More than just a day of weeding

Chestnut Nature Park holds a special place in my heart as it was where I first planted trees in Singapore back in 2019. The community spirit and joy displayed by members of public carrying out acts of service for nature left me touched and inspired. Since, habitat enhancement activities appealed to me, thus choosing to partake in this event was an exciting and natural choice.

Not relating to this event per say, I noticed how the park was buzzing with energy during the long walk towards the meeting point. I was surprised to know that mountain bikers and runners would come as early as 6am to start their day’s worth of exercise! It was an inexplicable sense of pride to see people immersed in nature and actively using nature spaces for leisure.

In this enhancement event, we were tasked to carry out boundary control (removing weeds and seedlings of invasive species). I always had the impression that in nature parks, we let nature take its course. Little did I know that an immense effort, sincerity and love have been poured into ensuring the healthy growth of native trees in a developing canopy. Even down to the smallest activity of rooting out grasses, I was heartened to see that so much care and long-term attention is placed on our nature spaces.

What moved me further was the dedication and hard work of the participants! I saw people really going at it, almost have a tug of war with stubborn, savage-looking weeds and climbers. Some hardly caught a break, transferring piles after piles of spiky weeds downhill. Many didn’t mind the scratches on their arms and ankles, persevering through the warm weather to meet the goals of the event.

I enjoyed the small talks in between and the encouragement given by strangers. Edric for example, kept an eye out for us and often checked up on us to see if we were doing okay. These small acts of kindness really was the cherry on top of a meaningful day.

All in all, I left with a heart brimmed with quiet joy and satisfaction. The only regret I suppose is not taking enough pictures! Signing off with the sole picture I took….