Singapore’s Park Connector Network (PCN)

Singapore’s Park Connector Network (PCN) is one of the best developments that has taken place over the years, and they are still enhancing as Singapore strives towards a City in Nature by 2035. The PCN is Singapore’s island-wide network of linear green corridors linking and connecting major parks and natures across Singapore. They provide a wide variety of recreational, outdoors, nature, therapeutic and exercising opportunities for fitness, outdoors enthusiasts, as well as for our international visitors to visit the PCN and explore local heartlands, parks and nature areas of Singapore.

Do visit NParks Park Connector Network website – https://pcn.nparks.gov.sg/ for more information and updates!

Completion of the 18km Eastern Corridor 

On 17th February 2024, NParks announced the completion of the 18km Eastern Corridor, offering additional recreational connectivity between Pasir Ris Park and East Coast Park via Bedok Reservoir Park. The Eastern Corridor has been progressively opened since 2021 after it was first announced, allowing members of the public to enjoy walking and cycling along sections of the Eastern Corridor as soon as they were ready. 

For the public who would like an alternative route to travel between Pasir Ris Park and East Coast Park, the completion of the Eastern Corridor offers this alternative travel, linking parks in the east that presents a variety of nature-based recreational experiences for visitors to the parks. Some of them include bird watching/bird photography at Tampines Eco Green, therapeutic experiences at Sun Plaza Park, and sports activities at East Coast Park.

Half of the Eastern Corridor route is located among waterways, including those enhanced under national water agency PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme, such as the Sungei Tampines and Sungei Bedok. They offer visitors to the parks a scenic cycling and walking experience along beautiful water landscapes in the east. 

The Eastern Corridor also features the new 600m Bedok Park Connector (Eastern Bank), and the recently completed park connectors along Tampines Ave 9 and Tampines Ave 10, totalling over a distance of 3.2km. Through the use of multi-tiered landscaping along those park connectors, NParks enhances greenery and attracts biodiversity along the Eastern Corridor route and in the area. 

I do visit Pasr Ris Park a number of times for wildlife/bird photography (especially during low tide days), sunset photography and nature therapy. I have yet to revisit Tampines Eco Green since my last visit a few years back, as it was going through upgrades and enhancements as part of the Eastern Corridor route. I would revisit again to check out the wildlife/bird photography in the area, and explore part of the Eastern Corridor route. 

Upcoming enhancements to the eastern half of Round Island Route (RIR) 

The eastern half of the RIR was opened in January 2022, stretching over 75km, making it Singapore’s longest recreational connection, encircling Singapore in the east, from Rower’s Bay Park in the north-east to, Changi Beach Park, East Coast Park and past the Singapore River towards Berlayer Creek (Labrador Nature Park) in the south.

NParks will be enhancing the recreational experience along the eastern half of the RIR, they will be introducing way finding such as map boards and directional signage to allow for better navigation and improved user experience, and multi-tiered landscaping to provide shade and greenery. 

NParks will also be introducing marine habitats through the installation of marine tiles to attract biodiversity along the route. They will be progressively introduced at key points along the eastern half of the RIR. NParks is also planning three new cycling bridges at Changi Beach Park and East Coast Park to improve the experience for visitors to the parks.

Explore Singapore via island-wide recreational connectivity PCN

Visitors (both local and international) to the parks are able to explore Singapore via island-wide recreational connectivity PCN, this will not only bring the community closer to greenery, enabling them to benefit from the positive effects of nature on their health and well-being, they will also connect communities and bring about a sense of space many times beyond Singapore’s small island city-state. 

These are part of NParks’ overall plans to curate a 360km island-wide network of recreational routes by 2035, as Singapore transforms into a City in Nature. 

I have been exploring, documenting and photographing Singapore’s nature areas and parks, together with Singapore’s wildlife and bird photography, using the PCN, I am going to spend more time sharing my travelling experiences on the PCN between parks or nature areas in Singapore, with the local community, as well as with my friends from around the world when they plan to visit Singapore. 

* Information courtesy of NParks *

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I am playing my small part for WWD 2024 through my visual storytelling with Canon EOS R series camera, for this year’s series, they were shot with my Canon EOS R6 Mark II of my wildlife and nature/outdoors photography in Singapore, part of my TGH Explorer Series Production, largely inspired and influenced by National Geographic magazine publications when I started reading them in the late 80s to early 90s. 

How does digital innovation and technology plays a role in my WWD 2024? While I am not in the fields of wildlife research and conservation, I contributed via my photographs and documentations of various wildlife spotted and documented at different locations in Singapore in the nature areas as well as urban environments, bird watching/counting. Although I am probably more focused on bird photography and green nature spaces, I am going to document/photograph more of different types of wildlife beyond birds.

