Benguet State U’s agro-forestry area now a nature park

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Colorful butterflies, Chirping birds. Wild and domesticated animals. Buzzing bees. A lush foliage consisting of pine and other tree species, medicinal plants, and shrubs.

These are what one finds in an agro-forestry area of the Benguet State University (BSU) in this capital town that is evolving into a nature park.

Occupying a portion of the BSU forest reservation in Barangay Bektey, the park has been conceived to showcase indigenous flora and fauna in the Cordilleras, said Dr. Sonwright Maddul, BSU vice president and biodiversity program leader.

The university’s biodiversity program has 10 components.

The flora component consists of the arboretum — bamboosectum garden (collections of bamboo and tree species), medicinal plant garden, agro-forestry farm (coffee under pine stands with passion fruits and chayote, and citrus under alnus trees), and a garden of indigenous rootcrops.

The fauna component, meanwhile, consists of the animal genetic resources ("Tangere") farm (native pigs, chicken, geese, turkey, bengals, fowls, and rabbits), butterfly farm, bee farm (spiary), bird or aviary sanctuary (crows, hawks, owls, maya, and migratory birds), and mericulture (silkworm) farm.

Maddul said the BSU is studying the possibility of adding wild animals to the "Tangere" collection such as cloud rats, oivet cats, snakes and other reptiles to complete a mini zoo.

Moreover, a natural museum is underway to serve as a repository of artifacts, farming implements and artworks of the Cordilleras.

Foot trails are being constructed within the park, which was formally opened to the public in February last year during the Benguet Adivay Festival.

"The trails would ensure the safety and convenience of visitors roaming around the park and the picnic grove," Mylen Ponciano wrote in The Mountain Collegian, the BSU’s official student publication.

The entrance fees collected will be used to maintain the park, which has five workers at present.