Science Educational and Recreational Benefits of the Bioresources Nature Park at Nilambur, Kerala, India

Throughout the tropics, growing human population, overexploitation and endangerment of biological resources are leading to habitat loss of flora and fauna, and in turn loss of biodiversity^1,2. In this context, the need for intensive in situ conservation measures, both at regional and global scale, has been stressed³. However, due to various anthropogenic activities, such measures alone may not be always effective and feasible. Hence, apart from in situ conservation, ex situ conservation and mass propagation of plants are important not only to conserve but also to sustainably utilize these resources. In India, several large- and small-scale botanical gardens have been established for ex situ conservation. Several of these botanical gardens have also become popular travel destinations and entertainment sites for local people. In recent years, the Botanic Gardens Conservation Secretariat (BGCS) has identified that botanical gardens need to play three major roles, namely public education, ex situ conservation and scientific research in order to facilitate plant conservation and sustainability⁴. In several countries, as in ours, awareness among people on the richness of bioresources and their ecological and socio-economic importance is generally poor⁵. Thus, to serve multifold objectives of ex situ conservation of various groups of plants and promotion of nature education and ecotourism, different approaches are needed.