Conservation – Nature and Us

Bukit Batok Hillside Park area: what it used to be, and what we may lose if parts of the forest are destroyed for development

This post is a summary of the open petition letter that I have sent to the authorities on 24 December 2020 regarding the conservation of the entire Bukit Batok Hillside Park (BBHP) area. This area was formerly joined together with its neighbouring forested hill to form a long continuous ridge.

Before 2018, Bukit Batok Hillside Park (BBHP) area used to be a long ridge about 35 ha in size, serving as a continuous ecological corridor. It connects to Tengah forest in the north and the forested hill where Bukit Batok Civil Service Club is located in the southeast. (Source: Google Earth)

In 2018, the ridge was divided into BBHP Hill 1 and Hill 2 by a new road construction along Bukit Batok West Ave 5. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted at BBHP Hill 1 area (shown in the background) in April to June 2018. (This photo was taken on 19 August 2018, showing that the road construction was still going on.)

After the new road was built through the ridge and divided it into two hills in 2018, the present BBHP area (Hill 1) is restricted to 17 ha, and its neighbouring forested hill (Hill 2) comprises about 18 ha. (Source: Google Maps)

View of BBHP Hill 1 from Bukit Batok West Ave 5. This part of the forest may be destroyed if HDB proceeds to build BTO flats here.

View of BBHP Hill 1 from Bukit Batok West Ave 2. This part of the forest will remain intact as it has been designated as BBHNP (8.9 ha) in December 2020. However, the slopes on this side of the hill are mostly steep and not very accessible for many hikers and native ground-moving wildlife such as wild boars (if they wish to move to and from Tengah forest).

View of BBHP Hill 2 (18 ha) from Bukit Batok West Ave 6. As this hill is just next to BBHP Hill 1, we can infer that the forest, shrubland and scrubland here are rich in biodiversity too. From my observations, the flora include Christmas candle shrubs, and the fauna include lineated barbets and oriental whip snakes. Alas, this hill is designated for development, according to URA Master Plan 2019, as shown below.

BBHP Hill 1 is at risk of further forest fragmentation if HDB proceeds to build BTO flats on 2 plots of land in BBHP area. The designated 8.9 ha BBHNP is deemed too small and fragmented to be able to sustain much biodiversity on its own. BBHP Hill 2 (18 ha) is in danger of being totally destroyed for development, thus losing vital ecological connectivity. (Source of base maps: URA and SDP)

Both BBHP Hill 1 and Hill 2 need to be preserved totally to ensure a coherent ecological corridor for our native wildlife. Their dense forests are also needed for alleviating the urban heat island effect. They can provide opportunities for the younger generation to learn about forest biodynamics research, education and conservation. The lower elevation parts of the forested areas can also enable the sick, stressed and elderly to benefit from nature therapy. (Source of base maps: URA and NParks)

In summary, this diagram shows:

(1) What BBHP area used to be before 2018;

(2) What BBHP area has become in 2020;

(3) What BBHP area might be by 2030 if it is not conserved fully.

(Source of base maps: Google Earth, Google Maps, NParks)

An infographical poster on top 5 reasons to conserve BBHP area fully

For more details on why we should conserve Bukit Batok Hillside Park area and its neighbouring forested hill (i.e. BBHP Hill 1 and Hill 2), please refer to the open petition letter here.

Briefing on the horseshoe crab rescue and research programme. Here, the speaker demonstrates some ways of handling a horseshoe crab gently.

The horseshoe crab rescue and research programme at Mandai mudflats was organised by the Nature Society of Singapore. According to Mr Tan Hang Chong, who introduced himself as the honorary assistant secretary of the society, this programme is part of a bigger research study for IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Volunteers started to comb the mudflats for horseshow crabs — Volunteers started to comb the mudflats for horseshoe crabs

One of the purposes of the programme is to keep track of the horseshoe crab population in this area, which is a wintry feeding ground for migratory shorebirds.

The volunteers would find and collect horseshoe crabs in pails for identification and measurement before releasing them back into the wild.

The volunteers include students from Ngee Ann polytechnic, Raffles Junior College and youth.sg — The volunteers include students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Raffles Junior College and youth.sg.

This area may be developed in future, so the research study may be used to advocate nature conservation in this area.

Mandai mudflats stretch across Kranji area in the northwestern coast of Singapore.

The second purpose of the programme is to rescue any horseshoe crab trapped in fishing nets.

This is the collection point where the horseshoe crabs are identified, measured, marked and recorded for research studies.

The horseshoe crabs are temporarily placed in a container before they are released back into the mangrove habitat.

The third purpose is to collect man-made litter on the mudflats and dispose them properly at a nearby garbage collection point. Such litter includes discarded drink packets, electric plugs, soles of shoes, plastic bags, drink straws, etc).

The man-made litter on the mudflats include discarded drink straws, disused electric plugs and soles of shoes.

Collecting the beach litter in a plastic bag for proper disposal

The beach litter is properly disposed at a nearby garbage disposal point near the mudflats, where it will presumably be collected by garbage trucks.

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”

~ Helen Keller