“It's about sowing the right seeds. Seeds which will sprout, which will take root. And so how do we do that? We can't have change overnight, but we need to create a pipeline of the next generation of inventors, thinkers. Though we’re a little dot in this globe, we have that opportunity to nurture them. Many times, I go back to Lee Kuan Yew. He dreamt big. We’ve enjoyed the bounty, how do we take it forward?”

Inspired by Singapore’s Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s love for nature, environmentalist Kirtida Mekani mooted the country’s Plant-A-Tree programme back in the day. It’s an initiative where organisations and individuals can, for a donation of $300, plant a tree in the green spaces managed by the National Parks Board, or NParks.

Fast forward to today, she’s an ardent advocate of biomimicry adoption. With the urgency to tackle climate change growing, she strongly believes that biomimicry is the path forward for science and engineering 

On this episode of Climate Connections, Kirtida Mekani, Environmentalist & 2024 Inductee, Singapore Women's Hall of Fame shares insights from her decades-long commitment to environmental causes, and the eureka moment that got her on this green journey.

Feature produced and edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Voiced by: Audrey Siek
Photo credits: NParks
Music credits: pixabay & its talented community of contributors

Find out more on how to take part in the Plant-A-Tree Programme below: https://www.gardencityfund.gov.sg/our-programmes/plant-a-tree/howtotakepart/

You can also join the OneMillionTrees movement here: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/treessg/one-million-trees-movement/upcoming-activities