lighting in HDB blocks to smart lighting systems to reduce electricity consumption. HDB is also piloting two initiatives - rainwater harvesting and cool paint to reduce temperatures in our HDB towns.

You can find out more about the Green Towns Programme here: https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/about-us/our-role/smart-and-sustainable-living/green-towns

☕ Cafe-goers may be familiar with the cafe on the first-storey of the Khong Guan building. But #didyouknow that you've been dining in a building that has won the Architectural Heritage Award in 2018? The building was awarded for its exemplary restoration of key features and innovative work in sensitively incorporating a new 8-storey extension that respects the original form and scale.

Built in 1952 and given conservation status in 2005, this three-storey building was the tallest in the area back in its heyday!

#TGIF everyone! 🙌🏼

🏝 #DidYouKnow that the 3.9ha Bendera Bay is located in St John’s Island? The lagoon has a variety of mangrove, coral, seagrass, sandy shore and rocky shore habitats which provides unique opportunities for outreach and research.

Look forward to more activities at Bendera Bay! Although the area is currently not open to the public, NParks together with the Friends of the Marine Park (FMP) community will organise activities for the public such as sustainable fishing workshops and guided walks from 2021, subject to COVID-19 guidelines.

➡️ Read more: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/.../sisters-islands.../bendera-bay

You’ve heard about Punggol Northshore being the first smart and sustainable HDB district in Singapore, but #didyouknow too that the HDB homes at Northshore Residence I & II are equipped with the brains of a smart home; with smart power sockets and high-tech distribution boards. These allow residents to monitor the energy consumption of their homes, making smart living more convenient and integrated in our homes!

Image by HDB

#DidYouKnow From co-locating suitable uses in a single development to redeveloping brownfield sites, there are several development options Singapore takes to maximise our limited land. Stewardship and sustainability guides our long-term approach to land-use planning, together with a science-based approach to identify core areas of biodiversity and surrounding buffers as we protect and enhance our green spaces. 

Read more: https://go.gov.sg/developmentplans

#Didyouknow we start planning our land use many years ahead? For instance, the Master Plan, which is a statutory land use plan, guides Singapore’s development over the next 10 to 15 years. Our long-term planning approach optimises the limited land in Singapore and allows us to balance the various needs of present and future generations.

We review the Master Plan every five years, where we also actively consult the public on these plans. The public engagement activities for Master Plan 2019 took on many forms, ranging from public exhibitions, focus group sessions, community workshops, and more for URA to reach out to the multiple groups of stakeholders. Watch this video to find out more!

https://youtu.be/YfvkKIhyBLg

Today is Good Friday and the start of Easter weekend. The Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is Singapore's oldest Roman Catholic Church. #Didyouknow it received an honourable mention from the United Nations cultural agency for its heritage conservation works? It was a recipient of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) award in 2017!

Photo by Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

#DidYouKnow The Albizia tree is one of the fastest growing trees in the world, and was introduced into tropical countries like Singapore in the past as a potential tree for paper and matches.

➡️ Find out more about the Albizia tree: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/5/6/5620

#Didyouknow?

Two new species of flies were discovered in the Pulau Ubin mangroves!

One of these, a new genus of Sepsid fly (pictured), was found in the mangroves of Sungei Teris.

The other species – the Long-Legged Fly (Trigonocera ubinensis), is a predatory insect and bio-controller that feeds on other smaller insects like sandflies and midges. It’s named after Pulau Ubin!

These new findings underscore the rich biodiversity and natural heritage in Pulau Ubin. That’s pretty fly, isn’t it!

Photo: Maimon Hussin

#UbinDay #PulauUbin #CityinNature

#DidYouKnow that songbirds learn how to sing from their neighbours around them? That’s why you’ll notice bird owners shuffling their cages around every so often - to meet and learn from their feathered friends!

As the largest and most established birdsinging club in Singapore, Keban Baru Birdsinging Club has its roots dating back to the 1980s. It attracts Singaporeans from all walks of life to bond together over a shared passion for birdsinging! 🐦🎶

Planning for your HDB home renovations? 🛋️

#Didyouknow that you should engage contractors from the Directory of Renovation Contractors (DRC) to carry out these renovation works, including works that do not require HDB’s approval?

For more information, go to https://go.gov.sg/hdbdrc

Happy World Otter Day! #Didyouknow that the presence of otters in our waterways is testament to good water quality? Otters are sensitive to water pollution, so when otters are constantly spotted in a certain water body, it indicates that the water quality is favourable 🦦 🦦

You can also find out more about wildlife etiquette and how we can best coexist with our wildlife at www.ourwildneighbours.sg