Volunteers find out saplings planted in 2025 at Lower Peirce Reservoir cleared to store construction material, NParks investigating

Native saplings planted one year ago as part of a restoration initiative at Lower Peirce Reservoir were found to have been cleared by a contractor, upsetting volunteers from the Raffles' Banded Langurs working group who partook in the planting effort.

The clearing of the trees was first surfaced in a post on the group's Facebook page on Jun. 2.

The National Parks Board (NParks) has since said that the clearing was unauthorised and that it is looking into the matter.

Native saplings planted in January 2025

In the Jun. 2 post, the Raffles' Banded Langurs working group shared that it had been alerted about the clearing of the saplings at the site located within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

A total of 87 saplings were planted at the site by the group's volunteers in January 2025.

The group was started in 2016 to conserve the critically endangered Raffles' banded langur.

Speaking to Mothership, the working group's chair, Andie Ang, shared that the group organised a tree-planting event last year to celebrate its ninth anniversary, and had reached out to NParks to contribute to its OneMillionTrees movement.

The OneMillionTrees movement is a restoration movement by NParks to plant one million trees around Singapore by 2030.

NParks subsequently provided the recommendation and resources for the tree-planting event.

A total of five native species were planted, with two of them being langur food plants, Ang shared.

Clearing discovered on Jun. 2

On the afternoon of Jun. 2, one of the working group's volunteers who was at the park discovered that the site on which the saplings were planted had been cleared and flattened, with construction material placed on the site.

NParks was informed, and the material was removed within two hours, according to Ang.

In response to Mothership's queries, NParks' Group Director of Conservation, Lim Liang Jim said that an NParks staff discovered the clearing of the saplings earlier that morning and immediately instructed the contractor to stop its work and remove the items.

The site is currently cordoned off with a red-and-white tape, Ang shared.

Ang shared that finding out what happened to the saplings "was quite a shock... for various reasons".

She noted that the site was inside a protected area and that it was also a "dedicated restoration site".

"The questions we have now to be answered [are] who authorised that? Is there proper protocol in place, and how do you prevent this from happening again?" Ang asked.

On Facebook, the working group's post has been reshared in nature community groups, with some commenters pointing out that the clearing of the saplings was a shame.

NParks had told site supervisor area was not suitable for use

NParks' Group Director of Conservation, Lim Liang Jim, said that NParks is aware of an unauthorised clearance of a site within Lower Peirce Reservoir on May 29, 2026.

Lim shared that NParks had earlier communicated to the contractor's site supervisor on a few occasions that the area was not suitable for their storage space and had advised them to use an alternative location.

"However, the contractor went against NParks’ direction and proceeded to clear the area on May 29, 2026, without informing NParks," Lim said.

On the morning of Jun. 2, an NParks staff carrying out routine inspections in the area discovered that around 40 saplings and shrubs within half of the original tree-planting site had been cleared by a contractor for temporary storage of materials without approval, Lim shared.

"NParks immediately instructed the contractor to stop its work and remove the storage items. NParks intends to replant the site," Lim said.

Mothership understands that the contractor was engaged by NParks.

NParks investigating, will not hesitate to take action

Lim said that NParks will investigate the incident and "will not hesitate" to take action against the errant parties.

Under the Parks and Trees Act, it is an offence to cut, collect or displace any tree or plant or any part thereof within any national park or nature reserve without the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation’s permission.

Offenders shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both.