A Guide to Bukit Batok Nature Park Walking Trail · 2014-12-30 · A Guide to Bukit Batok Nature...

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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Meeting Point 3Lorong Sesuai

Meeting Point 1

Bukit Batok East Ave 6

Bukit BatokTransmissionCentre

Plaza Area

Quarry C

liff

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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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