One of the best ways to relax is to spend a day with nature. And you don’t have to go very far to do that. You can simply visit one of the parks, gardens and nature reserves island-wide for a refreshing and rejuvenating time. Kan Siew Mun is one public officer who takes a walk in the park every day. In fact, she loves doing it for a living! Read on to find out more.

As Head of the National Parks Board’s
(NParks) Ang Mo Kio unit, Siew Mun
oversees some 26 hectares of parkland, as well as over 30 public playgrounds and roadside greenery in Ang Mo Kio. She also works closely with various agencies on projects, such as estate upgrading projects, that involve horticultural work in the estate.

Part of her routine is taking a walk in the park every morning to monitor the cleanliness and condition of the parks. That is also when she gets to mingle with park users and hear their views first-hand.

Getting feedback is important, because Siew Mun is continually looking for ways to improve the parks, for example, by planting, relandscaping, and introducing new facilities and programmes for users.

“Unlike before, our parks are no longer just for passive recreation,” she explained. “Now we are trying to create new and different experiences to attract people to our parks.

“We co-organise activities such as concerts, treasure hunts and art exhibitions with various organisations or groups in our parks. We are also exploring business opportunities, for example, a cooking school was started in Fort Canning Park and Bishan Park has a restaurant.”

This landscaped pond near the entrance of Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West is a pleasant place to sit back and relax.

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The Adopt-A-Park Scheme is another attempt to draw more people to the parks. Siew Mun is one of the officers driving the scheme.

Any school, community group or organisation can sign up as an adopter. No prior skills are required — just a good dose of enthusiasm and commitment! NParks will provide training, talks, workshops and horticultural equipment so that adopters can learn the fundamentals of landscaping and take care of their adopted plot.

For example, Mayflower Primary School is one of the adopters of Ang Mo Kio Town Garden West. The pupils created a butterfly garden by first propagating the seedlings of plants that attract butterflies in their school, and then transplanting the seedlings to the butterfly garden in the park. Even after the mini garden was created, the pupils continue to take care of it by regularly weeding and watering the plants.

Being involved in the Adopt-A-Park Scheme has provided many opportunities for Siew Mun to work with external agencies and organisations. She appreciates that her varied experiences have provided a broader perspective of NParks’ role in sustaining the Garden City.

She shared: “During an adopters’ gathering in 2001, the Singapore American School put up a skit with members from the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped. When I saw how the members of the association could actually enjoy greenery through other senses, it struck me that NParks goes beyond horticulture work — we also contribute to community bonding.”