On August 5th, a unique spice garden was inaugurated at Soni in Ranikhet.
This spice garden showcases unique Himalayan spices.
The garden has been developed by the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department. At the time of inauguration, the garden had over 30 spices, of which 8 are from the Allium family (onion) of the Himalayan region.
More nature treats
Uttarakhand Forest Research Institute also routinely shares rare flora (plants) and fauna (animals) from the Uttarakhand and Terai region.
Today, we bring you some of the most spectacular shares of August 2022.
All images from the Twitter account of Uttarakhand Forest Research Institute.
Kashmiri Flying Squirrel spotted in Ranikhet
The Kashmiri Flying Squirrel, as the name suggests, is commonly found in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. In Uttarakhand, it was spotted in 1997, then in August 2021, and most recently, on August 26th, 2022.
This is the easternmost sighting of this creature.
Squirrels play an important part in conservation because they bury seeds and nuts in the soil.
The Blooming of the Brahma Kamal
The Brahma Kamal (the lotus of the Brahma) is a unique flower which occurs naturally only in the Uttarakhand region. It blooms at this time of the year and is a sight to behold. This flower is very rare in the plains.
The UFRI shared this image of abundant Brahma Kamal blooms.
The flower has medicinal properties and is used in both Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine.
Krishna Kamal/Passion Flower
The Passion Flower is also called Krishna Kamal in India. This is what it looks like.
Redbreast Butterfly
The redbreast butterfly (Papilio alcmenor) is native to the North East. It was last spotted in Uttarakhand in 1910. It has been spotted this year after a gap of 111 years.
Purple Coral Mushroom
Yes, this really is a mushroom! And its not poisonous. In fact, it is full of nutrients and anti oxidants. It looks like a coral on land, hence the name – Purple Coral Mushroom (Ramaria versatilis).
The Uttarakhand Forest Research Institute routinely posts such images at the Twitter handle @ukfrihaldwani.