Rajabhatkhawa (Alipurduar), May 3: Environmentalists from across the world have converged on Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) for a thorough study of orchids.

The project has been launched by Institute of Forest Productivity under the Indian Council of Forestry and Education in collaboration with London-based NGO Earth Watch. The visiting team is led by Hcindsu Veerendra, a scientist from the Ranchi branch of the forest productivity institute. Besides Veerendra, the group comprises Hannah Rooley of Earth Watch, and representatives of Sri Lanka, the US, Japan and Australia.

The project took off when the institute sent a proposal to Earth Watch, which accepted it and promised to provide Rs 45 lakh for the work that will take three years to complete. ?We asked Veerendra who will benefit from the project and when he told us that it would be residents of fringe villages, we agreed to provide the fund,? said Rooley.

?Orchids are bio-indicators, that is, they are so sensitive that even a slight change in climate can push them to the brink of extinction. We are trying to find out how the change in climate affects the plants and their sustaining capability,? Veerendra told The Telegraph from Jungle Lodge here. ?We will also train forest villagers how to conserve and cultivate orchids at a low cost. It will help them financially because rare varieties of the plants are sold for several thousands of rupees.?

Six to seven teams of scientists are supposed to visit the BTR, the land of at least 156 species of rare orchids, every year and conduct the study for at least 15 days.