Speech by SMS Desmond Lee at the Opening of Phase 1 of Chestnut Nature Park
Apr 2, 2016
Good morning.
It is my pleasure to join you here today at the opening of the Chestnut Nature Park.
Today, we are opening 17 hectares of the Park, comprising the southern portion. This is Phase One.
We can look forward to enjoying the full Chestnut Nature Park, all 81 hectares of it, when the second phase is completed by the end of this year.
Biodiversity at Chestnut Nature Park (South)
Like our other five nature parks, Chestnut Nature Park brims with flora and fauna and a diverse species of birds.
NParks has carefully reforested this park and enhanced the natural habitats by planting native tree species.
Just now, I planted the Braided Chestnut tree, and I am told the seeds are edible – though not as delicious as the usual chestnuts!
More importantly, these native tree species will attract more birds, insects and butterflies and allow them to thrive.
You can find attractive bird species such as the Banded Woodpecker and Little Spiderhunter, which are usually only found in forested areas.
The Banded Woodpecker is a bird that is often heard with a short, very recognisable screeching call before it is seen.
It is also said that in East Malaysia, some indigenous people consider the Little Spiderhunter a bird of good omen when they are out collecting camphor.
As you explore the park later, do keep your eyes and ears peeled to see if you can spot or hear some of them!
Amenities at Chestnut Nature Park (South)
Located next to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the Chestnut Nature Park is also a green buffer for our nature enthusiasts to enjoy recreational activities, like bird watching, hiking and mountain biking.
This Chestnut Nature Park is unique as it is our first nature park to have the best of both worlds - a mountain biking trail, as well as a separate trail for hikers.
When the northern portion of the Park is completed at the end of the year, the hiking and mountain biking trails would be 5 to 6km each.
This means that families can enjoy the many varied sights and sounds of the park on foot, and our mountain bikers can also tread new ground.
The Chestnut mountain biking trail will bring the total designated mountain biking trails in Singapore to about 30km. These include the Ketam trail at Ubin, Bukit Timah trail, Gangsa trail and Kent Ridge Trail.
I am told that the mountain biking community has plans for events at the Chestnut trail, the first of which will be held on 14 and 15 May.
Consultation with the Community
In 2014, we held an exhibition to gather feedback on what residents of Bukit Panjang, Cashew and Zhenghua wanted to see in Chestnut Nature Park.
We have taken many of their suggestions on board. This includes having adequate shelters and comprehensive map boards, as well as biking and hiking trails.
In a few more months, you will also see a kiosk where you can rent a bike or buy some snacks and drinks.
A number of mountain bikers had also tested out the mountain biking trail a few weeks ago and gave us valuable inputs on how to tweak it.
I believe the rides are now challenging enough for those who relish a thrilling and safe mountain biking adventure. I hope you have an enjoyable ride later.
Launch of Friends of the Parks Scheme
As you can see from Chestnut Nature Park, the community can play a big part in conceptualising, designing and stewarding our parks and green spaces.
To tap on the community’s enthusiasm, I would like to announce a new NParks initiative, called the Friends of the Parks scheme.
The idea behind the Friends of the Parks scheme was first conceptualised at the SGfuture dialogues in January this year.
I remember meeting many participants who expressed a desire to volunteer their time or play an active role to shape and manage our green spaces.
This scheme will bring together a variety of stakeholders to tap on their diverse expertise and ideas, and better structure our community of regular park users and NParks volunteers to make their efforts more fruitful.
The first Friends of the Park Community will be set up for Chestnut Nature Park, and Mr Sivasothi has agreed to lead our Friends of Chestnut Nature Park.
Mr Sivasothi – also known as Otterman for his fascination and work with otters – has been involved in promoting nature and greenery related activities for a long time. He is also a mountain biking enthusiast!
He will have the help of a community, comprising members from various interest groups such as nature enthusiasts, mountain bikers, hikers, nature photographers, and other regular users of the park.
This really recognises that our green spaces are enjoyed by Singaporeans of a variety of different interests and we hope that by bringing all of you together, there is that common understanding, that common sharing of a shared space, an intermediation of interest, and a livelier programing in our parks.
Together, the members will play a key role in promoting active and responsible use of our park.
The community may propose and organise meaningful activities that they would like to carry out at the park, and suggest ideas such as conservation, recreation and horticultural projects.
Besides Chestnut Nature Park, three other Friends of the Park Communities have been set up.
The Friends of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve will be led by long-time NParks volunteer and avid artist Mr Tham Pui San.
The Friends of Our Park Connector Network will be helmed by Mr Han Jok Kwang, an avid cyclist and park connector advocate.
Over at Pulau Ubin, the Friends of Ubin Network already exists and will continue to operate as it is.
Thank you Sivasothi, Pui San and Jok Kwang for taking this up! For the rest of us, if you are keen to be part of any of our Friends of the Park Communities, please let NParks know. We need your active participation in making our green spaces endearing and fun for all.
Conclusion
I wish everyone an enjoyable morning as you explore this new Chestnut Nature Park. Thank you.