SINGAPORE - A stone's throw from Gardens by the Bay MRT station lies a quaint rain garden filled with flood-tolerant vegetation and fluttering butterflies.

This garden, the size of a basketball court, is a key feature of Gardens by the Bay's new sustainability gallery launched on Nov 13.

The 1,200 sq m gallery showcases all the attraction's green efforts - from reducing the Supertrees' energy and water use, to limiting waste and sustaining biodiversity.

Chief executive Felix Low said: "Besides visiting our iconic attractions, visitors can also experience Gardens by the Bay through a sustainability lens, and learn how they can play a role in the green future."

Besides reading about various sustainability efforts on digital screens, visitors can also make personal climate pledges.

Kikkoman Singapore contributed $500,000 to build the solar-powered gallery. Since 2010, the Japanese soya sauce brand has donated $1.5 million to the Gardens, which went to the enhancement of Kingfisher Lake and creation of Kingfisher Wetlands, home to around 200 carbon dioxide-absorbing mangrove trees.

The new 420 sq m rain garden depicts how nature is tapped to manage flooding in an urban environment.

During rainfall, stormwater is filtered by the flood-tolerant vegetation and porous soil, removing impurities and excess nutrients before it flows to Marina Reservoir.

More than 60 plants, including the weeping tea-tree - which resembles a mini weeping willow - and firebush were selected for the rain garden due to their ability to withstand fluctuating water levels.

Energy-efficient technologies have allowed Gardens by the Bay to reduce its energy consumption by around 30 per cent.

The Supertrees light up with energy from solar panels, and wood and horticultural waste collected islandwide are burned to produce electricity to cool the conservatories, for example.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction