Around 200 government organisations, NGOs and private agencies will take part in the 10-day National Biodiversity Expo-2012, being organised by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB), at Kanakakkunnu Palace here from December 21.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy would inaugurate the expo on December 21. This is the first time the KSBB is organising an event of such gravity.
80 scientific institutions and 20 NGOs had already registered in the expo and many commercial stalls had shown their willingness to join.
KSBB would be roping in Central Government institutions such as the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, ANERT and Tea Board.
The National Biodiversity Authority, which is the co-host of the event, would have a major stall and major state biodiversity boards would also be part of the event to display their own regional biodiversity.
The major attraction of the 10-day expo will be the stall of National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), which is coming to Kerala for the first time.
The NMNH stall would be a sophisticated mobile exhibition pavilion with the Western Ghats as the topic of display.
WWF-India, the country’s largest voluntary body in the field of conservation, is featuring the dark future of the ecology here, throwing light to the endangered fauna of the country.
Vigyan Prasar, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation-(MSSRF), Coimbatore, are the other organisations taking part in the expo. The cynosure of the expo would be the tribal treatment camp.
The Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (KIRTADS) would bring tribal healers and they would impart their remedies and medicine for all ailments to the general public.
The expo would be a treat as there would be ethnic food court and various organisations marketing their edible products.
Koonpura would take part in the expo with their 32 varieties of mushroom delicacies. Kerala Cut Flower Society would bring in vibrant variety of cut flowers whereas the Navara Eco farm would display their speciality rice, Navara.
Uravu, an NGO, would bring in a variety of bamboo products and bamboos for the exhibition. Women’s Straw Craft would showcase different goodies made out of paddy and wheat straw.Along with the stalls, cultural programmes would also be staged in the expo venue.
The entry fee will be Rs 20 for adults and Rs 10 for kids.