Pitchandikulam Forest is found in the green belt of the Auroville International
Township in coastal Tamil Nadu, South India. It is a peaceful sanctuary of self-generating forest
where over 800 species of plants can be found in the grasslands, nursery and ethnomedicinal forest.
Pitchandikulam
Forest is part of the Medicinal Plant Conservation Network (created by
FRLHT in Banglalore), which implements detailed programs of botanical
and social documentation as well as conservation and planting
initiatives. As part of this network Pitchandikulam Bioresource Centre
was established and provides an office and interpretation centre that
is now the hub of coordination and administration for activities in the
Kaluveli bioregion. Many of the Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest
species have never been propagated in nurseries before. Treatments have
been tested to develop standard methods of germination for many of the
species grown in Pitchandikulam. Education and the use of medicinal plants in traditional, and particularly, primary health care is a significant element of Pitchandikulam's
work and the ethno-medicinal forest provides a useful demonstration and
education site, as well as helping to conserve the indigenous plants
and local health traditions.
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