Uttarakhand

• 30 Jul 2021

Orchid Conservation Center

Why in News

• On July 30, 2021, the first orchid conservation center of Uttarakhand was inaugurated at Mandal in Chamoli district.

Key Points

• Objective: Conserve orchid species as well as create venues for tourism and the livelihood of local people.
• Developed by the research wing of the state forest department, this center has four parts — a conservation and demonstration area, a 1.25 km long orchid trail, an interpretation center, and an orchid nursery.
• Presently, the center has 70 different orchid species, mainly of which are medicinally and ecologically important. A good number of these orchid species like Lady's Slipper Orchid come under the threatened category.
• The orchid has the same place in the plant kingdom as Tiger has in Animal Kingdom. However, orchids are very sensitive to ecological changes and thereby they are considered to be good indicators of the health of any ecosystem.