History of Springleaf Nature Park

About Springleaf Nature Park

Springleaf Nature Park was formerly part of the Chan Chu Kang village – named after the headman Chan Ah Lak who acquired the land near Seletar River to cultivate gambier and pepper. The village was located in the "kangkar" of the river, meaning the land around the riverbank in Teochew.

There were over 10 other villages in the surrounding area, including Kampong Telok Soo, Kampong Jalan Kula Simpang and Sembawang village. With urbanisation and resettlement of the residents in the area, the Chan Chu Kang village and nearby plantations were left to rest.

In addition to its rich history and high biodiversity, the nature park is part of the Central Nature Park Network. Nature parks are established at the edges of nature reserves to serve as green buffers from the impact of urbanisation in order to protect and safeguard the flora and fauna in the nature reserves.

Learn more about our nature reserves and nature park networks.

The forests near Chan Chu Kang were also favoured for the collection of botanical and zoological specimens. Prominent collectors, including Henry Nicholas Ridley (the first director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens) made the first collections of native plant species from the area.

Plant specimens collected by Ridley include the Singapore Kopsia, Malayan Spindle Tree and Neesia Malayana. These specimens were stored in the Singapore Botanic Gardens Herbarium, and can still be found there today.