Come 2028, nature enthusiasts will have more locations to enjoy the outdoors.

The new Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park, located roughly 3km east of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, is one such place, offering elevated views of the wetland and coastal trails that include bird hides for wildlife observation.

There's also Bukit Batok Nature Corridor — consisting of nature parks and trails between Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the future Tengah Forest Corridor — which will see enhancements to the existing Bukit Batok Nature Park and Bukit Batok Town Park, as well as the upcoming Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Park.

The proposed enhancements and works on upcoming parks, announced by the National Parks Board (NParks) on Wednesday (Jan 22), are set to start by 2026 and will be completed progressively from 2028.

What to expect

NParks announced in 2018 that Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat, one of the richest wetlands in Singapore, would be conserved as a nature park.

Spanning approximately 72.8ha, the park will form part of the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network, alongside the Wetland Reserve and other core habitats such as Kranji Marshes and Jalan Gemala.

This network safeguards a variety of wetland habitats, including mangroves, mudflats and freshwater marshes, strengthening the conservation of wetland biodiversity in the northern part of Singapore, said NParks.

The Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park will have two nodes.

The Sungei Pang Sua node will offer visitors an elevated view of the wetland via an observation tower, while the Sungei Kranji node will allow visitors to have a look towards Kranji Reservoir Park and its sand bar.

Both nodes will have educational and interpretive signage and a coach drop-off point.

Coastal trails will link both nodes and will feature bird hides for visitors to observe wildlife along the trails.

These amenities will be strategically located so visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the migratory birds on the expansive mudflat without disturbing them.

Bukit Batok Nature Corridor was announced in December 2020 and comprises more than 125ha of nature parks and a 10km trail. 

Nature parks and trails within this nature corridor will support the movement of wildlife, leading to healthier biodiversity populations, NParks said.

The existing trails and amenities at Bukit Batok Nature Park will be refreshed, with improved connectivity to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

A new designated drop-off point and shelter at the carpark will be the entrance into the nature park.

Something that families with children can look forward to are a new play area and exercise plazas.

Over at Bukit Batok Town Park, there will be a new arrival node, for visitors planning on entering from Bukit Batok Avenue 5.

Other proposed enhancements include sprucing up of existing trails to improve the recreational experience for visitors.

Apart from these enhancements, there is also the new Bukit Batok Hillside Nature Park.

Located on a former park and not currently open to the public, the site will be redeveloped as a nature park, featuring a new arrival node and trails.

NParks plans to enhance the existing stream within the park to enable proper drainage and to prevent erosion of the stream's banks.

This will also allow visitors to get closer to and learn more about the ecology of the stream, NParks added.

amierul@asiaone.com

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