Cusat to set up butterfly park on campus

Kochi: With the aim of setting up a butterfly park, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) planted over 300 saplings on the campus on Thursday. Apart from the aesthetic objective, the initiative aims to increase the butterfly population on the campus and the park can serve as a natural habitat to butterflies. The activity was mooted as part of the CSR and development initiatives of Cusat.

The saplings were of over 25 indigenous plant varieties that attract butterflies and they were planted in an area of nearly half-an-acre adjacent to the reservoir inside the Cusat campus. The butterfly park project is funded under the CSR initiatives of Nippon Motor Corporation Pvt Ltd, Kalamassery.

Students of school of management studies (SMS), NSS unit 09 of Cusat, PhD scholars and other nature lovers took part in the planting initiative.

Inauguration of the initiative was done by Cusat vice-chancellor K N Madhusoodhanan, and the function was attended by pro-vice chancellor P G Sankaran, registrar V Meera, internal quality assurance cell (IQAC) director K Girish Kumar, syndicate member Sunoj S M, SMS director Jagathy Raj, etc. P K Sureshkumar, chief environment officer of Toyota Motor Corporation Pvt Ltd, Kalamassery, and Sangeetha K Prathap, coordinator, CSR & development initiatives at Cusat too were present.

The initiative was conceptualized by Rameez Rahman, a PhD scholar at the department of applied economics, Cusat. The initiative is also part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the university.

Madhusoodanan said that the students and staff of Cusat are eager to welcome butterflies on the campus. The green initiatives at Cusat will gain momentum with the addition of butterfly park on the campus. The university has already kicked off other green initiatives like safe to eat vegetable cultivation, tree plantation and cycles on campus during this year.