Growing number of hikers at Clementi Forest puts 2 rare orchid species at risk

National Parks Board National Biodiversity Centre deputy director Lua Hock Keong looks for the two rare orchids at Clementi Forest, during an NParks salvaging trip on April 28, 2021. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
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SINGAPORE - A red pin marked the spot on the edge of Clementi Forest where we were to meet the researchers from the National Parks Board (NParks) last Wednesday morning (April 28).

The 85ha Clementi forest is a piece of state land that has been reclaimed by the wilderness as it awaits redevelopment. As the overgrown plot is not a designated park or nature reserve, there are no trails nor entry points to serve as landmarks. Instead, we relied on Google map coordinates that had been sent to us earlier.

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