A new butterfly park developed by the Kovai Kulangal Protection Association was inaugurated in Coimbatore on Thursday. S. Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests and Field Director of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, and Hans Hagelstein, Global President of Mold-Masters & DME, officiated the grand opening. Joining them were Alfred Nobel, Vice-President of Mold-Masters & DME India, and Sivakumar, Assistant Engineer, Noyyal East Section, Water Resources Department.
The park features an array of attractions including an 18-foot butterfly-shaped entrance, water management systems, environmental awareness galleries, a bamboo bridge, signboards detailing the butterfly life cycle, a selfie point, and a butterfly pond. The Kovai Kulangal Protection Association’s relentless efforts over 351 weeks culminated in the park’s creation, which began with the desilting of Perur Big Tank and continued with the restoration of Sengulam and Vellalore Tank, eventually desilting a total of 12 ponds. In 2017, the association desilted canals at Vellalore Tank, initiating its transformation into a model tank for the district.
Significantly enhancing the area’s biodiversity, the association planted over 10,000 bamboo saplings across more than 275 species and 200 herbal saplings around the tank. Observing an increase in butterfly species, the association, in collaboration with The Nature and Butterfly Society, conducted a year-long census in 2022, documenting 103 butterfly species at Vellalore Tank. This initiative also led to the publication of a book on the butterflies of the Vellalore Wetland.
To further protect and enrich butterfly biodiversity, the association established the butterfly park with funding from the Mold Masters Division of Milacron India Private Limited and Hillenbrand Entity under their Corporate Social Responsibility program. The park is open to the public on Sundays, and corporate or educational institutions can book visits from Monday to Saturday. Entry is free, and further details are available by contacting 80157-14790 or 98433-46298.
Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/butterfly-park-to-transform-vellalore-tank-enhance-biodiversity/article68500429.ece
Category : Coimbatore
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