Friday, May 10, 2013

Singapore's Nature Reserves & Other Nature Spots

I often get blog comments or emails from readers telling me that they have found my blog posts on the nature reserves useful, as they can find out what to expect and what to prepare for their nature trips. Hence, I decided to blog about more of our nature spots as and when I have the time. This page will serve as a content page for the nature spots that I have blogged about so far.



Nature Reserves in Singapore

1. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
 
Established in 1883, this is the oldest nature reserve in Singapore. The 163-hectare reserve has the country's highest hill - Bukit Timah - at 163.63m. The forest has very rich biodiversity, with more than 840 flowering plants and over 240 species of vertebrates.
 
2. Central Catchment Nature Reserve
 
At 3,043 hectares, this is Singapore's biggest nature reserve. Established in 1951, it is covered mostly by secondary forest, with only about 154 hectares of small primary dryland forest patches, and 87 hectares of primary freshwater swamp forest.
 
3. Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
 
This reserve covers an area of 130 hectares, comprising mangrove forests, freshwater marshes, and secondary forests. It was officially gazetted as a nature reserve on 1 Jan 2002 for its importance as a stop-over point for migratory birds and its rich mangrove biodiversity.
 
4. Labrador Nature Reserve
 
Otherwise known as Labrador Park, this 10-heactare reserve has a secondary forest and one of the few rocky shores and sea-cliffs on the mainland. It was re-gazetted as a nature reserve in 2002 after calls from the public to preserve the area's rich history and nature.
 



Other Nature Spots in Singapore

1. Semakau Landfill
 
Semakau Landfill is Singapore's only landfill in use, and is also the world's first offshore landfill created entirely from the sea from linking two islands. This island, however, still has a natural seashore, with a wide variety of marine animals which can be seen during low spring tide.
 
2. Chek Jawa Wetlands
 

Chek Jawa Wetlands is a 100-hectare protected nature area managed by the National Parks Board of Singapore. It is located at Tanjong Chek Jawa at the eastern coast of Pulau Ubin, an island which can be accessed by bumboats from Changi Point Ferry Terminal.
 
3. Sensory Trail
 

The Sensory Trail is a 1.5km nature trail on Pulau Ubin. Initially developed for the visually-handicapped but now open for all to enjoy, this trail allows visitors to see, touch, smell, and taste some of the plants along the trail, and also listen to animal and bird calls.
 
4. Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk
 

The Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk is located in a 6-hectare mangrove forest in Pasir Ris Park, a park managed by NParks in the northeastern part of Singapore. In Malay, "Pasir" means "beach", while "Ris" means "bolt-rope", refering to the long and narrow beach there.
 
5. Berlayer Creek & Bukit Chermin Boardwalk
 


Officially opened on 2 January 2012, the Berlayer Creek and Bukit Chermin Boardwalk runs for about 960m along the 5.6-hectare Berlayer Creek, home to one of the few natural riverine mangrove forests left in Singapore, before it winds towards Keppel Island.
 
More nature spots to be updated here soon! Do visited this space again!

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