‘Tourists’ seen plucking plants at Gardens by the Bay were actually volunteers, not foraging visitors

Claims they were looking for herbs

The Redditor claimed he overheard the group saying they were “looking for herbs to put inside their soup” to enhance its flavour.

He also said that when some bystanders questioned their actions, the group responded defensively and told them not to interfere.

“I saw them yanking a bunch of plants and leaves, smelled them, then tossed them back into the bush,” said the post.

They were actually volunteers

However, a group has since identified themselves as Gardens by the Bay outdoor gardening volunteers, not tourists.

“We help to maintain the GBTB outdoor gardens twice a month. You may want to check with GBTB on the different volunteer services by volunteers,” a volunteer told The New Paper.

In response to ‘s queries, a GBTB spokesperson confirmed that the individuals in the photo were volunteers from its Citizen Horticulturists programme. “They perform basic weeding works around the Gardens, including at the location seen in the photo.”

understands the programme started in October 2023 and the volunteers were trained by GBTB’s horticulturists to help maintain the landscape of its outdoor gardens.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated following clarification from the group of individuals mentioned earlier.