DEHRADUN: India's first pollinator park, established in Haldwani in Nainital district in Uttarakhand in an area of four acres, was opened for the public on Tuesday.
More than 40 pollinator species have been recorded in the park including various species of honeybees, birds, butterflies such as the common jezebel (Delias eucharis), glassy bluebottle (Graphiumsarpedon), red peirrot (Telecadanyseus) and lime butterfly (Papiliodimoleus) and many other insects.
Sanjiv Chaturvedi, heading the research wing of the Uttarakhand forest department under whom the project was conceived, said, "The objective of the park is to conserve various pollinator species, create awareness among general public about importance and conservation of these species and promote further research on various aspects of pollination, including threat to habitat and impact of pollution, use of pesticides/insecticides and relation between various pollinators and plant species."
Pollinators include bees, birds, butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, bats and small mammals.
Peter Smetacek, founder of Butterfly Research Centre, Bhimtal, a conservationist and naturalist who inaugurated the park said, "The initiative is one of a kind in the country and will help in generating awareness among the public on how important pollination and pollinators are. Without those species, life on earth will come to an end."
In the park, habitats have been created for various pollinators, including plantation of nectar and pollination producing plants, mostly local ones in clusters, like marigold, rose, hibiscus, jasmine for various honeybee, butterfly, bird and moth species. Also, host plants to provide shelter to eggs, larvae and pupa, like curry leaf plant, citrus species, cassia species and lantana have been planted.
Apart from these, seasonal flower plants like salvia, aster, cosmos for winter and sunflower, guinea for summer have been planted.
To attract various bird and butterfly species, bird feeders and nests have been placed throughout the park, with food grains and also certain cut fruits as certain butterfly species are attracted to them, along with fruit trees like jamun and shelter trees like neem and semal for various bird species.
Water bodies have been created and also arrangements have been made for mud puddling for butterflies. Through mud puddling, butterflies and certain insects like leafhoppers seek out certain nutrients like salt and amino acids from moist substances.
Dead and dry trees have been left as they are in the pollinator park because these are important habitats for various types of pollinators including birds, insects and squirrels.
The endemic species of honeybee Apiscerana indica has also been reared in the park. Its numbers have declined considerably in recent years because of various threats like pollution, use of pesticides/insecticides and dominance of European species in honey production in India, added Chaturvedi.
Use of all types of chemicals, including pesticides and insecticides, has been totally stopped in the park and neighbouring areas.
In the US and other western countries, the importance of pollinators was recognized long back and to conserve pollinators, pollinator parks, gardens, strips and pathways were created on a large scale and campaigns were also launched. In 2015 and 2017, legislative measures were also taken in the US.
"Somewhere between 75% and 95% of all flowering plants on earth need help with pollination. Pollinators provide services to over 180,000 different plant species. Without them, existing populations of plants would decline, even if soil, air, nutrients, and other life-sustaining elements were available," said Chaturvedi.
Pollinators impact 35% of global agricultural land, supporting the production of 87% of the leading food crops worldwide.
The population of most pollinators is in decline which is mostly due to a loss in feeding and nesting habitats. Pollution, overuse of pesticides and insecticides, disease and changes in climatic patterns are all contributing to shrinking and shifting pollinator populations, thereby endangering our food security.