Creating Educational Gardens
Aside from conventional cooling and aesthetic purposes of green roofs, they can also provide educational spaces and interactional places for various age groups.
One such aspect is community gardening. Community gardening has been gaining popularity in Singapore, even among various age groups in Singapore. This form of gardening seeks to enable individuals in a community to be responsible for organizing, planting and maintaining their gardens. With limited land space in Singapore for use projects, it is no wonder that this trend has found its way to skyrise greenery.
Community In Bloom (CIB) is a program that was launched in 2005 and aims to foster a gardening culture among people in Singapore. Working with CIB, this form of gardening is increasingly found on rooftops. For example, at Kuo Chuan Presbytherian Secondary School the rooftop is accessible to students for their planting projects.
Rooftop garden at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School (above).
Aside from community gardening, rooftop gardens can also be an educational learning experience for youths. Educational signboards could be placed next to the plant species planted on the roof gardens to inform youths of the plant species and its uses. For example, the Tree Lodge @ Punggol has many educational signboards informing the public of its eco-friendly design.
The Treelodge @ Punggol has signboards located around the residential estate along everyday pathways informing the public of its eco-friendly design (above).
Similarly, educational signboards can also be found throughout the rooftop garden at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School increasing the students' environmental awareness.
Educational signboards found at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School (above).
Another possibility is rooftop farming. This proves an effective usage of space scarce Singapore. For example, a multi-storey rooftop located at 465A Upper Serangoon Road has been converted into a space for educational farming of various crops.
Rooftop garden with farming elements at a Multi-storey carpark at 465A Upper Serangoon Road (above).
Similarly, Bedok View Secondary School also has a rooftop garden whereby students are involved in harvesting the vegetables that are grown on their rooftop ‘farm’. Crops grown include chye sime, kangkong and peanuts. Revenue generated from the sales of the produce will be used for meal vouchers.
Rooftop farm at Bedok View Secondary School (above).
For more information regarding CIB, please contact them at communityinbloom@nparks.gov.sg.