Sessa Orchid Sanctuary - Orchid Research and Development Centre Arunachal Pradesh

Sessa Orchid Sanctuary is a 100 km2 protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills in Bhalukpong Forest Division of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. It conjoins Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary to the southwest. It is a part of the Kameng Protected Area Complex (KPAC), which is an Elephant Reserve. See map. The department of Environment & Forests has developed trekking routes for visitors to enjoy the natural habitats of orchids. There are deep gorges and valleys, high peaks and rugged terrain that are rewarding for nature lovers and adventure tourists. A nursery includes representative specimens of various orchid species of the sanctuary and a demonstration farm of Cymbidium hybrids for cut-flower production. Most of Sessa has traditionally been claimed by the Bugun tribe as part of their territory.

Orchids
Sessa is noted for the occurrence of more than 200 orchid species with 5 new and endemic species. Sub-tropical types include the genera Dendorbium, Bulbophyllum, Coelogyne, Eria, Phaius and Liparis. The sanctuary is unique in having 7 endemic species of saprotrophic orchids. 12 rare species of different families were found in one study of the area.

Orchid centres located at Itanagar, Tipi, Sessa, Dirang, Jengging, Roing under the State Forest Research Institute have good germ-plasm collection with about 400 species and hybrids. Arunachal Pradesh having variety of ornamental orchids has great potentials in orchid trade industry which consists of mainly of plant and cut-flowers. Various ornamental orchid plants both species and hybrids are sold in market either bare-root or potted plants. In fact, orchid growing can be developed as a cottage

Ladies Slipper industry in Arunachal Pradesh.Orchids are an endangered plant group. Hence, orchid trade is regulated under the Convention of Internation Trade for Endangered Species (CITES). Since India is signatory to this convention, Orchid trade attracts the Wild Life Protection Act (1972) of government of India amended in 1992. Accordingly, Orchids have been brought under Schedule VI of Wild Life Protection Act and the trade is regulated as per Rule..

Realising the precarious situation in all the Orchid habitats within the State, the Orchid Society of Arunachal Pradesh was formed to spread the message of conservation and promotion of orchids throughout the State.

Orchid Research and Development Centre
The Government of Arunachal Pradesh in the late 70s created a post of Orchidologist in the Forest Department and in 1989 established the Orchid Research and Development Centre (ORDC) at Tipi, and the Sessa Orchid Sanctuary 20 km away. The ORDC is actively engaged in exploration and collection of Orchid species, cultivation in orchidaria and gardens for their taxonomic study, conservation of rare and endangered species, creation of germplasm collections and multiplication of rare species through tissue culture techniques. The ORDC discovered the new species: Biermannia jainiana, Cleistoma tricallosum, Dendrobium kentrophyllum, Epipogium sessanum, Eria jengingensis, Eria lohitensis, Gastrodia arunachalenisis and Herminium longilonbatum