• Source: Dairy Farm Nature Park

Dairy Farm Nature Park is a 63-hectare nature park located at 100 Dairy Farm Road, Upper Bukit Timah in the west side of Singapore. Dairy Farm Nature Park is known as a recreational area that offers a variety of attractions for visitors to explore. Some of the more notable attraction of the park includes the Singapore Quarry and Dairy Farm Quarry, both of which will enhance the unique opportunities for outdoor activities and appreciation of the nature environment in Singapore. Singapore Quarry is one of the two quarries that is located in Dairy Farm Nature Park where visitors can spot dragon files and even birds while admiring the scenic lake view. Meanwhile, Dairy Farm Quarry offers an experience of the region's geological history and it is surrounded by lush greenery and even rock cliffs. With these two quarries at the park, it will definitely contribute to the park's appeal for visitors to explore and hike.
The operating hours for the Dairy Farm Nature Park is between 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily. Visitors are welcome to come visit within that time frame. The park offers facilities such as restrooms, parking areas, and even shelter huts for guest to utilize during their visit here. It is exciting to let mountain bikers know that Dairy Farm Nature Park has a mountain bike route, allowing them to enjoy the greenery the park has to offer!




History


The present-day Dairy Farm Nature Park was once part of Singapore's lush woodlands, which were cut down for pepper and gambier plantations in the 1800s. Originally, in 1929, this land was utilized for pig raising. However, it later evolved into a dairy farm founded by Cold Storage in 1930, which became renowned as the world's first tropical dairy farm. This operation was conducted by Fred Heron, who was the then Managing Director of Cold Storage. Heron established this 60-acre land as a dairy farm due to the shortage of fresh milk available at that time. Therefore, there was a need to establish a high quality pasteurized milk for children of expatriates in Singapore. It is interesting to note that Dairy Farm was the only successful farm then that reared Friesian Cows and it was definitely attractive to foreign scientists and farming experts. The farm operated until the 1980s, when the National Parks Board began devoting time and resources in renovating and upgrading the land. Dairy Farm Nature Park officially opened to the public in 2009.




Education


Dairy Farm Nature Park is home to the Wallace Education Centre, dedicated to Alfred Russel Wallace, the renowned British Naturalist whom conducted observations in the park during his explorations in the 19th Century. It was also at this location that Wallace was able to collect over 700 species of beetles both at Dairy Farm and Bukit Timah areas. Minister Desmond Lee expressed appreciation for Wallace's contributions during his speech at the reopening of the Wallace Education Centre in 2020. He highlighted that the centre serves as a permanent exhibition dedicated to showcasing the discoveries of the renowned naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace. Lee emphasized that Wallace's works has significantly influenced Singapore's biodiversity conservations efforts. Therefore, Wallace's effort is appreciated and seen through this exhibition held here at Dairy Farm Nature Park.
Dairy Farm Nature Park is also an educational hub for visitors. This is because of the establishment of the Wallace Education Centre which provides a platform for learning about the diverse species of wildlife that are native to the Malay Archipelago, as documented by Alfred Russel Wallace. It was back in 1854, that Alfred Russel Wallace stayed for several weeks at the foothills of Bukit Timah Hill during which he spent time collecting and observing the biodiversity at Dairy Farm Nature Park. To get closer to the remaining primary forests, he stayed with a French Roman Catholic missionary at St Joseph's in the Bukit Timah district.
This educational center features Wallace's important contributions to our understanding of the region's biodiversity in addition to interactive exhibits. The Wallace Education Centre seeks to raise public understanding and appreciation of the rich natural heritage present in the park and beyond through a variety of events and exhibitions.
The Wallace Education Centre also provides educational institutions with an invaluable chance to plan field trips that allow students to discover and gain knowledge of Singapore's abundant biodiversity. It is important for schools that wish to bring along more than 30 pax of students to the centre, schools must ask for a permit ahead of time. As per the National Parks Board, reservations for educational purposes can be made through email.
For visitors who wish to visit this educational centre, it is open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM from Tuesdays to Sunday and closed every Mondays.




