First Botanical Park Opens
Bhutan’s first botanical park opened this week 9 km south of Dochula, offering a nature experience to students, tourists and the people of Thimphu, Punakha and Wangdue.
The park at Lamperi, an area of high conservation value, provides a venue for eco-treks, eco-camps, a day picnic ground and children’s playground. It also provides a visitor’s information centre, cafe and toilets.
The park is expected to promote GNH by protecting, promoting and educating people about the natural and cultural heritage of the Dochula area. It provides a friendly place for families and friends to spend time together in a natural environment.
The 47-square-km park is at the tri-junction of three mountain ridges – Sinchula, Helela and Dochula – which is the core of the biological corridor connecting Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Park and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park. The garden and recreational area cover over 125 acres of the total area.
The garden will offer visitors 46 varieties of rhododendrons. Of the 46 species found in Bhutan, 40 have already been planted and many have started flowering. “The region is significant both ecologically and historically,” said the Agriculture Minister, Lyonpo (Dr) Pema Gyamtsho. Many endemic species are found in the area. “Floristic richness recorded in the park zone totals over 300 species.”
Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, who inaugurated the park on Wednesday, said that “Bhutan is gifted with great biodiversity, with almost 50 percent of our land under protected areas. The King and the people’s commitment to the conservation have been proven.”
Her Majesty said that the Royal Botanical Park is ideally located close to Thimphu where an increasing number of residents are looking for recreational facilities. Children will have the opportunity to get in touch with nature through educational outreach programmes and the tourism sector will further make the park a popular destination.
“Given its value for the society, it is fitting that this park is being inaugurated as a tribute to our monarchs and the coronation of our fifth King,” said Her Majesty.
Lyonpo (Dr) Pema Gyamtsho said in addition to catering to foreign tourists, the park has benefits at a local and national level.
According to park officials, the east-west highway that runs through the park has increased the vulnerability of biodiversity richness in the area. The highway provided access for resource extraction – mainly firewood, timbers, leaf mould collection and other illicit activities within the declared park area thereby depleting the existing resources.
Raling Ngawang Drukda, Project Manager of Royal Botanical Park, said that the protection of this biological corridor will not only help manage meta-populations of species but also help conserve its natural ecology, animal behaviour and the gene flow of species.
He said the area has a great potential to develop into an outstanding locale for ecotourism and nature education which can instil appreciation for nature among the Bhutanese public as well as foreign tourists. He said that there are plans to build such parks in other parts of the country. The park cost over Nu 22 million but Raling said that initially visitors will not be charged. In the second phase, more trails and other facilities will be built, according to feedback from visitors.
The park is dedicated to joyous occasion of the centenary celebration and the coronation of the His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
By Rabi C. Dahal (Bhutan Observer)