On 8 July 2007, the nature preserve was re-opened to the public. Unlike before, visitors going to Chek Jawa no longer need to join the free guided tours conducted by NParks. These are conducted only a few times each month during low spring tide periods.
The Singapore Government has also added new amenities with a visitor management plan for Chek Jawa, at a cost of S$7 million. These included a 1.1-kilometre boardwalk, a 20-metre tall viewing tower and a visitor centre with a viewing jetty.
The new boardwalk running along the coast and into the mangrove area allows visitors to get up close to plant and marine life such as fiddler crabs and monitor lizards, without damaging the area. Special care was taken to construct the boardwalk, which is made from concrete but simulated to resemble timber. This is more environmentally friendly as it cuts down on the use of wood while still retaining its natural feel.
The seven-storey viewing tower called the Jejawi tower allows visitors to view the tree canopy and observe birdlife such as the Collared Kingfisher and Straw-headed Bulbul.
At the visitor centre, which was converted from a Tudor-style house built in the 1930s, visitors can learn more about Chek Jawa's wildlife.
Chek Jawa is made up of 6 interdependent ecosystems – namely , its Coastal Hill Forest, the Mangrove Forest, its Rocky Shore, the Sandy Shore and Sand Bar , the Seagrass in the Lagoon and the Coral Rubble . Within each of the above ecosystems there is an abundance of natural living creatures and rare plants and birds - local and migratory birds .These have attracted photographs enthusiasts and nature lovers , student groups and civil social groups to visit Chek Jawa and documenting their visit by way of photos capture. Many are posted at their respective blogs websites, sharing their visitation experiences and encounters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chek_Jawa
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