Lena Chan wrote us yesterday,
The late Mr Lee Kuan Yew had always been a strong supporter of biodiversity conservation.
On 16 June 1963, Mr Lee planted the first tree that on 16 June 1963 that launched the implementation of his vision of a Garden City. The Garden City has now evolved to a City in A Garden. The intensive tree-planting along our streetscape formed the green infrastructural backbone of Singapore, enabling us to build on green connectivity.
In 1982, his interest resulted in an ambitious programme to halt the decline in the bird population of Singapore, popularly perceived as the project to “bring back the birds” to Singapore. Today, the conservation status of many of the birds that were thought to be threatened around thirty years ago, has improved.
NParks is, indeed, most grateful for the unwavering championing of Mr Lee for greenery and biodiversity conservation.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is one of the Community Site for Remembering Mr Lee Kuan Yew. It is located at the SBG Function Hall. This Community Site has been opened since Tuesday 24 March 2015 from 8.30 am to 9 pm. You can view the orchid named after Mr Lee Kuan Yew, i.e., Aranda Lee Kuan Yew, at the SBG Community Site. You still have today, Saturday and Sunday to pay your respects to Mr Lee and pen your condolences.
We will miss the Chief Gardener of Singapore and a stalwart champion for biodiversity conservation.
Kind regards to all.
Lena
Dr. Lena Chan
Director (National Biodiversity Centre)
National Parks Board
Otterman speaks... 