Chennai: Mention Chengalpet district to most people, and they’re immediately reminded of Vedanthangal bird sanctuary. But a quieter, greener landmark is now taking root alongside it — a lush ecological hub known as the Maragadha Pooncholai with a pollinator garden in the village of Acharappakkam.Tamil Nadu’s Maragadha Pooncholai initiative has established dedicated pollinator gardens across all its village green sites, said I Anwardeen, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Research and Education. It incorporated 147 flowering species to support bees, butterflies and other pollinating fauna throughout the year.Each Maragadha Pooncholai is developed as a structured village green featuring native tree plantation, biodiversity nurseries, rainwater harvesting structures and protective fencing.The pollinator gardens, installed in addition to the 625 trees planted at each site, are designed using flowering native and ornamental plants selected to provide continuous nectar, pollen and larval host plants across all seasons.The gardens collectively support six plant categories, 147 flowering pollinator species, 60 nectar plants, 30 larval host plants, 26 bee forage plants, 19 species of night pollinator plants and 14 pollinator support plants. Abundant species include Alari, Sembaruthi, Vetchi, Nithyakalyani, Nandhiyavattai, Panneer Roja, Samanthi, Gundu Malli, Kagidha Poo and Pavazhamalli, selected for their flowering duration, nectar output and pollinator compatibility.The gardens are already attracting documented butterfly species including Common Mormon, Plain Tiger, Blue Tiger, Common Rose and Tawny Coster. Six bee species have been recorded, Indian honey bee, Rock bee, Dwarf honey bee, Stingless bees, Carpenter bees and Leaf-cutter bees, alongside hoverflies, flower beetles, wasps, moths, sunbirds and other nectar-feeding birds.Several tree species, including Pavazhamalli, Ilavam, Iluppai, Naval and Murungai, indirectly support nectar-feeding fruit bats and insectivorous bats by providing canopy, roosting habitat and seasonal fruit resources, while the insect abundance benefits bat foraging further.Officials state the gardens serve measurable ecological functions beyond ornamental value, enhancing pollination of wild plants and adjacent agricultural crops, conserving butterfly populations through larval host provision, improving seed and fruit production, and strengthening overall ecosystem resilience.The initiative is described as a scalable model for climate-resilient, biodiversity-friendly rural landscapes and is positioned among the state’s most significant nature-based conservation programmes. The blueprint can be replicated across similar rural green infrastructure projects statewide, he added.
