a guide to bukit batok nature park walking trail · 2014-12-30 · a guide to bukit batok nature...
TRANSCRIPT
Do note that the Marang Trail covers an elevation of 70 metres (or the equivalent of a 24-storey building), so this trail may not be suitable for young children, the elderly and the less fit.
A Guide toBukit Batok Nature Park Walking Trail
How to get there
Park Etiquette
Walking Time : 1—2 hrs Difficulty level : Easy to moderate
Terrain: Undulating. Some areas are not wheelchair-friendly due to stairs and steep slopes.
• Pleasedon’tpluckanyflowersorleavesasthismaydamagetheplants.
• Thereisenoughfoodintheforestsformonkeys,sopleasedon’tfeedthemasthisdisruptstheirnaturalbehaviour.
• Pleasehelpkeeptheparkcleanbynotlittering.
• Ifyouarequiet,youwillseemorewildlife.Whentheyappear,standquietlyandobservethemuntiltheypassby.
• Pleasedon'treleaseanimalsintotheforestorpoolasthisdisruptsthedelicatebalanceofthenaturalenvironment.
• Busservices61,66,157,178,852 and985willtakeyoutoBukitBatok EastAve6.
• Theparkisalsoaccessibleviathe entranceatLorongSesuaiandfrom HillviewParkConnector.
• Ifyouaredriving,youcanparkatthe carparkalongBukitBatokEastAve2.
Introduction This36-hectareparkoffersatrailthatmeandersthroughawell-establishedsecondaryforest.Asyouwalkthroughtheforest,lookoutforinterestingtreeshighlightedinthisguide.Thisparkholdssomehistoricalsignificance.Itwasonceminedforgranite;thequarryhassincebecomealargereflectingpool.Asyouembarkontheascenttothetopofthehill,stopatthelookoutpointsthatoffervantageviewsofthequarrypool.Thistrailalsotakesyoutoawarmemorialatthetopofthehill,andtothequarrypoolatitsfoot.
Meeting Point 2
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BC
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D E
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Meeting Point 3Lorong Sesuai
Meeting Point 1
Bukit Batok East Ave 6
Bukit BatokTransmissionCentre
Plaza Area
Quarry C
liff
Buki
t Ba
tok
East
Ave
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Ficus with aerial roots
Road/Track
Building/Plaza
ParkConnector
ForestTrack
LawnArea
Stream
Staircase
Toilets
FitnessCorner
DrinkingFountain
FootReflexologyPath/Area
WWIIMemorialSite
LookoutPoint
Shelter
PublicPhone
Carpark
BusStop
Playground
Highlights•Walkingalongtheforesttracks throughlushsecondaryforest
•Lookingatinterestingspeciesoftrees andshrubswiththeirfruitsandflowers
•Enjoyingvantageviewsofthequarry poolfromlookoutpoints
•Bird-watchingalongthetrailandat thebankofthequarrypool
•Observingfaunasuchassquirrels,monkeys,monitorlizards,birds,dragonflies,butterfliesandfish.
•VisitingaWorldWarIImemorialsite.
Plaza Area
Tembusu Durian Native mango Ficus roots strangling
rock
Monitor lizard
Tree fern and elephant fern
TrailBeginyourjourneyfromthesideentranceoftheparkbehindthecarpark.Aninterpretativesignontheleftsideoftheentranceillustratesthespeciesofbirdsthatyoucanseeatthepark.Trytorecognisetheseandseeifyoucanfindtheminthepark.
Taketheuphillpathimmediatelyonyourleft.Atthejunction,turnrightandyouwillfindyourselfstandinginfrontofatreewithmanybrowncordshangingdownfromitscanopy.Thistreeisknownascurtainfig(Ficus microcarpa),oneoftheseveralspeciesfoundinthepark;thebrowncordsareitsaerialroots .Figsareabotanicaloddityandtheirsurvivalisentirelydependentonatinywaspforpollination.Somespeciesoffigs,especiallytheonesthataretreesorstranglers,areconsideredkeystonespeciesastheyprovideapreciousfoodresourceduringleanperiodsintheforest.
FollowthistarmacpathtoShelterC.OnyourleftaretallshrubswithlargeleavesandbrightyellowflowerscommonlyknowninMalayasSimpoh Air
.Athrivingsecondaryforestspecies,itcanbeseenonseveralpartsofthetrail.BlackharmlesscarpenterbeesbuzzamongsttheflowersoftheSimpohAirastheyhelpinthepollinationprocess.