Here are some of my wildlife photography in Singapore that I captured with my Canon EOS R6 Mark II camera from mid 2023 till date. 

Here are my ongoing documentation and collection of my visual storytelling on wildlife photography and nature reserves/parks in Singapore, uploaded into my Flickr collections over the years with my different Canon cameras that I owned/tested.

Even though you might not be in the fields of wildlife and/or nature research/conservation, we can still play our small part in wildlife and nature conservation, with the help of cameras and digital innovation. I am continuing to play my small part on nature and wildlife photography/documentation in Singapore, and hopefully nearby regions as I am exploring and writing on the areas of sustainability, adding on to my nature and wildlife conservation. 

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The Old Jurong KTM Railway Line stretched from Jurong Industrial Estate to Teban Gardens, connecting to Faber Drive, then Clementi/Sunset Way via the iconic railway bridge across Sungei Ulu Pandan, into Maju Forest, followed by the railway tunnel below Clementi Road, connecting across to Clementi Forest and eventually connecting with the Old KTM Railway Line near Old Bukit Timah KTM Railway Station that travels from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands via Bukit Timah.

While the Old Jurong KTM Railway Line has less publicity and limelight since this route was a train freight transport route and not a passenger transport route, this sector stopped its train services in the late 80s, this area had been quiet since then, till the Old KTM Railway Line land area was returned back to Singapore in 2011 and they returned back into the limelight.

Jurong Town Hall Road Park Connector

A new Jurong Town Hall Road Park Connector Network (PCN) would connect Jurong Lake Gardens to Old Jurong Line Nature Trail along Jurong Town Hall Road. Based on the map provided by NParks in the CNA and ST news article, Jurong Town Hall Road PCN connects to the start point of the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail at the junction of Jurong Town Hall Road and Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), part of the original Old KTM Jurong Railway Line route. 

Old Jurong Line Nature Trail

This segment is probably one of my earliest photography documentation that I started on green spaces, history, heritage and old places in Singapore. With the Canon EOS R7 that I was reviewing, I continued on photographing and documenting with this new Canon APS-C mirrorless camera, bringing it out for my exploration projects.

From the railway bridge at Sungei Ulu Pandan along AYE, the former Old KTM Jurong Railway line travels along Faber Drive towards Clementi Avenue 6 and Clementi Avenue 4, connecting to the Old Jurong Line railway bridge towards Sunset Way, continuing on towards the Maju Forest via another small old railway bridge, followed by the Old KTM Jurong Railway Line Train Tunnel below Clementi Road, connecting across to Clementi Forest and eventually connecting to the Rail Corridor.

I would be very interested to see how this Old Jurong Line Nature Trail would eventually turns out when it’s completed. Based on the map provided by NParks in the CNA and ST news article, the route follows along the original former Old KTM Jurong Line that runs through private and public housing estates. 

The Sungei Ulu Pandan PCN runs parallel along the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail, they would fit in nicely together with the upcoming Old Jurong Line Nature Trail. I would continue to document and provide updates whenever I am able to.

Clementi Forest Nature Trail / Dover Forest 

The Clementi Forest is part of the Green Corridor sector, the Dover Forest sector is closely connected to the Green Corridor due to its location and connectivity. They were also in the news together with the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail announcement by NParks in years 2021 and 2022. The Clementi Forest Stream was also in the media limelight recently with nature surveys being conducted.

The Dover Forest sector that forms part of the Clementi Forest Nature Trail via the Ulu Pandan Park Connector, linking up with the new nature park in Ulu Pandan West. Also in the news, a segment of the Dover Forest would be used for public housing project. This sector has also generated significant interest in recent years. 

I would be writing more about the Clementi Forest Nature Trail and Dover Forest sectors in another article that I documented and photographed using the Canon EOS R7 camera.

Photography Collection

Over the years of photographing the Green Corridor/Rail Corridor and Old KTM Jurong Line, I have a collection of photo albums on Flickr, titled “The Green Corridor”. I have also decided to reorganise my previous, recent and upcoming documentation photos into a new consolidated photo album titled, “Old Jurong Line Nature Trail”

Continuing My Ongoing Documentation

I would still be continuing my ongoing documentation of the upcoming Old Jurong Line Nature Trail, Clementi Forest Nature Trail and the Green Corridor. Do keep a lookout for my articles and photographs that I would be sharing down the road, updates, developments and changes as the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail and Clementi Forest Nature Trail undergo changes to become a part of Singapore’s park extensive PCN.

Singapore’s park connector networks (PCN) is a hugely underrated project by our Singapore Government, connecting our various nature parks, rivers, parks, green areas in a network that can be easily accessible by walking, cycling, running and public transport. The PCN network would be on my list of travel, landscapes, nature and wildlife photography and sharing in my future articles. 

