Tampines Eco Green

Tampines Eco Green, opened in April 2011, covers about thirty-six hectares of grassland, freshwater ponds and secondary forest, and it is managed on a minimum-intervention principle: no fertiliser, no pesticide, no piped lighting, footpaths of gravel and eco-toilets that compost. The grassland gives the site a savannah look unusual in Singapore, and it draws grassland birds, dragonflies and butterflies that have nowhere else to go on the island.

What's there

• The open grassland - a savannah-like habitat rare in Singapore.
• The freshwater ponds - water bodies drawing dragonflies and waterbirds.
• The minimum management - no chemicals, gravel paths and composting toilets.
• The birdlife - grassland species with few other sites on the island.

When to go

Year round; early morning is coolest and best for birds. There is almost no shade, so midday is punishing.

Things to know

There is no shade to speak of and the heat on the grassland is severe. Facilities are deliberately minimal. It is quiet to the point of feeling empty, which is the point.

Nearby

Bedok Reservoir is southwest, and Pasir Ris is north.

Key facts