The rapid decline of medicinal plants due to overharvesting and habitat loss threatened both biodiversity and traditional healing practices. In 2021, Green Foundation Nepal worked with traditional healers and local communities in Sindhupalchok to establish medicinal plant conservation zones. Community members documented 120 medicinal plant species used in traditional medicine, many of which were becoming rare. Conservation zones were established in community forests, with sustainable harvesting guidelines developed in consultation with traditional healers. Nurseries were set up to propagate endangered species. The initiative not only preserved biodiversity but also revitalized traditional knowledge, with elders training younger generations in plant identification and traditional healing practices.
