Good news for all nature enthusiasts in Singapore who called for the conservation of the luxurious forest and wildlife at Clementi Forest!
The National Parks Board (NParks) on July 31 announced that two new recreational green trails will come up at Clementi Nature Corridor. So hikers who want to embrace nature will in future get a chance to take the 18 km of walking trails.
It will be complete and open to the public from 2023.
NR Park To Develop 18 Km Of Recreational Trails
Image courtesy: NParks
The recreational green network will include a new nature trail at the Old Jurong Line and a new Jurong Town Hall Park Connector. It will connect the Rail Corridor to Jurong Lake Gardens.
It will also have a new Clementi Forest Trail that will connect the Clementi Forest Stream to the new nature park at Dover forest.
The corridor will thus provide an ecological connection for wildlife between the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Southern Ridges that connects Telok Blangah Hill Park, HortPark, Mount Faber Park, Kent Ridge Park and Labrador Nature Reserve.
Desmond Lee, the Minister for National Development shared the three main purposes of the nature trail.
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- To help conserve the rich heritage
- To give safe access to the visitors
- Also, to reduce the impact on biodiversity
New Clementi Forest Trail
Image courtesy: NParks
This is one of the upcoming trails that is being targeted for completion by 2023.
Route: The Clementi Nature Trail will include a route from the Rail Corridor to a new nature park in Ulu Pandan’s Dover Forest.
Details:
- This includes a stretch of the 2km Clementi Nature Trail. It will run along an existing stream within the Clementi Forest.
- So visitors will get to walk along the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal that will take them past a natural stream in Clementi Forest. The trail will then take the visitors to the upcoming new nature park.
If you recall, the stream was the subject of some great images in Clementi Forest by photographer Brice Li. The photos went viral last year and it pushed the forest to national stardom.
Old Jurong Line Trail
Image courtesy: NParks.
The other trail is Old Jurong Line Trail. It is named after the historic railway track run by the Malaysian rail operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM).
It is expected to be completed in stages from 2024.
Route: The 4km-long trail will have access points from Clementi Road and the Rail Corridor.
Details: Here, visitors can enjoy the heritage elements like old tunnels, bridges. At the same time, also minimise the ecological impact in the area.
It needs to be mentioned here that with many people going off-trail in Clementi Forest, the endangered species of orchids in this forest area can be trampled on by accident.
Currently, the Clementi Forest is not intended for any recreational purposes. So, the trees are not well maintained. It will thus pose a risk to visitors. So, there is a need to create designated nature trails at Clementi Forest.
The Old Jurong Nature trail will be part of the 62km Coast-to-Coast Southern Trail. It will extend from Changi Beach to Tuas. Note, the Coast-to-Coast Southern Trail is the longest cross-island trail to date.
There will also be a 3km long Jurong Town Hall Park Connector. So, taken together with the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail, it will be a 7km recreational route connecting the Rail Corridor to Jurong Lake Gardens.
Impact Of Green Network On Wildlife
The new green network will provide people living on the island with more opportunities. They will be able to experience nature and culture in a safe way that will not harm wildlife.
Last year after the photos of the Clementi Forest went viral, people started exploring it on their own. However, the authorities had to soon issue a statement advising people against doing so. That’s because the site was unmanaged and any tree fall incidents and the unpaved trails could pose a risk to the hikers.
Due to the influx of people to the Clementi Forest, wildlife too was affected.
The two new trails will thus include wildlife moving between Singapore’s fragmented forest plots. NParks further shared that it will set up a Friends of Clementi Nature Corridor volunteer group. This will help the public to manage the trails and also enhance the natural habitats along them.
News source: Facebook
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