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Botanic
Gardens Rainforest Trail 6ha of primary rainforest just minutes from Orchard Road! A fabulously easy introduction to a rainforest! Right in the heart of the city, within minutes of Orchard Road, this is the oldest remnant of rainforest in Singapore! The 1889 Gardens’ catalogue gave the following description of the Gardens’ Rain Forest ‘With one or two exceptions, this is the only piece of original jungle left on the island…. It gives the visitors some idea of the wonderful richness of tropical vegetation.’ This is still true today! More than 50% of the species in this patch of rainforest represent plants that are rare in Singapore. Short and easy trails bring you amongst rare forest giants which still shelter birds and other wildlife. Among the highlights are tall rainforest trees (about 40m), some so tall that lightning conductors had to be installed on them for protection. They include a good representation of Singapore’s original timber trees. My favourites are the enormous strangling fig and giant hanging rattan! An observant visitor might be rewarded with sights of forest birds, playful squirrels and brightly coloured butterflies. After the walk, enjoy refreshments at the cafe. Let a guide really show you the forest! Going on a tour with a volunteer guide is the best way to see and learn more about this special forest. There are free monthly guided walks of the Botanics Rainforest Trail in English, Mandarin and Japanese. More details on the Singapore Botanic Gardens website. History of Botanic Gardens Rainforest The Rain Forest is a national treasure, not only because of its rich biodiversity but also because its historic records stretch back to the last century when Ridley collected herbarium specimens from it. The rain forest is part of the original site of the Botanic Gardens founded in 1859 and it was recorded then as primaeval forest and covered 11 acres (4.45 ha). Burkill's statement in 1918 that "The eye of Sir Stamford Raffles...saw forest where we see it still" remains true today. Apart from a reduction in size as the Gardens' developed (such as the siting of the collection of tropical shade palms beneath its canopy), it has persisted with minor disturbance until present when it now measures 4-ha in extent. The Rainforest boasts forest giants of a size rarely seen now in lowland mixed dipterocarp forest of Peninsular Malaysia, which have been subject to timber extraction, or in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore, where many of the large trees were cut down during the Japanese occupation--from a paper by Ruth Kiew and Lena Chan more about the history of the Botanic Gardens on the Singapore Botanic Gardens website There are also free guided tours of other parts of the Botanic Gardens. More details on the Singapore Botanic Gardens website. |
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