Bukit Batok Hillside Park

Lesson for conserving BBHP forests

Dragonfly, possibly uncommon

BBHP1, 22 April 2024, 8.45 am

Property agents are now targeting BTO flats surrounding Bukit Batok hillside park to make a “killing” (pun unintended).

🏠 What’s your home worth?

Bukit Batok hillside park hike, 27 February 2024

Seen:
Plantain squirrel
Butterflies
Ants
Spiders
Bee-eater
Cricket

Heard:
Asian koel
Lineated barbet

Notes:
A few large trees have fallen, blocking the forest trails.
For example, I wasn’t able to access the “Torii gate” via the usual trail and had to backtrack because a large fallen tree had blocked the path leading to the walkway.

BBHP stream 1 hike, 9 February 2024

Seen:
- dragonflies such as treehugger
- plantain squirrel
- sailor butterfly
- cricket

Heard:
- Gunther's frogs

Bare soil on hill slope at West Hill BTO construction site seen uncovered this afternoon (12 January 2024) around 2.14 pm

A yellow-vented bulbul was seen flying around the shrubs on the hillside.

Common Asian toad

A carcass found on the road at Bukit Batok West Edge yesterday (11 January 2024) around 6 pm, diagonally opposite Bukit Batok hillside park

The sighting has been reported to Herpetological Society of Singapore.

Land use changes at BBHP Hill 1

BBHP Hill 1 view of BTO construction site from West Scape, 7 December 2022

Fallen tree at Bukit Batok hillside park (Hill 2)

My report via Life SG:

“Fallen tree along edge of forest near junction opposite Bukit Batok civil service club. Probably due to heavy rain yesterday and edge effects of habitat fragmentation. This forest must be protected in view of the EIA conducted along Bukit Batok nature corridor. Critically endangered straw-headed bulbuls have been found along this ecological corridor, as well as hill mynahs, who are one of the indicator species mentioned in NParks’ ecological profiling exercise.”

Sighting of dead toad diagonally opposite Bukit Batok hillside park, 18 October 2023

The sighting has reported to Herpetological Society of Singapore for their records.

Wildlife deserve as much care as we do.

28 August 2023, 2.55 pm to 3.34 pm

“A hike in Bukit Batok Hillside Park is no walk in the park. Dangers abound inside the forest. We came out alive, but not without leaving behind some parts of ourselves – a scraped skin here and a pricked finger there.”

Bukit Batok Hillside Park – Hiking the Green Isle Bukit Batok Hillside Park Posted On 20 June 2022 We were feeling a tiny bit adventurous one lazy Saturday afternoon and decided to go explore the Bukit Batok Hillside Park. Having read about this hidden park in the news, our curiosity was piqued especially when we heard that inside the park lie the....

Familiar and unfamiliar critters

BBHP, 19 May 2023

Butterfly sighting, 18 May 2023

Bukit Batok hillside park (BBHP) hike, 18 May 2023

After many trees were felled at West Glade BTO construction site, there appeared more mosquitoes buzzing around BBHP.

After all, the spiders, geckos and dragonflies have lost their habitats, and are no longer around to control the mosquito population.

The sun along the foot of the deforested hill slope felt scorching hot, as there were no more trees to provide shade and cooling effect.

In the forest, more trees have fallen down (possibly due to edge effects) and blocked existing trails.

Also, there was unsightly litter around some gazebos, which was left behind by inconsiderate visitors.

Change.org/bukitbatokhillsidepark

From a Facebook comment:

”my house here bukit batok west avenue 5 also same. The hillside park they cut down already . The heat is very terrible . 😞”

https://www.facebook.com/129011692114/posts/10159203432707115/?mibextid=cr9u03

Temperature soars to 36.2 deg C in Choa Chu Kang, a record high for 2023 The previous highest temperature reported for 2023 was 36.1 deg C in Admiralty on April 14. Read more at straitstimes.com.

What is so special about Bukit Batok hillside park forests that we should conserve them?

The petitions to save Bukit Batok hillside park area and Tengah forest from housing development are based on the following premise, as well as the need for climate resilience and health protection.

“The site in Bukit Batok Hillside Park is an important node for wildlife to travel between Tengah and Bukit Batok, said MND and HDB.”

https://www.facebook.com/129011692114/posts/10159137357672115/?mibextid=cr9u03

Bukit Batok BTO site lapses due to challenging terrain conditions, supply issues: MND, HDB PUB had discovered breaches in measures to contain and treat water containing silt, mud, rocks and sand before being discharged into drains. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Dead toad sighting, 23 March 2023, 12.50 pm

Pavement along Bukit Batok West Avenue 2 between bus stop and civil service club, opposite BBHP Hill 2

Reported the case to Herpetological society of Singapore.

“ST quoted Mr Muhammad Nasry Abdul Nasir, executive director of volunteer group Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity, saying that the years-long process of conducting environmental impact assessments and consultations is pointless if recommended mitigation measures are not adhered to.

He said: “What that means for biodiversity is fairly straightforward: It’s almost as if the assessment was never done in the first place.

“In this case, the infractions can affect humans as well, as not covering bare earth leads to both stagnant bodies of water where mosquitoes can breed and contributes to even more erosion of the hilly area, which can destabilise the soil and lead to mudslides.””

https://www.facebook.com/14440041382/posts/10160914647241383/?mibextid=cr9u03

PUB orders stop to clearance work at Bukit Batok BTO project after environmental violations - The Online Citizen Asia Singapore's national water agency PUB has halted clearance work at a Built-To-Order (BTO) project in Bukit Batok Hillside Park after the contractor was found to have flouted environmental regulations. The contractor was ordered to stop site clearance work and construct proper cut-off drains with sil...

Dollarbird, a forest-dependent bird, seen for the first time at BBHP Hill 1

26 March 2023, 2 pm

Aerial view of Bukit Batok hillside park area, 25 March 2023

Clearing a patch of forest at BBHP hill 1 not only disrupts ecological connectivity, but also lessens the cooling ability to alleviate urban heat island effect.

Nationally vulnerable long-tailed parakeet seen at Bukit Batok hillside park area yesterday

The parakeet perched atop a tall tree at Bukit Batok central nature park before it flew over Bukit Batok hillside park (Hill 1) towards Tengah forest.

Several other parakeets were also seen at Bukit Batok hillside park (Hill 2), which may serve as their nesting ground.

Save the forests:
Change.org/bukitbatokhillsidepark
Change.org/tengahforest