TheplotoflandsurroundingshelterCisasitewheretheNationalParksBoardcarriesoutreforestationefforts[seeinformationonreforestation].Continuealongthetarmacroad,andasyoupassthejunction,lookoutforadistinguishedlookingTembusutreetoweringoveryou .Easilyrecognizedbyitsheavilyfissureddarkbrownbarkandlowbranchingpoints,theTembusuisnativetoSingaporeandbloomsinMayandNovemberwithcreamy,sweet-scentedflowers.
Soonyouwillseeasignstating“Bewareoffallingdurians” .The“KingofFruits”existsbecauseofthepollinationserviceperformedbynectarbats.Wouldwestillenjoydurianswithoutbats?
Aroundthisarea,thereisawidevarietyoffruittrees.Canyouspottherambutan andbreadfruit ontheleftofthetrail,andanativemangotree ontheright?
Asyouwalkfurther,youwillcomeacrossastrangelookingtreewithfigsonitstrunk .Thistreeisacommonyellowstemfig(Ficus fistulosa).Therearemanysuchtreesthroughoutthepark,andyoucaneasilyseethemthroughouttheyear.
Soonyouwillseeasmallnaturalstreamthatflowsfromthetopofthehillandthroughthepark.Freshwaterstreamsareavitalhabitatforsomanyspeciessuchasfish,frogsandinvertebrates.Monitorlizardsareseenheretoo .
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AtShelterF,lookcloselyatsometreeferns andelephantferns .Thesefernsaretermed“livingfossils”astheyhaveevolvedlittlesincetheyfirstappearedmanymillionsofyearsago.
Takethepathintotheforest.Bothsidesarethickwithrubbertrees.Theirtrifoliateleaves makethemeasytoidentify.Theinvasivenatureofrubbercanbeseenbyhowsuccessfullyithascolonizedtheforest.
Thereareafewlargetreesleftstandingamongsttherubber,andthesearenativetreesofthecoast,commonlyknownasSeaApple ).Insectspollinatetheircreamy“powderpuff”-lookingflowers.Itwasonceplantednexttoforestreservestoserveasafire-break.
Onceyouexitthethickvegetation,youwillreachanopenlawnwithShelterEontherightandasinglerambutantreeontheleft.Thistreeisafavouritewiththeparks’residenttroopoflong-tailedmacaques duringthefruitingseason.
BehindShelterE,aflightofstairsleadsyouuptothetwosceniclookoutpointsatSheltersGandHwhereyoucanenjoyvantageviewsofthequarrypool.
Thethickvegetationandopenskyabovemakethissegmentofthetrailagoodplacetowatchbirds.Thenumberofspeciesofbirdsseeninthisparkhasincreasedovertheyears.Seeifyoucanspotanyofthebirdsshownintheguide.
Thetrailpeaksatthebaseofalongstaircase.This
usedtoleadtotheSyonan Chureito,amemorialbuiltbytheJapanesetocommemoratethosewhodiedduringafiercebattlethattookplacethereduringWorldWarII.Ithassincebeendestroyed,andinitsplacetheMediacorpTransmissionCentrewasbuilt.Allthatisleftoftheoriginalshrinearethestepsandtwoshortpillarsatthebase.Moredetailsonthehistorybehindthememorialareillustratedinthestoryboardatthebaseofthelongflightofsteps .
Forthefinallegofyourjourney,makeyourwaybackdownthehill.AtthebottomofthestairsbyShelterE,turnrightanddowntowardsthepondplaza.Ifyouarestillfeelingenergetic,tryexercisingatthefitnessstationsorenjoythechildren’splaygroundwithyourkids.Ifyoufeellikewindingdown,trythefootreflexologypathorgazeatthebeautyofthegraniterockfaceabovethereflectingpool.
ReforestationEffortsPartsofthesecondaryforesthavebeenclearedofinvasiveexoticspecies(suchasrubbertrees)andhavebeenreplantedwithyoungsaplingsofnativeforesttrees.
Methodssuchasthesehelpimprovethebiodiversityoftheforesthabitatandconservethegeneticdiversity.Nativefloraisessentialfortheregenerationandsurvivalofnativefauna.
Ahealthynativeecosystemisanassettoacountry’squalityoflifeandbuildshernaturalheritage.
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