Education and Career Guidance (ECG)

1. Education and Career Guidance (ECG) May 2014 Issue (Secondary) Helping our students realise their dreams

2. Singapore - A City in a Garden • A city-state consisting of parks, gardens and open spaces linked by a matrix of tree-lined roads and park connectors for cyclists and pedestrians. • From a Garden City to a City in a Garden.

3. What makes us a City in a Garden?

4. Our greenery!

5. Why is greenery important? • Beautifies places • Lowers the temperature of buildings in hot weather • Provides shade • Helps keep the air clean

6. Who maintains our City in a Garden?

7. Immerse in Nature with a career at NParks!

8. Landscape Architect • Designs an outdoor space with environmental conditions and user needs in mind. • Decides where to add features such as water playgrounds and lakes • Matches types of greenery to site conditions • Decides on the shape of trees and themes “Landscape architects can beinvolved in special projects like Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa Cove landscaping and the Biannual Singapore Garden Festival.” Tai Shijie NParks Scholar

9. Park Manager: Looking after green spaces • Interacts with visitors to enhance their park experience • Designs trails for park users • Enhances the horticultural standards in parks • Organises outreach activities and events to engage the community • Checks facilities, amenities, trees and shrubs in the parks “My job is my secret to a healthy lifestyle! I cycle along park connectors daily to check on plants.” Trina Chua Park Manager

10. Manager (Skyrise Greenery & Projects) • Sets up skyrise greenery installations: rooftop garden or vertical green wall • Inspects and assesses suitability of location for skyrise greenery installations • Promote skyrise greenery “I get to experience new and groundbreaking ways to incorporate greenery into our urban environment. I encourage others to come into contact with greenery in their everyday lives.” Nur Faezah Mohd Sanif Assistant Director (Skyrise Greenery & Projects)

11. Conservation Officer: Protector of Plants and Animals • Oversees conservation in nature reserves • Conducts nature outreach programmes for visitors • Surveys plants, animals and insects • Discovers rare plants and animals “I conduct conservation tours, workshops and information sessions. My passion is in conserving Singapore’s natural heritage and to spread this love to the younger generation” MendisTan Conservation Manager (SungeiBuloh Wetland Reserve)

12. Researcher (Arboriculture) • Collaborates with partners in the industry to apply the results of research and develop new techniques, products or practices • Teaches/supervises students and other staff • Draws up new research proposals and applies for funding and grants “Many people feel that research is stern and boring. But you never know what will show up each day in your experiments.” Dr Genevieve Ow Senior Researcher (Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology Research)

13. Arborist: Tree Doctor • Looks after and treats sick trees till they are well. • Maintains the health of trees • Oversees the planting of roadside trees. • Cuts diseased or infested branches off to save the rest of the tree. • Sometimes the entire tree is cut so that they won’t fall on houses, cars or people. “Everyday is an adventure. I even managed to overcome my fear of heights to take up tree climbing. You don’t need to be a horticultural expert to join NParks - most of my plant knowledge was gained while on the job. What’s most important is your passion and your positive attitude to learn.” Ow Siew Ngim Certified Arborist and Assistant Director (Streetscape)

14. Manager (National Orchid Garden) • Educates visitors on orchids and conservation efforts • Oversees landscape maintenance and nursery operations • Conducts orchid breeding • Manages orchid collections “My passion for orchids began at the age of 12 and I have built up my own collection over the years. This passion has led me to a rewarding career in NParks.” Simon Tan Assistant Director (National Orchid Garden)

15. Would you like to… Promote parks and greenery in Singapore? Raise standards of Singapore’s image as a City in a Garden? Work with nature & not be confined to a desk 24/7? Meet new people & engage the community?

16. Immerse in Nature with a career at NParks!

17. Education Options Local • Diploma in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture • Diploma in Landscape Architecture • Diploma in Marine Science and Aquaculture • Diploma in Environmental Science • Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences (with Specialisation in Environmental Biology) (Hons) • Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences • Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences (Minor in Aquatic Ecology) • Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (Hons) • Bachelor of Science in Environmental Earth Systems Science

18. Education Options Overseas • Bachelor of Science in Plant Sciences (Horticulture) • Bachelor of Science (Forestry) • Bachelor of Science in Plant Science & Earth/Environmental Science • Bachelor of Science (Hons) majoring in Botany • Bachelor of Horticulture (Hons) • Bachelor of Science in Forestry & Natural Resource • Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (University of New South Wales) • Bachelor of Ecology and Environmental Biology • Bachelor of Applied Science in Horticulture • Bachelor of Science (Molecular Environmental Biology) • Bachelor of Science (Plant Science)

19. For more information • National Parks Board (NParks) • NParks Scholarship Opportunities • NParks Facebook • NParks Instagram • NParks Twitter • NParks Youtube channel • Flora & Fauna Web • NParks Volunteers Online Registration Form

20. Suggestions/ Feedback Should you have any suggestions or feedback, please contact our ECG Guidance Officer, Lee Jun Feng at: Lee_jun_feng@moe.gov.sg Thank you!

21. Acknowledgements • Slides content and Images from Nparks & Gardens by the Bay. • Schools may modify or extract relevant content for lessons or dissemination to parents and students.