An Eco-friendly Butterfly Paradise in the Heartland of Tampines

An Eco-friendly Butterfly Paradise in the Heartland of Tampines

The song “Here Comes The Sun” by the Beatles, performed live by a guitar band, pervaded Tampines Changkat Butterfly Garden on 14 September. An apt song for the occasion, as the lyrics echoed the reopening of the butterfly garden (the sun) after 10 months of extensive upgrading.

Adviser for Tampines Changkat GROs, Mayor Desmond Choo, together with grassroots leaders, unveiled the plaque and released butterflies to commemorate the reopening. “The garden that she [former Adviser for Tampines Changkat GROs, Ms Irene Ng] built had a vision behind it. The vision is about connecting residents to nature, providing a community space for everyone to mingle and enjoy nature. It is a garden that unifies the community here, as well as a place for future generations to learn more about biodiversity,” Mr Choo said.

The butterfly garden is bigger, now covering more than 200sqm compared to 120sqm previously, and includes a community plaza for residents and visitors alike to partake in activities like yoga and qigong among the flitting butterflies. Swings were also added around the garden to enhance bonding.

A butterfly interest group volunteer, Mr David Chan, 50, shared: “When I first joined [the group] in 2011, I didn’t know anything about butterflies. I learnt about pollinator-attracting plants from NParks and experimented ways of breeding caterpillars.” When asked about his greatest satisfaction from volunteering, he revealed: “I made many new friends and even went to Thailand together to view butterflies. We also picked up new skills, such as origami and cooking, from one another. I also reignited my passion for photography in the process.”

Residents who turned up for the event tried their hand at making fingerprint bags, chalk drawing and origami butterflies, while children participated in a bag colouring contest. The Health Promotion Board also led many residents in a yoga and stretch band exercise. It was indeed a fun-filled day for all!

Back to TEMPO