The Diplomat Desk
Jammu, TDD,November 30: The three-day National Workshop on Ethnobotany, organized by the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Chapter of Society of Ethnobotanists (SEB), Department of Botany, University of Jammu, concluded successfully today. The workshop, titled “Exploring the Cultural Connections to Plant Life”, witnessed enthusiastic participation from researchers, academicians, and students from various institutes and research centres.
The Valedictory Ceremony was graced by Sh. O.P. Sharma Vidyarthi, Retd. IFS officer of the state cadre and founder of the acclaimed initiative Tree Talk, as the Chief Guest. In his address, Sh. Vidyarthi emphasized the need to bridge traditional knowledge systems with contemporary scientific practices to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Highlighting the importance of field-based learning, he shared his insights from accompanying the participants on a field tour to Akhnoor, where they explored local ethnobotanical resources and their cultural significance. In addition to this Mr. Kamal Kishor Verma deliberated upon the uses of the wild plants by local people in Akhnoor. The workshop featured expert lectures by renowned resource persons, including Dr. A.K. Goel (SEB), Dr. V.V. Wagh (CSIR-NBRI), Dr. Arvind Saklani (Semi-Sabsina Group), Dr. Shreeker Pant (BGBSU), and Dr. Vartika Jain (Higher Education, Udaipur), who shared their expertise on various aspects of ethnobotany. These sessions provided participants with a deeper understanding of the interplay between traditional ecological knowledge and modern scientific approaches.
The culmination ceremony was attended by the Head of the Department, Prof. Susheel Verma, with a note that the workshop was a successful event wherein department has fostered with the participants for a rigorous training in the subject. He assured that such events will also be organized in future to strengthen the ability of the researchers and academicians. Dr. Harish Chander Dutt co-ordinator, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Chapter (SEB) and organizing secretary, National Workshop said that about 27 participants from various institutes like Govt DC Bani, GCW Gandhi Nagar, Cluster University of Jammu, Govt PG College Rajouri, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, RARI (CCRAS) were directly benefited by the experiences of the experts in Ethnobotany. This workshop not only deepened the participants’ understanding of ethnobotanical concepts but also fostered meaningful discussions on preserving traditional knowledge for future generations. The Department of Botany looks forward to hosting similar events to continue promoting research and awareness in this vital field. All the faculty members of the department Prof. Namrata Sharma, Prof. Veenu Kaul, Dr. Geeta, Dr. Skarma Nonzom, Dr. Romica, Dr. Komal Verma, Dr. Abhishek and the curators of the herbarium Mr. Nitan and Dr. Sajan were present during the valedictory ceremony. The proceedings were conducted by Ms. Ritika, while Dr. Sajan Thakur delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all the dignitaries, resource persons, and participants for their invaluable contributions to the success of the workshop.TDD
