MSSBG is on the new phase of expansion with three major zones as Community zone, Agro biodiversity zone and Conservatory zone. Although the purpose of the Garden meets largely the criteria with that of standard Botanic Gardens, the present Garden is unique in focusing on the community dimension of biodiversity conservation.
Dr. Sarada Krishnan, Director of Horticulture and the Center for Global Initiatives at Denver Botanic Gardens has designed the master plan for the Garden’s new phase. The scope of this new phase of MSSBG is on scientific research, education and recreation. Differing from the conventional concept of botanical gardens, MSSBG gives equal priority to wild, natural, cultivated, traditional and horticultural species with collection of a wide array of plants. The garden pays special attention for the conservation of Rare, Endemic & Threatened species of South Western Ghats.
An Integrated Garden for Conservation ‘RET’ Trees
An integrated and decentralised Garden for ‘RET’ trees managed in partnership with Community Conservers or Custodian Farmers is new! This Garden through ex-situ, on-farm and in-situ methods and approach of partnership mode by involving garden managers, farmers and protected area officials will help maximize biodiversity conservation.
A major function of this garden will be promotion of shade farms with integration of Rare, Endemic and Threatened (RET) tree species, especially in the coffee plantations. The Garden will expand its area to another 100 acres by way of involving 100 custodian farmers in and around the Kalpetta region, essentially for conservation of RET species. The Garden has now around 25 partners in this venture. This networking will be promoted to other locations of Wayanad district and other parts of the Malabar region, and link with the Farmer Gene Banks, Sacred Groves, Agro-forests, and the protected forest areas to maximise biodiversity conservation efforts to address the climate vulnerabilities.
Uniqueness of MSSBG
The fully developed MSSBG will be a unique addition to the pool of botanic gardens in Kerala. This will be a Botanic Garden of different kind, consisting of many smaller gardens, for example there will be one on bio-fortified plants. Bio-fortification is one method of providing agricultural remedy for nutritional malady, to solve nutritional problem through agriculture. It will be a source of education, training, capacity building and at the same time one of the use in practical purposes like to conserve and promote culinary diversity. Kerala agriculture is known to have culinary diversity and medicinal plants or curative diversity. Culinary diversity, curative diversity, and cultural diversity- all of them show the power of diversity of Kerala. All these components are set to be shown in the Botanic garden.
Extended arms of the Garden in the form of Field Gene banks or Farmer Gene banks and Agro-forests also will contribute to its exclusiveness.