Trees have always symbolised growth and life. Yet in our day and age, we are witnessing a rapid degeneration of part of our world heritage: our forests.

In Singapore today, we have only 3% of our land area forested. Yet, with prudent management and foresight, we have been able to safeguard part of our unique natural heirlooms. The bulk of these treasures can be found in our Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Area, where our native flora and fauna still thrive. To recognise the importance of trees in our lives, the Singapore Philatelic Bureau, with the sponsorship from Hongkong Bank, will be releasing an issue on Trees on 11 Sep 96.

This issue will feature a selection of native trees on 4 stamps: The Kayu Manis, which provides the cinnamon bark for aromatic culinary delights; the Sea Hibiscus, which, in the earlier days, provided the fibre for fishermen's nets; the Petai, which was planted for its produce, and the Sea Almond, which could be found near the seashores propagating edible fruits.