The renovated silviculture museum at Forest Research Institute (FRI) was inaugurated by the director general of forests and special secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Siddhanta Das on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Das said that the modernised museum gallery will enable visitors to understand the evolution and historic events of forestry in India.

He further added that focus is now on the importance of different types of forests for ecosystem services and biodiversity support in our life. He said that the visitors would be benefitted by the information provided in various panels and would also get educated on various aspects of forestry.

Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) director general SC Gairola appreciated the conceptualisation and execution of modernisation of the silviculture museum gallery.

FRI director Savita said that the institute takes its educational role very seriously and hopes the students and other visitors FRI will be better informed about the role of forests in saving the environment and be inspired to plant more trees.

It should be mentioned here that the modernisation work has been funded by the Ministry of Culture. The silviculture museum gallery showcases the evolution of forestry in India, importance of forests, threats to forests like deforestation, forest fire, shifting cultivation, invasive plants, adverse climatic factors, insect pests and diseases through creatively designed informative panels.

It also highlights the accomplishments made in forestry along with the preparation and implementation of working plans for organised forest management.

The museum also has various diorama depicting the forests of tropical and temperate region, silviculture systems, ecosystem services and sustainable forest management along with different samples of seeds, roots, barks along with various models on forestry working and operations.

It also contains a panel showing the dimensions of forestry especially in terms of relationship between social, economic and ecological facets.

The other corner has all the important publications presented in a creative manner. There is one shelf devoted to changing faces of ‘The Indian Forester’ the third oldest forestry journal in the world being brought about by FRI uninterruptedly since 1875. There are showcases exhibiting nursery tools and accessories, mensuration tools, rock samples, forest fruits as well as harvesting, pruning and extraction implements.

Among the models there is also one on forest fire surveillance systems.