Wildlife


Calling out to all nature lovers, Dairy Farm Nature Park is the place to go if you want to explore the diverse range of wildlife and greenery in Singapore!
As Dairy Farm Nature Park is a huge plot of land, it is no wonder it is home to a myriad of wildlife. Visitors to the farm can expect to encounter different types of wildlife such as the Crimson Sunbirds, Peakcock Ferns, Clouded Monitor Lizards, and also the Longhorn Bettles when they are within the vicinity of the park. Several parks along the park connectors, such as Dairy Farm Nature Park, provide habitats for a wide variety of bird species, as noted by Belinda Yuen, Lily Kong, and Clive Briffett. Based on an extensive survey, their findings highlight the tremendous species of birds that may be found in these places. A variety of bird species have been observed and reported on the eBird website, where birdwatchers share their findings. Among the notable sightings contributed by multiple observers are the Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica), Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis), and Red-legged Crake (Rallina fasciata), along with many others. With the amount of different bird species spotted at Dairy Farm Nature Park, it is no wonder that bird lovers will frequent this park.
In 2012, researchers Zestin Wen Wen Soh and Robin Wen Jiang Ngiam conducted a study across seven different parks, including Dairy Farm Nature Park, and discovered a significant presence of flower-visiting fauna. Both Soh and Ngiam discovered species from the Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, and Blattodea. This diverse biodiversity is complimented by the park's distinct habitats, which sustain a variety of plant species. Needless to say, the park is brimming with greenery and flowers, making it an ideal spot to see the plantations that Dairy Farm Nature Park has to offer.
In 2014, the National University of Singapore's Singapore Biodiversity Records documented the sighting of a Striped Tree Skink, or also known as the Lipinia vittigera, at Dairy Farm Nature Park. The observation was place on August 12, 2012, within the park's limits. The skink, which was observed on a tree trunk, was around 10 cm long. The lizard's vivid yellow tail is thought to operate as a bait to draw in prey, highlighting how interesting nature is. The observers pointed out that this is an uncommon discovery in Singapore because the Striped Tree Skink is not frequently seen there. So visitors should keep their eyes peeled to spot this rare Striped Tree Skink!
In 2019, another record published by the National University of Singapore's Singapore Biodiversity record by Marcus F.C. Ng, spotted a Bombardier dragonfly, or known as the Lyriothemis cleis at Dairy Farm Nature Park on February the 2nd. Accordingly to Ng, this species of dragonfly are considered rare and are restricted in Singapore.
Adding on to the list of different biodiversity observed at Dairy Farm Nature Park, another publication by the National University of Singapore, featured in its Nature in Singapore series, was released in June 2021 by authors Khoo, Soh, and Lee. During their observations at Dairy Farm Nature Park, they encountered a singular Raffles' Banded Langur (Presbytis femoralis), which is reported to be a critically endangered species that had not been seen since 1987.
As observed and documented by INaturalist, there are multiple species of butterflies and dragonflies at Dairy Farm Nature Park.
Butterfly
Some interesting butterflies spotted includes the Common Banded Demon (Notocrypta paralysos), the Malayan Eggfly (Hypolimnas anomala)
, the majestic Common Mormon Swallowtail (Papilio polytes), the Common Archduke (Lexias pardalis), the Elbowed Pierrot (Caleta elna) and many more.
Dragonfly
Some dragonflies observed are the Blue Marsh Hawk (orthetrum glaucum), the Common Flashwing (Vestalis amethystina), Dark tipped Forest Skimmer (Cratilla metallica), Grenadier (Agrionoptera insignis).
INaturalist also listed down some grasshopper and snakes that was observed such as the Rufous-legged Grasshopper (Xenocatantops humile) and the Wagler's Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)
On Dairy Farm Nature Park's website, it is stated that many more plants and animals can be seen. The list of plants range from massive and flourishing fruit trees like the rambutan, jackfruit and mango trees to the stunning and bright colored Tiger Orchid flowers, which are the largest orchid species in the world. For those who enjoy bird watching, do keep a look out for the Crimson Sunbird and the Oriental Magpie Robin. Of course, as with many other parks in Singapore, let's not forget the Long tailed Macaque that roams freely around the park!




Activities


With a lovely variety of hiking pathways to explore, Dairy Farm Nature Park is a refuge for nature lovers and fitness enthusiasts alike. The Wallace Trail is the park's most notable feature. It is a 2.2 kilometer walkway that leads from the Rail Corridor to the Wallace Education Center. Families, birds enthusiasts, and wildlife lovers can all enjoy the Wallace Trail. For children and the elderly who wish to spend some time in nature, this trail is relatively easy trail with a difficulty rating of easy to moderate. The National Parks website offers some advice for visitors who wish to try out the Wallace Trail. Some of the advice includes packing a bottle of water to stay hydrated and a towel to wipe off sweat.
Wallace Trail once used to be home to kampungs and there are still remnants found in the area, tucked away among the plantations. For history lovers, do keep your eyes peeled and see if you are able to spot any old remnants of the Kampung, which may be found on both side of the trail.
The Wallace Trail is demarcated by wooden signages along the trail to indicate its boundaries and reassure hikers that they are headed in the correct direction.
While hiking this on the Wallace Trail, biodiversity is one thing to keep a look out for. There will be Chempedak Tree (Artocarpus Integer), fruit trees, squirrels scampering from one tree to another, and figs. Not only that, but as the walk leads to the Wallace Educational Centre, you may come across schoolchildren with their tour guides; say hello to them!




Access and directions


As taken from National Parks' website, visitors can come by car or by bus.
For those coming by car, please do take the Bukit Timah Expressway and turn left when you see Exit 2. Follow the Dairy Farm Road and once you see the signage that reads Dairy Farm Nature Park, turn left into Carpark B.
For those coming by bus, you may take buses 700, 700A, or 966 and alight at Petir Road bus stop, between Chestnut Avenue and Dairy Farm Road. Alternatively, if you are travelling by train (MRT), you may alight at HillView MRT station and take Exit A.




See also


List of parks in Singapore




References






External links


National Parks Board, Singapore
Dairy Farm Nature Park
External site about climbing in Dairy Farm

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