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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.
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