Lucknow: Growing from digital herbarium to ‘Paawan Path’, a specially developed landscape dedicated to the conservation of herbs, and adding two new thematic gardens, CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) has strengthened further and diversified its garden collections and conservation infrastructure.“We created ‘Paawan Path’ (Plants and Associated Vegetations for Appreciating Nature). It functions as a living landscape for conservation and, together with nearby thematic gardens such as ViBhav Enclave and Bha(I)RaV Enclave, reinforces our botanical preservation efforts,” said Ajit Kumar Shasany, director of CSIR-NBRI.He said th
e institute also established two thematic botanical gardens combining curated living collections with digital tools to improve public engagement and scientific access. The State Plants of India Garden, developed as the Bhairav Enclave, brings together trees and flowers representing all Indian states. The garden features dual QR codes that provide detailed botanical information as well as audio-based content to support easier interpretation for visitors. Shasany said the second initiative, the Threatened Plants of India Garden, developed as the Vibhav Enclave, was designed in the outline of India’s map. It showcases rare and threatened plant species arranged by region, enabling visitors to understand geographic patterns of plant diversity and risk. QR-based access allows users to view taxonomy, conservation status, and related reference information through mobile devices. He said CSIR-NBRI advanced digital integration at its LWG Herbarium through AI implementation and QR-based tagging. Established in 1953, the herbarium houses more than 2.25 lakh preserved plant specimens. The institute introduced DRONA (Digital Recognition and Organisation of NBRI Herbarium using AI), developed in collaboration with a private venture, to enable faster recognition, digital organisation and retrieval of specimen data.
