PHULBANI: Kandhamal district, prone to riots, would soon be home to thousands of butterflies if the district administration has its way. Plans are afoot to set up an open butterfly garden in Kandhamal.
Urban biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services have been ignored and undervalued because ecologists have focused only on pristine habitats and rare species. However, with rapid urbanisation the challenge is to build the native biodiversity within the urban landscape.
Nature lovers now have a chance to understand the metamorphosis and life history of butterflies as a conservatory will be opened at the Lodhi Gardens on Monday by environment minister Jairam Ramesh.
India's first butterfly park, also the largest in the world, was opened to pubic in November, 2006 at Bangalore. Biotech News requested some of the people involved in the establishment of this unique facility, to re-visit the park and provide a feedback.
40 species of butterflies, under 26 genera and 5 families were recorded from four habitat types of Allain-Duhaingan (streams) catchment, where a hydroelectric power station is proposed.
Kokrajhar: Deep within the graveyard of butterflies, there moves a flutter of hope. And the awestruck nature-lover, bewildered at the miraculous triumph, captures a quick moment of the blithe spirits flight for posterity.
KALPETTA: With the season of butterfly migration nearing, nature lovers and experts are a worried lot.
Mindless use of pesticides and chemicals for farming in the district causes widespread destruction of the butterfly population, according to environmentalists.
KOCHI: Scientists are working on projects for sequencing the DNA of a wide variety of trees, fishes, insects and animals as part of a project for barcoding life.
