Nainital: The Uttarakhand forest department is building a ‘Jurassic Park’ in Haldwani area of Nainital district. The park will not only have replicas of dinosaurs but will also focus on plant species that have survived from the Jurassic period (201 million years ago to 145 million years ago).
Forest department officials told TOI that the park, which is spread across one acre, will also help in research work and conserve the plant species that were present during the Jurassic era and have managed to survive till date. “The park will be an educational facility that will highlight a range of plant families whose ancestors thrived in the Jurassic period. There are a number of facilities in India which depict the dinosaurs from the Jurassic era. However, the park at Haldwani will be the first facility where plant species will also be on display,” said chief conservator of forests Sanjiv Chaturvedi. He added that the forest department, with the help of botanists and researchers, has identified seven such plant species — Ginkgo Biloba, Cycads, Ferns, Liverworts, Horsetails, Mosses and Conifers – that have been planted in the park. “The park will be open to the public by April. We will arrange an educational tour for the general public which will be assisted by our junior research fellows (JRF) as guides,” he said.
