Ecosystems & Nature

Playlist: Why You need Nature more than Nature needs You

We tend to take nature for granted but she does so much for us. This compilation sheds light on the ways we depend on nature more so than we realise.

Learning Package

City In Nature

An urban city does not mean that it is all concrete. Vancouver and Singapore are some of the many cities in the world where one can find nature in the city. In recent years, architects and urban planners are incorporating nature when designing, planning, and building cities due to a variety of reasons. These reasons range from reducing heat and lowering temperature, increasing the quality of life to creating a natural habitat for animals and so on.

We have compiled a list of resources to help you understand the different initiatives implemented by different cities to develop and grow the green spaces in their urban environments.

Videos

1.The Urban Green

In this video, you’ll learn about how different countries adopt innovative ideas, technologies and execute initiatives to create more liveable and sustainable cities.

Source: The Urban Green (2016, March 17). WWF International Retrieved 2021, November 19

2. World Economic Forum- Singapore has an innovative new way to design its buildings

From this video, you will learn how Singapore has adopted the biophilic design approach in the construction of buildings. In this approach, architects embrace nature in their design by replacing columns, walls, and neon with trees, leaves and insects, thus bringing nature into the city.

Source: World Economic Forum- Singapore has an innovative new way to design its buildings (2020, October 10). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2021, November 19

Podcast

1. iHeartMedia, Inc

Find out what is biophilic design and the science behind this design, and how such designs can improve the quality of life for humans.

Source What is biophilic design? Stuff You Should Know (2019, October 7). iHeartMedia, Inc Retrieved 2021, December 11.

eBooks

1. Nature of the City: Green Infrastructure from the Ground Up

Andrew Tempany and Tom Armour (2020), Nature of the City: Green Infrastructure from the Ground Up , Abingdon : RIBA Publishing.

A practical guide about delivering green infrastructure from the ground up and bringing nature into the built environment.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

2. Design a Healthy Home: 100 ways to Transform your Space for Physical and Mental Wellbeing Oliver Heath (2021), Design a healthy home: 100 ways to transform your space for physical and mental wellbeing , New York : DK

A guide with numerous tips to help you incorporate nature into your home.

Borrow the eBook here .

Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook.

3. Nature Obscura: A city's hidden natural world

Kelly Brenner (2020), Nature Obscura : A city’s hidden natural world , Seattle, Mountaineer Books

The book uncovers how our land alterations have impacted nature, often in ways that are unseen.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from NLB Overdrive (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

Sustainability Programmes in NLB

Sustainability talks and workshops are always happening in the library. Browse through go.gov.sg/sustainprog to find the right one for you!

References

1. Biophilic design: What is it? Why it matters? And how do we use it. (2021, November 24). Building Design + Construction. Bain. Retrieved 2021, November 25 from https://www.bdcnetwork.com/blog/biophilic-design-what-it-why-it-matters-and-how-do-we-use-it
2. Can Singapore, the city in a garden, grow into a city in nature? (2018, Sept 19). Eco-Business . Retrieved 2021, November 24 from https://www.eco-business.com/news/can-singapore-the-city-in-a-garden-grow-into-a-city-in-nature /

Learning Package

Nature as Healer

Nature has the power to captivate, uplift, heal and restore. Perhaps more so now than ever, in these tumultuous times, we need to understand and connect to the therapeutic effects of nature. In this learning package, you will get to know more about the wonders of nature especially through forests and plants and its impact on our well-being and health. Hopefully, you will be inspired to spend more time in nature!

Videos

1.Forest Bathing In Singapore: Walk Slowly, Connect Deeply

A forest therapy guide describes what is "forest bathing" and how it is more than a nature walk.

Source: Forest Bathing In Singapore: Walk Slowly, Connect Deeply (2021, March 30). The Straits Times Retrieved 2022, December 19

2.Connecting Nature to Creativity, Community, and Mental Health

This NLB discussion explores the vital relationship between nature and artistic creativity, the therapeutic benefits of nature to mental health, and what happens when communities are engaged in their bringing nature into the city.

Source: Connecting Nature to Creativity, Community, and Mental Health (2021, July 13). National Library Board. Retrieved 2022, December 19

Podcast

1.BBC. (2019,August 8). Retrieved 2022, Dec 19.

Malaysian anthropologist Long Litt Woon found solace in fungi foraging after the unexpected death of her husband. She's now become a certified mushroom expert.

Ebooks

1.The Well Gardened Mind:Rediscovering Nature in the Modern World

Sue Stuart-Smith, (2020)The Well Gardened Mind: Rediscovering Nature in the Modern World,New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

The author looks at the many ways in which mind and garden interact and explores how the process of gardening can be a way of sustaining our innermost self.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from Libby (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook).

2. The Living Wisdom of Trees : A Guide to the Natural History, Symbolism and Healing Power Of Trees

Fred Hageneder (2020), The Living Wisdom of Trees : A Guide to the Natural History, Symbolism and Healing Power Of Trees , Watkins Publishing

A definitive illustrated guide to the sacred place trees hold for cultures around the world, looking in particular at their botanical characteristics; their place in world myth, magic and folklore; their healing properties; and their practical contribution to society.

Borrow the eBook here.

Retrieved from Libby (myLibraryid is required to access the eBook)

Book

1. Nature, Health, Happiness: Enhancing Well-Being and Mental Resilience

Kua Ee Heok et al (2020), Nature, Health, Happiness: Enhancing Well-Being and Mental Resilience ,Singapore: Write Editions.

A Singapore-based perspective at the importance of greenery in our lives, and how walking mindfully in a forest can enhance well-being and resilience.

Borrow the Book at the Public Libraries.

2.Recalling forgotten tastes: Of Illustrated Edible Plants, Food and Memories.

Syarifah Nadhirah (2020), Recalling forgotten tastes: Of Illustrated Edible Plants, Food and Memories ,Malaysia: Syarifah Nadhirah.

A whimsical illustrative collection of edible plants that centres on the environmental knowledge and traditional culinary practices of the Orang Asli communities in Peninsular Malaysia.

Borrow the Book at the Public Libraries.

Sustainability Programmes in NLB

There’s more to explore! Sign up for our programmes themed around sustainability through this link: go.gov.sg/sustainprog

Playlist

A collection of short videos or selected podcasts, exploring topics around personal and professional development.

Playlist: All About Forests and Plants

In this playlist, we demystify forests and plants and explore forests in Singapore to discover the treasures within.