IKP has set up the Garden of Life, a medicinal plant garden, in an area of about 2.5 acres. Garden of Life is a concept to bring out not just the value of medicinal plants but also to demonstrate the important life links within & outside the plant kingdom. The main aims of the project are to build awareness about biodiversity and to propagate and conserve rare plants. A grant of Rs. 6 lac was sanctioned by the Government of India (Gol vide Z-180171188 dated 20.10.2005) towards setting up the garden of life at IKP. A sum of Rs. 3,00,000/- was initially released towards purchase of necessary things for the garden on December 15,2005, the start date of the project. In the first stage for demonstrating the link with human life we have covered five senses i.e., sight, touch, sound, smell and taste. Please see Appendix 3 for the layout of Garden of Life.
IKP Knowledge Park signed a MOU with FRLHT (Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions) on Aug 17, 2006 to set up the layout of the proposed garden at the Knowledge Park. The Park has collected medicinal plants from different organizations like central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), various forest research centers, and also from Forest Department nurseries & private nurseries to meet the targets. The total number of aromatic medicinal plants in the Garden of Life now exceeds 350.
In the next stage of the project, IKP management intends to develop other areas within the park as biodiversity pockets. Our vision is to develop a mixed population of forest trees, shrubs and herbs that are important to support bird and insect life. Apart from providing a haven to local flora and fauna, this project will enable the in-house community of over 2000 scientists working in the Park to observe and learn about native ecosystems. Visitors to the park and the neighbouring rural communities, including school children can also benefit. We envision that this project would encourage the spread of knowledge on the richness of biodiversity, thus helping ex situ conservation. A butterfly garden, mixed forest block and ficus-diversity block are being developed in June 2012.
