|
Medicinal Plant Conservation Park
The Centre is a teaching and
training place for the protection, propagation and use of medicinal
plants. As such, it is one of a network of 16 Medicinal Plant
Conservation Parks (together with Shakti) funded by The Foundation
for the Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT). Housed in
its 100% solar powered admin and museum building are a photo display of
240 of the 400 medicinal plants found in the region, a collection of 350
seeds from the local area, a variety of rural artifacts, and a Tamil and
English reference library and computer base for research.
Surrounding the Centre is
the 50-acre Pitchandikulam self-regenerating forest sanctuary,
containing some 440 plant species (nearly 340 medicinal) and a wide
diversity of fauna. There is also a seed propagation nursery from which
endangered medicinal plants are established in the sanctuary and other
locations as a gene bank; a medicinal plant demonstration garden with
nearly 300 species; and a concentrated herbal garden with nearly 100
species under cultivation for supply to herbal practitioners. |
