The beginning of the Dover Forest transformation 

In October 2022, there were news releases/coverage on the upcoming development of Dover Forest on Straits Times (ST) and Channel News Asia (CNA) news. There would be around 3,000 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to be built in the eastern half of Dover Forest. This project was launched in November 2023, groundwork has now begun with boards coming up, fencing up around the Dover Forest West in January 2023, the beginning of Dover Forest transformation has begun.

Dover Forest West will soon be cleared for its upcoming BTO flats development, it’s the beginning of the Dover Forest transformation. 

Exploring Dover Forest with the Canon EOS R10

Before I went I went on a guided tour led by Chua Chin Tat to explore Dover Forest in October 2022 with the Canon EOS R10 that I had for review at the time. I was continuing on from my earlier documentation of Dover Forest with the Canon EOS R7 camera in August 2022. 

Chin Tat had been a strong advocate to preserve, protect, conserve and document Dover Forest. When I went for the guided tour led by Chin Tat, I learnt more about the history, nature and wildlife of Dover Forest. This may not be a big green space, however it has grown and transformed into a green space for wildlife, it’s also a green belt in our heavily built-up urban landscapes. 

Inside Dover Forest, we can spot former remnants of a kampung (a.k.a. village) that used to be there. In the very near future, they will be gone forever from our physical environment, maybe we can view them in a digital environment. 

If you take into consideration that Dover Forest is a secondary forest, that is not too big land size, tucked in between some pretty heavy built-up urban housing, schools and transport nodes. The forest, the tall trees, canopy, and wildlife residing in Dover Forest, is quite rich and diverse. 

Here’s a bird’s eye view of Dover Forest, some folks have commented that this looks like Central Park in New York City. What would this view be like when the BTO project is completed?  

Dover Forest Exploration and Documentation Collection

More photographs of my Dover Forest exploration and documentation collection can be found inside my Flickr album – Dover Forest/Clementi Nature Trail. 

In the coming years as part of Dover Forest transformed into a public housing estate, I would continue to document and update the changes of both public housing landscape (Dover Forest West) and the other remaining green belt (Dover Forest East) and the Clementi Nature Trail. 

Balancing a country’s growth and national development versus protecting and preserving green nature spaces in Singapore can be a very delicate and tricky situation for people on both sides of development/growth and preservation/conservation. 

Just another of my ongoing small and humble efforts to photograph and document old places and changing/disappearing landscapes in Singapore with my visual stories, photographs and videos. My humble Dover Forest exploration and documentation collection, I hope my works can play a small role and contribution, and I would continue to photograph and document, whenever I am able to.

If you like to know and understand more about Dover Forest, please visit https://doverforest.sg that is created and maintained by Chua Chin Tat. 

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R10 Explorer Series Production * 

The post Dover Forest – An Exploration and Documentation appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

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

The post Exploration of Old Jurong Line Nature Trail with Canon EOS R7 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.