The Christmas and New Year holiday crowd in the city will now have a place to while away their evenings - the National Biodiversity Expo which will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Friday at a function that will be presided over by Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
The National Biodiversity Expo is being held in conjunction with National Biodiversity Congress 2012, organised by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board along with the National Biodiversity Authority from December 27.
This unique expo, that has the participation of over 80 institutions, will focus on the beauty and variety of life and has a number of interactive programmes aimed at protecting the fragile web of life.
The 200-odd stalls are expected to take the audience through the myriad biodiversity of India, biogeographical zones, critically endangered flora and fauna, biodiversity heritage sites, domesticated biodiversity, conservation measures, success stories, traditional varieties and breeds.
Each theme is presented as a series of display panels featuring text, images and graphics as well as audio visual tools, not to mention the huge number of pamphlets they intend to distribute.
Apart from the large number of pictures on display, the scent of the congress will be that of sandalwood oil from Marayoor Sandalwood Factory of the Kerala Forest Development Corporation.
Santhigram will present a naturopathy stall, while KIRTADS will present a tribal healers’ camp with their very natural tips and remedies, while the Navara Eco farm (NEF) will exhibit varieties of medicinal rice. A glimpse of the fascinating underwater world of marine biodiversity will be put up by the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies.
The expo is open from 10 am to 8 pm. Entry is by tickets - Rs 20 for adults and Rs 10 for children.