Sub Urban Forest In Selangor

Kota Damansara Community Forest located at PJU 10, Petaling Jaya is recognised as the only green lung of Kota Damansara. Under the eight-year effort of the Friends of Kota Damansara, it was finally gazetted as a forest reserve in March this year, and the news has pleased the local residents as well as hikers.

Friends of Kota Damansara has planned to set up a "herb garden" in the forest to add more fun to the forest reserve.

A family park

However, due to relatively huge cost involved in upgrading the park's facilities, the Friends of Kota Damansara intends to work with the MBPJ in order to set up a recreational forest suitable for the entire family as well as cycling enthusiasts.

Friends of Kota Damansara is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) initiated by about 20 resident associations as well as environment groups to ensure that the forest is utilised in a proper way such as for recreation, education and research.

Vice president of Friends of Kota Damansara, Peng Fa Huang said during an interview with Sin Chew Daily that the concept of the herb garden was still in its infancy, however he believed it would be implemented soon.

Facilities for the disabled

According to him, the herb garden would be set up near a man-made lake, and would be planted with different types of Chinese herbs for hikers to visit and appreciate.

The organisation has also planned to install some facilities for the disabled so that they can also experience the glamour of nature when visiting the park.






Paradise for retirees

Many retirees would step into the forest on a daily basis, and these people have almost become the unofficial "tourist guides" for the forest park.

These elderly visitors are looking for alternative adventures after their long career lives in a bid to add some excitement and colours to their otherwise monotonous life after retirement.

Apart from that, mountain biking is also another form of challenging activity that has lured many enthusiasts to conquer the rugged terrain of the forest park.

Two major entrances

There are two major entrances to the Kota Damansara Community Forest: one in front of the secondary school at PJU 10 and the other via a small access road in front of De Rozelle condominium. As the entrances are not prominently marked and there are no indication signs erected, first-time visitors may often lose their ways.
Hikers are advised to select either of the entrances as starting point and the other as the ending point of their journeys.

Since the two entrances are almost 2km apart, hikers are required to walk quite a longer distance in order to get back to their vehicles.

Of copurse, hikers can also arrange with their partners to park their cars near the two entrances to avoid having to walk a longer distance after their hiking adventure.

Mr Zhang, a retiree, said hiking had become a part of his day-to-day life for the past two years, and he was very familiar with the major trails, which have been set up by the Friends of Kota Damansara to facilitate the hikers, as well as smaller off-the-beaten tracks in the forest park.

Zhang added that it usually took him about two hours to hike through the forest. He admitted that he had yet to see any wild animal except some monkeys in the forest.

Fresh air

It normally takes about 45 minutes to reach the hill top along the tracks.

When we step into the forest, the fresh air and the chirping of birds will cheer up and reinvigorates our minds.

Hikers could enjoy the peace and tranquility inside the forest as well as the sight of various species of plants in it.

Coming out from the forest, hikers can take on the rock benches at the sidewalk while appreciating the charming artificial lake that was established in 2000 and has since become a major landmark in the forest.

Source: SinChew

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