 A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R7 Explorer Series Production

Official news sources: 

July 2021 – NParks announces the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail as part of the 18km green recreational network within the new Clementi Nature Corridor

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparks-corporate/news/2021/7/nparks-announces-the-old-jurong-line-nature-trail-as-part-of-the-18-km-green-recreational-network-within-the-new-clementi-nature-corridor 

August 2022 – Clementi Forest Nature Trail to be enhanced, public helps with nature survey  

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/clementi-forest-nature-trail-to-be-enhanced-public-helps-with-nature-survey

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#InvestInOurPlanet

If we do not Invest in Our Planet, if we do not start to take action, the world will lose our home and only home because we all live on this planet. 

Who doesn’t want a healthy and comfortable home to live in? 

#WhatWillYouDo 

What can you do for Earth Day and what will you do? Earth Day website has a list of excellent recommendations on what you can do!

Some of the things that you can do 

• Use less plastic
• Visit nature and outdoors, take photos of your beautiful landscapes and horizon
• Bring your own reusable water bottle
• Recycle, Up-cycle
• Share your photos and stories

We can all make a difference 

Every individual on earth can play a part, no matter how big or small. Through our civic actions, making our voices heard, spreading the word on climate change, sustainability, eco-friendly measures. 

Not just today on 22nd April, we can continue investing in our planet on a daily basis, making a difference to the world today and for the future.

Photographing Singapore outdoors/nature/green areas/wildlife

With my Canon photography gear and my trusted f-stop gear backpack, going into nature and green areas, enjoying the outdoors, fresh air, it was very therapeutic for me, photographing  nature, green areas and wildlife. 

When I was testing and reviewing the Canon EOS R3 recently, revisiting the outdoors, nature and green areas in Singapore, observing the close proximity of our nature/green areas, urban areas and wildlife living together.

We need to together Invest In Our Planet, I will continue to play my part with my photography and writing. 

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R3 Explorer Series Production * 

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I have been always interested in bird photography although I don’t show as much or share as much on bird photography as compared to my other photography genres. Looking back at my articles coverage, I realised I haven’t done enough on bird photography, even though I am interested in nature and wildlife photography. 

Singapore, while it’s a small country by land size, she’s like a transit hub/resting point for migratory birds during the Northern Hemisphere winter season. Our bird migratory season starts around October to March. During this period, bird photographers, avian and wildlife fans would love this period of time to view and watch migrant birds transiting here in Singapore for refuel and rest before they continue their journey southwards. 

Moving forward from World Migratory Bird Day 2021, I would take time to write more about my bird photography adventures and coverage, starting off from my home country, Singapore. I am planning to introduce the nature areas/places to visit in Singapore for bird photography and photos of birds that visit those nature areas/places such as Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

I cannot call myself an expert on birds, I do have some knowledge and understanding of the birds in general. As I share more bird photographs and the environments in my articles, I hope to improve on my knowledge and understanding of the birds and my natural environment as well.

Do visit my Birds in Singapore album on Flickr, forming part on my wildlife photography collection on Flickr. When it’s safe to travel overseas again, I would love to have some travel trips dedicated to wildlife and bird photography in different continents around the world and adding them to my wildlife photography collection. 

For all bird photography and wildlife photography lovers out there, let’s continue to play our part. Photographing birds is just like Sing Fly, Soar like a Bird, free and flying high up in the sky. 

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Having a passion for the outdoors, nature, wildlife and travel, I would like to help spread the theme for Earth Day 2021. Everyone of us can play a part, to make a difference in the world we are living in today and for our future generations. 

As we mark Earth Day 2021, I am sharing my wildlife and nature photographs that I shot in Singapore over the years with more recent photographs that I shot in the first quarter of 2021 and last year 2020. Although Singapore is a small country by land size, we do have an abundance of nature and wildlife among us here in Singapore, co-existing and living together. 

More photographs of the wildlife and nature areas that I photographed and documented in Singapore can be viewed inside my Flickr photography collections, shot with various Canon cameras that I owned, the Canon EOS RP, or reviewed, the Canon EOS R5, EOS R6 and EOS M6 Mark II, part of my Canon Explorer Series Production.  

It’s a delicate balance between preserving and protecting our nature and wildlife versus a country’s economic development and growth. Not just preserving and protecting, let’s reduce wastage of resources and up our game on recycling and upcycling. 

Not just today on 22nd April 2021 for Earth Day 2021, let’s all begin to mark the start of a new era whereby we restore our Earth, making a difference to the world that we live in, transforming it to become an even better home for the world to live in. 

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