Latest news with #UttarakhandForestDepartment
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Valley of Flowers National park in Uttarakhand reopens for tourist season 2025
DEHRADUN: The Valley of Flowers, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, has officially opened its gates to tourists on Sunday marking the beginning of its annual season. On the inaugural day, a total of 83 tourists made their way into the breathtaking floral expanse from Ghangharia, the final outpost before the valley, at seven in the morning. The park recorded 79 offline registrations and four online registrations, indicating a steady flow of early visitors eager to experience the Himalayan beauty. Speaking to TNIE, Chetna Kandpal, Forest Range Officer of the Uttarakhand Forest Department in Chamoli, emphasised the park's enduring popularity. "The Valley of Flowers remains a top preference for tourists visiting Uttarakhand. Thousands of visitors flock here annually. The valley is traditionally opened for tourist access on June 1st each year and then closed for the winter season on October 31." The valley, known for its breathtaking beauty, starts blooming with flowers after the snow melts, attracting a large number of tourists from across the globe. According to Kandpal, the valley's scenic beauty is a major draw for visitors, who flock to witness the vibrant flowers in bloom. "The Valley of Flowers is a major tourist attraction, and we're expecting a large influx of visitors this season. Repairs to the paths damaged by snowfall have been completed, and temporary bridges have been constructed over the seasonal streams," she said. Nestled high in the majestic Himalayas, the Valley of Flowers National Park in Uttarakhand, India, stands as a breathtaking testament to nature's artistry. This renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for its vibrant meadows of endemic alpine flowers, is situated at a staggering altitude of nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, making it one of the world's most elevated floral sanctuaries. Located in the upper reaches of the Bhyundar Ganga, close to the pilgrimage town of Joshimath, the park forms a vital part of the expansive Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Uttarakhand forest department conserved 2,228 plant species, 120 of them endangered
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Forest Department's research wing on Friday released its annual report on conserved plant species, and it's greener than ever. From rare orchids to insectivorous plants, a total of 2,228 species have been conserved in the Himalayan state. Among them are 120 endangered species, including the striking White Himalayan Lily and the graceful Tree Fern, with 75 of these listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. These plant species have been conserved through in-situ and ex-situ conservation measures across seven different forest ranges of its research wing --- Haldwani, Jeolikote, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, Gopeshwar, Dehradun, and Uttarkashi. Ex-situ means conservation of species outside their natural habitats while in-situ means conservation of species in the same habitat where they are found. 'The conserved plant species include 120 species currently listed under threatened/endangered categories, of which 75 species are in Red List of IUCN. Some of these threatened/endangered that are being conserved include White Himalayan Lilly (Lilium polyphyllum), Trayman (Gentiana kurroo), Atees (Aconitum heterophyllum), Seeta ashok (Saraca asoca), Dolu (Rheum webbianum), Patwa (Meizotropis pellita), Himalyan Golden spike (Eremostachys superba) and Tree fern (Cyathea spinulosa),' chief conservator of forests (CCF) and in charge state forest research wing Sanjeev Chaturvedi said. 'The conservation measures are aimed at germplasm conservation of these species in case they disappear from the wild due to any reason. Germplasm conservation means preserving the genetic diversity of a particular plant by collecting its seeds or growing it in its habitat or outside its habitat for preserving its gene pool,' he added. Chaturvedi said the annual report was first released in year 2020, when number of conserved plant species was 1145. 'And in five years, number of plant species conserved by our research wing doubled. The idea behind release of this report is to counter the concept of 'Plant Blindness'. The term coined in 1998 by Elisabeth Schussler and James Wandersee, a pair of US botanists and biology educators, indicates under appreciation of plants – and in a limited interest in plant conservation. Plant conservation not only matters for environmental health but also for human health, in the long run,' Chaturvedi said. Out of these 2228 plant species, there are 528 tree species, 187 herbs, 175 shrubs, 46 bamboo, 88 wild climbers, 12 species of cane, 107 grasses, 192 ferns, 115 orchids, 88 palm, 31 cycads, 290 cacti and succulents, 50 aquatic plants, 29 insectivorous plants, 86 lichens, 118 bryophytes, 14 species of algae and 15 species of air plants. 'In the conserved list, there are 60 species that are endemic to Uttarakhand/Indian Himalayan Region. Endemic species are the species or taxonomic group which is within a restricted geographic area, naturally found only in that particular region,' he said. He added that conserved plants which are endemic to Uttarakhand/ Indian Himalayan Region include Tumri, Jamoi, Moru, Kumaon Fan Palm, Patwa, Emroyi, Ganiya, Bhimal and so on.
