00:00What does the NPAR's officer say when somebody asks if he's an arborist?
00:03Arbor then?
00:04Ha ha ha ha.
00:06That doesn't sound like a very sincere laugh.
00:14Hi Tia Huan, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today.
00:20So, what is a streetscape?
00:22So, streetscape is basically the maintenance of the roadside greenery,
00:25where we do things like
00:27conduct tree inspection, carry out tree planting, grass cutting and maintenance of the flower beds.
00:33That sounds like a lot of work. So I mean, because Singapore is a tropical island, I think a lot of
00:38people think that, you know, we're naturally green, but is that really the case? Is there a lot of
00:42work to be done? Yep, there is a lot of work to be done. A lot of trees are actually intentionally
00:48planted along the roadside, in the parks or even in the state land. Why is it important for Singapore
00:54to have urban greenery? Urban greenery brings about many benefits to people. Things like
00:59environmental, aesthetic, psychological and social benefits. They also absorb the air pollutants,
01:06provide us with clean air, provide us with shade which reduces the ambient and surface temperature.
01:12Urban greenery also provides food and shelter for the wildlife and the tree root system itself also
01:18intercepts great amounts of storm water and cleans the water that flows into our waterways.
01:24Urban greenery also adds a natural character to the place with their different shades of green,
01:30flowers and colour foliage, which further enhances the aesthetics of our living spaces.
01:36And I think one thing that a lot of people may not realise is urban greenery also helps to reduce
01:41our stress level, improve our mental well-being and higher life satisfaction. Working in urban
01:48greenery, does it reduce your stress levels? I'll take that as a no. You enjoy your job.
01:56Yeah, definitely. If not, I wouldn't be here for 20 years. 20 years! That's incredible. I mean,
02:02it sounds like you definitely have to make a lot of different decisions when it comes to
02:06urban greenery. Obviously, you are thinking about all the different types of areas,
02:09even the really tiny areas where you can plant trees. Do you plant them where there's very little
02:14footfall and nobody to see them? Yes, even in areas with low human traffic, there may still
02:20be a significant number of trees. So a very good example would be the industrial estates in
02:25Singapore, where these areas are among the hottest in Singapore. These places are also intensified
02:32with greenery to cool down the industrial estate, provide clean air, beautify the surrounding and
02:38provide a respite to the staff and employees working there. After all, Singapore is a small
02:43city-state with limited land space, so it is important that we maximise every green spaces.
02:49Are there any experts or specialists that you work with, that you consult with when it comes to
02:53deciding what species to plant, where to plant? So if I just give an example, the new roads that
03:00are built by the Land Transport Authority, once they hand over the road to us, we are in charge
03:05of beautifying the streetscape. And MParks will be the one to decide what are the trees to plant.
03:12Sometimes I will work with my landscape architect, who will actually come up with an artist's impression
03:17first. We will then work with our horticulture and arboriculture contractors, who are the one
03:23who will procure the plants and the trees from the nurseries, which could be local nurseries or
03:29even from the Malaysian nurseries. Who's the one who decides on which species to plant?
03:33It's MParks. Most of us are actually arborists and horticulturists. So arborist is a tree care
03:39practitioner, tree doctor so to speak. So we will know how the tree will look like when it matures.
03:45But of course, sometimes we also consult the contractor. It's like a partnership, you know,
03:50we'll bounce off ideas between each other. Then after that, when they bring in the trees, then
03:57they will already mark out where are the trees already to be planted. What do you think is the
04:02future for urban tree planting and urban streetscape? I think one of my main tasks is to
04:09groom the next generation of arborists, because we need to ensure that there is a continuous
04:15succession. I won't be here forever. So it's important that my new staff, they are also
04:21fully equipped with the knowledge and expertise to sustain our city and nature vision. And of course,
04:29educating the public as well to value the greenery around us. Yes, yes, you're right, Jo.
04:34Thank you very much. Okay, thank you Jo. I've learned so much from you today,
04:37Jia Hua. Thank you. Do you have a favourite tree? Actually, not really. Okay, that's because I
04:43firmly believe that all trees are good. That's a very politically correct answer.
04:47So none of the trees will be jealous.
Comments