SINGAPORE – At a peaceful trail surrounded by towering trees and a gurgling stream at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, visitors are invited to slowly become one with nature.
Signs along the trail guide visitors to use different senses, such as touching tree roots and taking deep breaths, or watching how sunlight streams through the leaves.
The National Parks Board (NParks) launched the nature immersion trail at Saraca Stream near Tanglin Gate on June 11.
Such trails are specially curated to encourage visitors to engage with natural light, sounds, colours and other stimuli for a gentle, multi-sensory journey, said NParks.
The 150m-long trail was certified by the US-based Association of Nature and Forest Therapy in 2026 after a year of consultations, indicating that the space can offer visitors a calming and immersive experience. NParks said it is the first nature immersion trail in Asia to receive certification from the association.
“There is growing evidence that contact with nature brings about well-being benefits such as reducing stress and improving one’s mood,” said NParks’ Centre for Science of Urban Nature principal researcher Angelia Sia.
“Our research has found that the benefits of nature depend not only on the amount of time spent in it, but also how deeply connected a person feels towards nature.”
Visitors standing next to a “Choose a Tree” prompt on the Nature Immersion Trail at Saraca Stream on June 11.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Sia said NParks has also launched a study to better understand the effects of time spent mindfully immersed in three different nature settings – a primary forest, a secondary forest and an urban park.
Natalie Cheong, deputy director of education and outreach at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, said that while Singapore has trails for recreational purposes, as well as programmes in the Botanic Gardens for people to learn about flora and fauna, “this trail is a bit different”.
“It’s more about connecting people to the space emotionally and intentionally connecting them to nature through the senses,” she said.
Visitors can move at their own pace and refer to the prompts on the signs to decide what they want to do.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The winding trail was selected for its biodiversity and natural features, as well as its accessibility to people of different physical abilities, including wheelchair users, and proximity to other amenities such as restrooms and shelters.
Visitors can move at their own pace and refer to the prompts on the signs to decide what they want to do, whether it is simply taking deep breaths and observing the colours around them, or picking up a leaf and dropping it into the stream.
To further refine the space and help in the development of future trails, NParks will conduct post-walk surveys to gather feedback and understand what visitors liked, said Cheong.
