Wildflowers growing on the lawn outside the National Museum of Singapore, which is currently closed to the public amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Image: Robin Hicks/Eco-Business The coronavirus has given Singapore’s usually meticulously maintained grass patches, play areas and roadside verges the chance to live a little, and prompted a public discussion about whether the neat, image-conscious city-state should make wilder green spaces a permanent feature after the lockdown is lifted. The sight of rarely seen wildflowers and the noticeable increase in butterflies, dragon flies, grasshoppers and bees has delighted some residents, particularly children, in a city not known for its tolerance of nature, leading to calls for less severe management of grassy areas that allows biodiversity to thrive even in the busier parts of the city. Singapore’s small but vocal community of nature lovers has taken to social media to propose a reduction in grass-cutting to help wildlife proliferate, and reduce labour costs. Local natural areas have come to feel like new destinations and, for some, the wilder green spaces around the city bring back memories of a bygone era. Gary Lim, a supporter of Nature Society Singapore, a nature conservation group, commented on Facebook: “In the 60s […]
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