West Coast Park's marsh garden to undergo rejuvenation project

By Chio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia, 19 Apr 08

SINGAPORE: Visitors to the marshlands at West Coast Park will soon see more flora and fauna, thanks to a S$100,000 contribution by Shell to spruce up the site.

Together with the National Parks Board and students of Commonwealth Secondary School, they are re-populating the marsh with trees - the first step in the rejuvenation project.

Having adopted the marshes of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve seven years ago, students of Commonwealth Secondary School are budding experts in wetlands flora and fauna.

Ernest Tang, a student of Commonwealth Secondary School, said: "For these trees, what we have to do is to dig quite deep, probably half a metre down the soil and we also cover it with topsoil which are high in nutrients and all the compost soil."

And for these students, the impact of the project will be long-term.

Ernest Tang continued: "After I graduate from secondary school, I will also come back to check on the plants in school and also the mangrove trees in the marshland here."

Coastal areas will be spruced up with the installation of signboards and plant tags and volunteer guides will also undergo training. - CNA/vm