Sea Teak boosts biodiversity at ‘SEA’

On 22 May six Middle School students and two from the class of 2014 - all members of environmental groups at the College - planted a Sea Teak as part of the Green Wave campaign to mark International Day for Biological Diversity.

The Green Wave is a global event, rippling from east to west as children and young people plant trees at 10.00am in every region. In Singapore alone, over 600 trees were planted this year. Every Green Wave tree is an indigenous species, bringing benefits that include a habitat for local wildlife, greater resistance to disease and a source of food or medicine. Our own tree this year is a Sea Teak (Podocarpus polystachyus). Found on Sentosa cliffs, in Labrador Park and around Kranji, the species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ in the wild.

The Sea Teak is coniferous and has narrow, dark green leaves. Its species name, polystachyus, meaning ‘many ears of corn’, reflects the appearance of the cream coloured male cones, which are a few centimetres long and produce abundant pollen. The female cones - on a separate tree - look fleshier. Once pollinated, these develop a dark red base that attracts birds and bats.

Ms Cheong Li Min, a manager at NParks, attended our planting. She enjoyed touring our rainforest nursery and learning from green-fingered students about the various environmental groups at the College. NParks are sponsors of the Green Wave initiative in Singapore.

The Sea Teak, our first specimen on the campus, was planted on a terrace behind the Ayer Rajah field cricket nets. If you are curious about how to plant a tree, or about the Green Wave campaign, you can follow the links below:

• NParks (Singapore): How to plant a tree
• NParks (Singapore): How to care for a tree
• The Green Wave (Convention for Biological Diversity)

And who were those green-fingered students?

• Mary Kate How Fee Koy (Class of 2014)
• Aanavi Patodia (Class of 2014)
• Cordelia Bowden
• Kylie Lee
• Rian Hortin
• Tobias Smit
• Andrew Delios 
• Siddharth Roy

Thanks also to Landscape Gardener Andy Tan for all his help and sharing of knowledge.