BAIF Institute for Rural Development (BIRDK)

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Get a list of plants Found in BIRDK  in BAIF INSTITUTE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT-KARNATAKA (BIRD-K) BIRD-K is involved in rural development, poverty alleviation, primary health care and conservation of natural resources since 20 years.  The major thrust is conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources and documentation of local health traditions. Medicinal Plants Conservation Park has been designed as the depository of genetic diversity of native threatened and endemic medicinal plants collected from various forest types.  The Park could be used for better control, protection and education regarding the biological resources and knowledge that accompanies it.   MPCP has a checklist of about 650 locally available medicinal plants among them nearly 300 species are planted in 30-acre Ethno Medicinal Forest. BIRD-K is maintaining nearly 500 species herbarium specimens and 350 seeds and raw drugs specimens in the museum. BIRD-K has established a nursery of about 2 acres for growing medicinal plants and nursery techniques have been developed for more than 50 native species. Besides these, BIRD-K has also established an interpretation center with an area of 400 sq. meters of land surrounding the museum.  More than 150 medicinal plants species have been planted with local and botanical names. The documentation of the region states that 195 medicinal plant species are used to cure 45 different aliments (both human and veterinary) in the local communities.  The health practitioners treat various aliments, starting from common cold to acute disorders like kidney stones, jaundice, skin diseases, fracture etc. Under Kitchen Herbal Garden programme many households are trained and they are using herbal medicines for their primary health care. The Herbal Kit The interested community health workers, women and other people of the villages are given training to prepare herbal kit in the park.  The kit has simple medicines, which can take care of their primary health care needs.  Triphala churna, Trikatu, Ashwagandha churna, Nirgundi taila, Brahmmi taila are a few to mention in the kit. Various educational packages has been developed for the Ayurvedic college students / Botany students / School children on conservation and other aspects of medicinal plants. Other major activities Upgrading of local cattle for providing high quality cross-bred progeny for increased milk production and cattle health management. Tree based farming systems. Micro-enterprises in rural areas to bring self-reliance and sufficiency in local economy. Watershed programmes. Community health and sanitation programmes. Applied research and training for rural development