MacRitchie will always be special to me because it offers a green oasis as a respite from our busy urban lives.
I may have grown up as a city kid in Singapore, but I still cultivated a love for nature — thanks to green spaces like MacRitchie. Taking a hike into the forests of MacRitchie showed me the sheer immensity of our native biodiversity, the significance of rainforests, and the beauty of nature that I would not be able to see otherwise. Experiencing nature in its full grandeur is not something that any form of textbook learning can emulate.
I believe that having this contact with nature is important for everyone, especially young people like myself. We live in a world where climate change is becoming an increasingly pressing issue, potentially threatening livelihoods and lives. This is a problem that requires decisive and comprehensive action from the international community — so even as we pledge our commitment to international efforts like the Paris Agreement, we must uphold the same commitment to protecting our own nature reserves.
I sincerely hope that MacRitchie remains intact and untainted for generations to come, so that we can teach generations of Singaporeans to love and care for their environment.
Teo had written an impassioned plea to her MP earlier this year when the plans to route the new MRT line through MacRitchie came to light. You can read it HERE.
Teo Min Ru is a student and cares deeply for Singapore’s nature reserves.
If you have memories of MacRitchie you’d like to share, do email thunder@storm.sg
The Future Of MacRitchie concert will take place on November 19.
Visit www.futureofmacritchie.storm.sg for more information about the venue, artists performing, and to register. There are also guided walks that can help you get intimate with MacRitchie.
