The MS Swaminathan Botanical Garden (MSSBG) here has been awarded A - level 1 accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program for achieving high standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens.
The accreditation programme, being organised by Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, United States, is the only global initiative to officially recognise arboreta based on a set of professional standards such as various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism. Ecosystem restoration has received increased attention worldwide at present as there is a counter-movement to mitigate destructive impacts on ecosystems, says N. Anilkumar, senior director, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
The MSSRF started an ecosystem restoration programme in 1997 by studying and locating ‘rare endemic and threatened’ (RET) trees and degraded open sites, including forests and sacred groves. Since 2002, the foundation has been engaged in tree planting across the State and Tamil Nadu and so far planted over a million saplings of RET species, Dr. Anilkumar added.
