Biodiversity museum opens in Trivandrum

The century-old boathouse at the end of the Parvathy Puthanar  at Vallakkadavu in Thiruvananthapuram to feature a biodiversity museum, established by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB). Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the museum on June 5 to coincide with the World Environment Day.

A major highlight of the museum will be the Science on a Sphere (SOS) spherical projection system, the first-of-its-kind in the State, which has been developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in US.It will provide real-time data of climatic parameters, and will also act as an educational tool that projects their correlation with biodiversity.

The Interactive electronic kiosks are designed in a manner that they provide relevant information with respect to the user. The kiosks will prompt the user to state their profession before explaining the kind of relationship they shared with the biodiversity. Once it gets the required data, it will take the user into a whole domain of interconnection of the particular ecosystem with others.

There will also be numerous dioramas on various ecosystems including the coastal and underwater ecosystems. Extensive details regarding various biodiversity hotspots, particularly those in the State, will also be displayed. A first-of-its-kind 3D theatre that exhibits biodiversity-related films will also be in place at the museum.

The museum will be open on all days except Mondays between 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.