COIMBATORE: S Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve, inaugurated the Butterfly Park near Vellalore Lake on Thursday.
An 18-foot ‘Tamil Yeoman’, which is the state butterfly, has been installed at the entrance of the park. Inside, visitors can get information about butterfly species, life cycle and migration pattern in the information centre. The differently abled can access the park through a ramp. The park has 70 varieties of flowering nectar and host plants which would ensure food for butterflies.
Kovai Kulangal Pathukappu Amaippu (KKPA), an NGO, developed the park. The outfit has completed desilting channels and cleared plastic waste in as many as 351 weeks in the last seven years.
Speaking to TNIE, KKPA coordinator R Manikandan said, “Since 2017, KKPA has been desilting the channels leading to the Vellalore lake and the efforts were taken to improve it as a ‘model lake’. Initially, as many as 10,000 trees of 275 native species were planted under the Miyawaki method and 200 medicinal plants and bamboo trees were also planted to improve the biodiversity along the lake.”
“We decided to document the butterfly species since they are the indicators of the environment and a notable species to double the verdure through pollination. With the help of The Nature and Butterfly Society (TNBS), we have identified a total of 101 butterfly species along the lake. A book titled The Butterflies of Vellalore Wetland (done by TNBS) has been published to spread information,” Manikandan added.
“We have opened the park to protect butterfly species and raise awareness among students. We have approval from the Public Works Department (PWD) (Water Resources) and obtained CSR fund of `66.5 lakh,” said Manikandan.
A Pavendhan, President of TNBS, said the park houses forest butterfly species like Medus Brown, Bamboo Treebrown and Chocolate Albatross. “The 101 butterfly species in Vellalore lake is a good sign as native plants are intact and available around the wetland,” he said.
