A living conservation garden
The 3-acre ethno-botanical garden at Mayilampatty conserves medicinal species known to the region's ethnic communities — a permanent educational resource for multiple community groups.
Medicinal plants cultivation training
A Coodu Trust initiative in Karur district, Tamil Nadu — a 3-acre ethno-botanical garden at Mayilampatty and cultivation & marketing training for rural women at Velliyani.
3
Acre ethno-botanical garden
200
Women trained in 2020
2,500+
Plant species used by traditional healers
4
Training curriculum modules
The project
From a conservation garden to women's livelihoods
Project mission
Preserving traditional medicinal plant knowledge and biodiversity through the establishment of an ethno-botanical garden, training women in medicinal plant cultivation and marketing, and creating livelihood opportunities through medicinal plant-based enterprises — bridging indigenous healing traditions with modern livelihood development.
India's traditional medicine systems — Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani, alongside folk medicine — draw upon approximately 2,500 plant species used by traditional healers, with over 100 species serving as regular sources of medicine. To conserve this heritage, Coodu Trust established a 3-acre ethno-botanical garden at its Mayilampatty field office in Karur district in 2002–2003 under the Biodiversity Conservation programme — a living repository serving farmers, schools, colleges, folk healers and women's SHG groups.
In October 2020 the Trust carried that conservation work into livelihoods: 200 women were trained at Velliyani, Karur district, over two 2-day sessions (7–8 October and 28–29 October 2020) across a 4-module curriculum spanning plant value, home gardens, nursery raising, and cultivation and marketing — an 18-year arc from conservation infrastructure to community livelihood application. The Trust is also a member of the LEISA Network for sustainable agriculture, including medicinal plants.
- Biodiversity conservation
- Women's training
- Nursery raising
- Cultivation & marketing
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Traditional plant knowledge without a home
The medicinal plant knowledge of the region's ethnic communities — the basis of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and folk medicine — has no permanent living repository where it can be conserved and taught.
Our response
A 3-acre ethno-botanical garden
Established at Mayilampatty in 2002–2003 under the Biodiversity Conservation programme — a living repository of species known to ethnic communities, serving farmers, schools, colleges, folk healers and women's SHG groups.
The challenge
Plants with value, but no pathway to income
Rural women live among marketable medicinal species yet lack the cultivation, nursery and marketing skills to turn them into household health security or enterprise.
Our response
A four-module livelihood curriculum
200 women trained at Velliyani over two 2-day sessions in October 2020 — from home gardens for family health to nursery raising, commercial cultivation and market channels.
At a glance
The essentials
- Scheme
- Trust initiativeEstablished & managed by Coodu Trust — a registered non-profit working in Tamil Nadu since 2000
- Period
- 2002–PresentGarden established 2002–2003; women's training conducted October 2020
- Coverage
- Karur districtEthno-botanical garden at Mayilampatty field office; training & medicinal plant nursery at Velliyani
- Beneficiaries
- 200 women trainedGarden also serves farmers, schools, colleges, folk healers & women's SHG groups
- Networks
- LEISA NetworkMember of the sustainable agriculture network covering medicinal plants
- Part of
- Horticulture portfolioRelated: Nursery Technology Training (2013–2014) & Community Herbal Nursery SHG enterprise
Outcomes
What the project changed
Home gardens & enterprise skills
200 trained women can grow medicinal species in their backyards for family health — and carry commercial nursery, cultivation and marketing skills from home garden to micro-enterprise.
Conservation-to-production ecosystem
The conservation garden at Mayilampatty and the production nursery at Velliyani form a complete ecosystem — from species conservation and research to training and commercial production, all within Karur district.
Get involved
Support medicinal plant livelihoods
Help us conserve traditional plant knowledge and train more rural women in medicinal plant cultivation, nursery raising and marketing across Tamil Nadu.