SINGAPORE, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Singapore Botanic Gardens opened a Learning Forest with freshwater wetlands on Friday, serving to help in rain forest regeneration and bolster local plant species conservation efforts.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the opening event, said that the Learning Forest builds on the Botanic Gardens' "legacy of conservation and improvement."
"Ultimately, our Botanic Gardens thrive not because of the interesting mix of plants, but because within it, there's life," Lee said.
Currently, the 10-hectare forest is home to more than 600 new plant species as well as 200 species of wildlife.
Lee also announced the launch of a new Citizen Science program in which volunteers can help monitor the long-term ecological health of the Botanic Gardens with the use of the SGBioAtlas mobile app.
He noted that this is National Parks Board's version of Pokemon GO with a purpose as the data collected will help monitor animal population, and improve conservation and biodiversity.
