Step into The Hidden Forest and discover the unique flora and fauna at the digital art experience at the Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay.
The Hidden Forest brings to life – digitally – the real elements found in the many layers of cloud forests. It also seeks to highlight the interconnectedness of plant and animal life.
Seed of The Idea for The Hidden Forest at Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay
The idea for The Hidden Forest germinated when a team of horticulturalists from Gardens by the Bay paid a visit to Latin America in 2023. They paid a visit to the Wilson Botanical Gardens in Costa Rica, a country known for its cloud forests. This sparked off discussions about how the biodiversity found in cloud forests can be made known to more people.
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Cloud forests make up on only 1 per cent of forests in the world and can be found Central and South America, southern Mexico and parts of the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, eastern Africa, and New Guinea. They can be found between 500m and 3,500m above sea level.
The unique ecosystem of cloud forests, with limited sunlight and high humidity, is home to a rich set of plants and animals.
Stepping into The Hidden Forest
Entering into The Hidden Forest at the Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay, visitors will be greeted by various plants found in the cloud forest.
Amongst the digital fauna inside The Hidden Forest is the Cecropia tree, nicknamed the Tree of Laziness because it is a food source for sloths.
There is also the flowers from the Passiflora genus, whose bright colours attract hummingbirds in the daytime, and whose scent appeals to bats at night.
Other plants spotlighted include distinctive Monkey-faced Orchid (Dracula simia), with elongated fang-like sepals and citrusy orange scent, and the Red Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia sanguinea), which is now extinct in the wild.
Stepping on activation points and watch them grow magically in front of your eyes.
Head to the floor below for digital encounters with animals from the cloud forest.
Touch the walls to make a sloth appear along a branch of the Tree of Laziness.
Other animals at this lower level of The Hidden Forest include the spectacled Andean Bear and the vibrantly-coloured Resplendent Quetzal.
In all, 17 plants and 16 animals are featured, depicting the complex web of life that exists in these mysterious mist-shrouded, low-sunlight places.
The Hidden Forest is a collaboration with Japanese creative company NAKED, INC.
5G Learning Trails for Schools
Gardens by the Bay has also launched new 5G digital learning trails, produced in partnership with M1 and with the support from the Infocomm Media Development Authority.
Available to primary and secondary school that visit the Gardens on facilitated learning journeys, these 5G Learning Trails make use of technology such as augmented reality and video to help students better visualise concepts.
Visiting The Hidden Forest
The Hidden Forest at the Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay is now open and included in admission to the Cloud Forest. It is located on the fourth and third floor of the Cooled Conservatory and replaces the Crystal Mountain stalagmite display on the fourth floor.
If you enjoyed this story, we think that you will also enjoy this other story about what else you can enjoy and look out for at Gardens by the Bay or this on the Borealis display at the Supertree Grove.
