Fig 1. Gathering of the communities
The Singapore Green Plan charts Singapore’s path towards becoming a City in Nature. An important part of this plan is the OneMillion Trees (OMT) movement helmed by the National Parks Board (NParks), which aims to plant one million trees nationwide by 2030. At NTreeU, we proposed that NTU contribute to the national environment strategy by becoming part of this movement.
At this event, we introduced the NTU community to the OMT movement in an effort to provide accessible environmental education, and spark long-term collaborations to preserve the university’s rich natural heritage. Together, we garnered 100 attendees who planted 100 trees within two hours, including 40 employees of Advantest Corporation. Advantest’s CEO, Ricky Sim, responded with a hopeful message, “As we plant these trees, we are not only beautifying our surroundings but also taking a significant step towards mitigating the effects of climate change. We are creating a greener and more sustainable future for ourselves and for the generations to come”.
Fig 2. Prominent leaders and students at the event
Prominent leaders such as the Acting President and Provost Prof Ling San, were invited to kick-off our campus greening journey. Additionally, NParks CEO Mr Kenneth Er was invited as a Guest of Honour to enliven the long-awaited event. Another key Guest of Honour attended the event with much enthusiasm and that was none other than our Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Ms Grace Fu. She visited our booth during the second part of the tree-planting event, where she was shown photos of the planted saplings and interacted with the NTreeU team as part of the Service Week Launch Event by the University Advancement Office (UAO).
Earthlink’s NTree U Co-Chair, Elijah Goh, was filled with energy and excitement for this tree-planting event. He quipped, “Today, this project is not only about planting trees for the benefit of wildlife, but also about building a better environment for our future NTU community, and cultivating a sense of environmental stewardship in our volunteers”. Acting NTU President Prof Ling San responded with a proud and optimistic sentiment, “NTU recognises the importance of preserving habitats on campus, and we have been working together with student clubs like Earthlink to raise awareness of our wild neighbours, and the roles they play in our ecosystem. Campus greening is a key strategy of our conservation efforts”.
With a huge number of attendees and distinguished guests invited, NTree U has done it again in making it a successful and impactful event this year!