SINGAPORE : Singaporeans are being encouraged to contribute to greening efforts by planting trees under the Plant-A-Tree Programme.

The programme is launched by the Singapore Environment Council and the Garden City Fund, a registered charity complementing the government's environmental efforts.

On the last Sunday of every month or on special days like World Environment Day or Earth Day, the public can now plant trees at designated parks or nature reserves.

However for every tree planted, a payment of S$200 will be required.

Proceeds will go towards the Garden City Fund for more tree-planting activities.

Kicking off the programme was Kirtida Mekani of the Garden City Fund - planting 50 of the 250 trees she has pledged.

The public can log on to the Garden City Fund website at www.gardencityfund.org to check on the tree-planting schedule as well as where they can plant the trees.

Kirtida Mekan says: "I wanted to be a pro-active person and there're many different ways of being pro-active for the environment. If you're looking at recycling, there's a little bit I can do in recycling or buying green products, that's a reactive mechanism that I can control myself - I reduce or reuse. But I said: 'How can I be a pro-active citizen of Singapore? And give back?' One of the best ways is by planting trees.

"You're planting something which is living and something which will not just benefit me, but benefit everybody. One thing about trees is that the goodness of trees goes beyond. If I plant a tree it's not just me that's benefiting, everybody benefits. And trees have this cross-boundary goodness. I said," I'm giving through the trees and this great virtue the trees have to give us all the abundance and sustain us. So why not plant trees and have a ripple effect?" and I'm bonding, I'm strengthening my connections with Singapore also. - CNA/ch