India Gazette
23-05-2025
- Science
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand doubles conserved plant species to 2228, including 120 threatened: Report
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India] May 23 (ANI): In recognition of the International Day for Biological Diversity, the Research Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department has published its sixth annual report. This report reflects significant advancements and findings related to biodiversity within the region. The report highlights the successful conservation of 2228 plant species through in-situ and ex-situ conservation measures across seven different ranges of the Research Wing. This report was first released in 2020, when the number of conserved plant species was 1145. In five years, the number of plant species conserved by the Research wing has doubled. Out of the total species conserved, 120 are currently listed under threatened/endangered categories, of which 75 are on the IUCN Red List. Some of these threatened/endangered species are- White Himalayan Lilly (Lilium polyphyllum), Trayman (Gentiana kurroo), Atees (Aconitum heterophyllum), Seeta ashok (Saraca asoca), Dolu (Rheum webbianum), Patwa (Meizotropis pellita), Himalyan Golden spike (Eremostachys superba) and Tree fern (Cyathea spinulosa). Chief Conservator of Forest (Research) Sanjiv Chaturvedi said, 'This exercise was initiated in 2020 to create awareness about conservation of plant species, which are facing serious existential threats from climate change as well as anthropogenic activities like mining and unplanned construction activities. However, conservation of plant species attracts less popular attention than that of faunal species like Tigers and Elephants because of the greater glamour quotient associated with these wildlife species. This is despite the fact that plants play a much important ecological role by way of carbon sequestration and also provide raw material for a number of important medicines. ' Uttarakhand Forest Department is the only forest department in the country that undertakes this exercise and has perhaps the most extensive inventory of various plant species across all the state forest departments. He further said, 'The Idea behind the release of this report was to counter the concept of 'Plant Blindness'. The term coined in 1998 by Elisabeth Schussler and James Wandersee, a pair of US botanists and biology educators, indicates an appreciation of plants and a limited interest in plant conservation. Plant conservation matters for environmental health and human health, in the long run'. Out of these 2228 plant species, there are 528 tree species, 187 herbs, 175 shrubs, 46 bamboo, 88 wild climbers, 12 species of cane, 107 grasses, 192 ferns, 115 orchids, 88 palm, 31 cycads, 290 cacti & succulents, 50 aquatic plants, 29 insectivorous plants, 86 lichens, 118 bryophytes, 14 species of algae and 15 species of air plants. In the conserved list, 60 species are endemic to Uttarakhand/Indian Himalayan Region. Endemic species are the species or taxonomic group which is within a restricted geographic area, naturally found only in that particular region. (ANI)
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Science
- India Gazette
Uttarakhand Forest Department establishes state's first Cycad Garden at Haldwani
Haldwani (Uttarakhand) [India], May 19 (ANI): Uttarakhand Forest Department has established the state's first Cycad Garden at Haldwani. The garden is home to thirty-one different species of cycads, seventeen of which are classified as threatened. The garden has been established on an area of over two acres with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Of these, nine species are native to India. Notably, only about fourteen cycad species have been reported from the country. Some of the prominent native cycad species in this garden include Cycas andamanica, Cycas beddomei, Cycas zeylanica, Cycas pectinata, and Cycas circinalis. Chief Conservator of Forests (Research), Sanjiv Chaturvedi, said, 'Cycads are the most threatened group of plants on earth, and they have been on this planet since the Mesozoic era. This garden has been established for conservation and studies on plant evolution and climate change impact.' Cycads, considered 'living fossils', have been used by humans for various purposes, including food, medicine, and cultural significance. They are also known for their ornamental value and have been heavily exploited for this reason. They are a remarkable group of plants that have survived through time and continue to play important ecological, cultural, and aesthetic are long-lived plants with slow growth and low reproductive rates, which makes them particularly vulnerable to habitat disturbance. They are also known to fix nitrogen through a symbiotic association with cyanobacteria residing in their coralloid roots.' The cycad garden garden has been established over an area of around 0.75 hectare. It presently houses around 20 different species like the endemic Cycas annaikalensis from Kerala, Cycas orixensisastern Ghats of Odisha and Cycas beddomei from Andhra Pradesh. The main objective of establishing this cycad garden was further Research in these species and to create awareness among people. The new cycad garden provides a glimpse into the world of this threatened species and highlights the need to protect these ancient species for future generations. (ANI)
The Print
28-04-2025
- The Print
Two arrested for keeping protected parrots in meat shops in Haridwar following complaint by PETA
Dehradun, Apr 28 (PTI) The Uttarakhand Forest Department has rescued 34 protected 'Rose-ringed' and 'Alexandrine' parrots from two meat shops in Roorkee in the Haridwar district and arrested two persons for illegally trading protected species of birds, officials said. The Forest Department officials said in Dehradun on Monday that the action was taken following a raid at some shops in the old tehsil area of Roorkee on the orders of Haridwar Divisional Forest Officer Vaibhav Singh following a recent complaint lodged by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India.
