Kuala Lumpur Forest Eco Park - formerly known as Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve - is located in the heart of the city near KL Tower. It was gazetted as a permanent forest reserve covering 17.5 hectares of land in 1906 but due to urban development including the building of KL Tower and its surrounding area in early 1990s, its size has shrunk to a mere nine hectares [1]. History has it that in the 19th century, the area was the location of a fort and pineapples were planted around it to prevent attacks, hence the name Bukit Nanas (Malay: Pineapple Hill) [2]. Since the forest in Malaysia is dominated by trees from the Dipterocarpaceae family, that is, a family of hardwood tropical trees, visitors can expect to encounter various trees, including endangered species. Among them include dryobalanops aromatic (Malay: Kapur) and aquilaria malaccensis (Malay: Karas). Others include dyera constulata (Malay: Jelutong), which is a species of the oleander sub-family and Toona sureni (Malay: Surian Wangi), which is a species of Mohogany [3]. Another attraction at the KL Forest Eco Park is the 200 metres canopy walk which is 21m above the ground and the observation tower. From here, visitors are able to have a good view of the development that Kuala Lumpur has undergone over the years.
In this Learning Experience, you will learn how the transformation of a hamlet into a country’s capital can have devastating impacts on primary forests and how globalization has further intensified the destruction of such forests. This Learning Experience is suitable for learners Year 1 to Year 3. Note: The reflection phase will take place under Point B.