 EXPLORE•EXPRESS•ACT! |
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lower
peirce trail introduction | guided
walk
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Lower
Peirce Trail 900m wooden boardwalk through secondary forest and skirting the reservoir This 900m boardwalk through the Central Nature Reserve brings you through one of Singapore's last remaining mature secondary forests. It takes about half an hour to walk this easy trail. A primary rainforest in the making In this 2,000ha forest, many of the trees may be more than 100 years old. These trees were once cleared for rubber plantations in the 1930s. Over the years, natural regeneration resulted in some of the original forest species recolonising the forest. If left undisturbed, it will eventually become a primary rainforest again. The Lower Peirce Trail comprises boardwalks that take you through the forest then along the edge of the Reservoir. So you will encounter a wide range of wildlife from forest to aquatic creatures. And enjoy wonderful panaromas of waters surrounding by luxuriant forest. Shaded by the forest, the walk is pleasantly cool. It is suitable for even young children. Wondrous creatures and features The forest is home to more than 840 flowering plants, 100 ferns and 250 animal species. These included endangered animals such as the Lesser mousedeer, Malayan pangolin (Scaly anteater) and the Flying lemur (Colugo). Other commonly encountered creatures include the Clouded monitor lizard, squirrels and the Long-tail macaque (monkey). Delightful surprises include the Twin-barred tree snake. Forest birds include the Drongo, babblers, barbets, cuckoos, flowerpeckers and sunbirds. The White-bellied fish eagle can sometimes also be seen flying over the Reservoir from the Trail, while kingfishers call nearby. Amazing plants that you will encounter include pitcher plants, Macaranga or the Ant-plant and Nibong palms. Along the water's edge, kids love to watch the antics of dragonflies and pond-skaters. Butterflies and other small creatures also abound in the colourful wild vegetation that crowd the water's edge. There are lots of informative signboards along the boardwalk that tell you more about the flora and fauna of this forest. Let a guide really show you the trail! Going on a tour with a volunteer guide is the best way to see and learn more about this special trail. There is a free monthly guided walk of the Lower Peirce boardwalk. History of Peirce Reservoir Originally named the Kalang River Reservoir, it is Singapore's second reservoir. After it was constructed in the lower reaches of the Kalang River in 1910, the surrounding forest was protected as a water catchment reserve. Much of the northern shore of Upper Peirce used to be thriving gambier and pepper plantations in the late 19th century. In 1922, the Kalang River Reservoir was renamed Peirce Reservoir after Mr Robert Peirce, the municipal engineer of Singapore in 1901-1916. In 1975, a dam was constructed at the upper reaches of the Peirce Reservoir, forming the Upper Peirce and Lower Peirce reservoirs. |
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Links
Media articles about Lower Peirce Reservoir
Field
guides and references
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Need
to arrange
a nature event? Subaraj Rajathurai nature guide Joseph Lai nature guide Creative Kids family groups field trips for schools Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research workshops for schools Green Volunteers Network nature walks Nature Society nature walks |