The Biodiversity expo being held on Kanakakkunnu grounds as part of the first edition of the National Biodiversity Congress sheds light on the much-needed aspect of environmental conservation.
The expo, with the theme ‘Biodiversity for food security’, focuses more on the need for sustaining biodiversity for the future generations as well as preserving the ecosystem.
The eye-catching feature of the Congress is the expo which has been successful in luring hundreds of exhibitors. Noticeable are the stalls set up by the Regional Museum of Natural History, Mysore; WWF-India; and the Travancore Natural History Society.
Regional Museum of Natural History has set up a stall with the theme ‘The land, the people, the animals and the plants.’ Arranged in a spacious hall, the museum has displayed more than 100 rare photographs showcasing the biodiversity of the Western Ghats, which is home to hundreds of endangered species of flora and fauna.
Of these, 70 photographs taken by Sandesh Kadur deserve special mention. These well-lit photographs were taken from ‘Sahyadris - India’s Western Ghats’, a book brought out by Sandesh.
John Thomas, the exhibition in charge of the Regional Museum, said that Sandesh had donated the photographs to the museum in 2010.
“We are observing the decade as ‘Decade of biodiversity’ and will use the photographs to highlight the harmonious relationship between nature and man, which is the salient feature of the photographs,” he said.
The expo also brings to fore the near-extinct traditional treatment methods practised by tribals in the state. Stalls serving traditional recipes are also arranged in the expo.
Several government organisations like Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Department of Animal Husbandry and Kerala Forest Development Corporation Limited and several self-help groups have set up their stalls.