250 medicinal plants geo-tagged nationwide in FRI citizen science initiative

Dehradun: The Forest Research Institute (FRI) hosted the All-India Medicinal Plant Documentation Challenge, a 21-day nationwide programme held from Jan 6 to 31, during which participants from across India identified and geo-tagged 256 medicinal plant species.Conducted by the Environmental Information Awareness Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP) resource partner, the initiative aimed to raise awareness about medicinal plant diversity, biodiversity conservation and community participation under the LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) movement, while aligning with the national ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' (one tree in mother's name) campaign, FRI officials said."The contributions highlighted a wide range of medicinal plant species from diverse regions, from rugged mountain terrains to the saltwoods of southern India. Such initiatives foster greater public understanding of traditional healing practices, environmental protection and eco-friendly living," said Renu Singh, director, FRI.Shivam Kumar Sharma, programme officer, EIACP-FRI, said, "Several rare and endangered species were documented, including Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa), listed as endangered and included in appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which was tagged in Chamoli. Other plants documented included Lavandula (lavender) from Gujarat, Nagarmotha (Cyperus rotundus) from Madhya Pradesh, and Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna) from West Bengal."Participants in the challenge included naturalists and biodiversity enthusiasts from states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, said Riya Jain, information officer of EIACP-FRI, adding that the initiative exemplified a collaborative citizen science effort.