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In 2002, Hemlata Pradhan was returning home to Kalimpong in the eastern Himalaya region of India, after completing her master鈥檚 in natural history illustration at the Royal College of Art in London. She drove the 41 miles from Siliguri to Sikkim on National Highway number 10, with hills on one side of the road and the Teesta River flowing in parallel on the opposite side. This highway serves as a vital lifeline, connecting people from  Sikkim and Kalimpong with the rest of the country. She recalls her shock as she observed her surroundings after having been away: 鈥淚 found numerous trees had been cut down for a dam on the Teesta River at Kalijhora.鈥�

Pradhan couldn鈥檛 help but think of the lasting this dam would have on her local ecology. It was the moment when she resolved to preserve the floral world of her hills with her paintbrush. 

Bhutan, Nepal, and northeastern India鈥攊ncluding Kalimpong鈥攁re part of a transboundary complex in the Eastern Himalayas called the. It forms a part of what scientists call the 鈥楬imalayan Biodiversity鈥攐ne of the biologically richest landscapes in the region.

For the past two decades, Pradhan has dedicated her life to capturing the beauty of eastern Himalayan flora on canvas. Her exquisite paintings of orchids and rhododendrons have been showcased in exhibitions around the world. Her and other botanical illustrators鈥� work offer a potential solution for preserving the region鈥檚 flora in the face of climate change.

鈥淲ith climate change and fast infrastructural development, there is an ecological change in the hills of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and as an botanical illustrator, I feel it is important that we sensitize our younger generation to the importance of conservation of the local flora and fauna,鈥� says the 49-year-old artist.

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Pradhan鈥檚 passion for botanical art blossomed during her formative years as she grew up observing her father, Udai C. Pradhan, an orchidologist and botanical illustrator who has authored several books on the plants. 鈥淐onservation was a vital lesson that I learned from my father, who used to teach us the names of plants, trees, insects, and birds that surrounded us,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e also took us on field trips to the nearby jungles of Lava and Kaefer, allowing us to observe nature at its finest.鈥�

In 2011, Pradhan founded the Himalayan Trust for Natural History Art, an located in Pudung Busty, a remote village beside the Relli river. 鈥淚 teach a group of rural children, primarily girls from marginalized backgrounds, the wonders of art and the natural world,鈥� she says.

Similarly, when discussing the conservation of orchids, rhododendrons, and other endemic flowers of the eastern Himalayas, 82-year-old MC Rai, a resident of a remote village in Sandakphu within the Singalila Ridge, emphasizes the importance of preserving these mountain blooms. The flowers hold a profound significance in the cultural and religious traditions of the Indigenous community residing in the region. 

鈥淔or the Indigenous Kirat Rai community, orchid, also known as sunakhari, is a crucial flower used in offerings to our gods,鈥� Rai says. 鈥淟ikewise, people living in the villages near the Indo-Nepal border brew a strong alcohol infused with flowers of rhododendron called guras ko raksi. This potent drink is used in important life ceremonies like marriages and other important social gatherings,鈥� shares the former school teacher, who says he has witnessed the changing biodiversity of his region in his lifetime. 鈥� are losing their host plants due to tree felling for development, and, locally known as guras are also losing their natural habitat,鈥� he laments. 

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Around 600 kilometers west of  Kalimpong, Nepalese botanical illustrator Neera Joshi employs watercolors to bring to life the distinctive Himalayan flowers such as rhododendrons, orchids, and magnolias on canvas. She is recognized for her significant contributions to the study of the local flora, including her involvement in 鈥� III,鈥� which features numerous botanical line drawings for scientific articles.

鈥淰isual communication plays a crucial role in conservation,鈥� Joshi says. 鈥淸Botanical paintings] can be used in educational programs, botanical gardens, and museums to raise awareness about the diversity of plant life and the importance of conservation. These illustrations can engage the public and inspire a deeper appreciation for plants and their role in ecosystems.鈥�

For nearly two decades, Joshi, now 55, has been teaching botanical illustrations to artists and scientists, believing that her teaching is contributing to the preservation of the region鈥檚 floral kingdom through art.

鈥淎t first, I was unfamiliar with botanical illustration as a distinct art form,鈥� says Finnish botanical illustrator Jari Laukka, who has been studying under Joshi鈥檚 tutelage since 2020. 鈥淗owever, upon discovering Neera鈥檚 impressive portfolio, I was eager to have her as my teacher. During a visit to her studio, I had the opportunity to witness her artwork firsthand, and I was genuinely impressed by her expertise and meticulous attention to detail, qualities essential in botanical art.鈥� He is now preparing an exhibition of his botanical paintings. 

鈥淚n contrast to other art genres within fine arts, where artists often have the freedom to be more subjective and emphasize aesthetics,鈥� Joshi says, 鈥渂otanical illustration serves the purpose of providing a comprehensive representation of a plant, allowing for easy identification. It demands accuracy and patience, which can be a challenge for new artists.鈥� 

And the stakes are high, too.

Rhododendrons and orchids hold great cultural significance in the local communities, but they are under threat. Rhododendrons are undergoing due to climate change, while orchids are suffering from widespread, harvested for their medicinal properties. 

鈥淎rt can serve as a valuable conservation tool,鈥� says Rajendra Yonzone, assistant professor in the department of Botany at Kolkata鈥檚 Victoria Institution, 鈥渢rue conservation can occur naturally if we allow these elements to thrive in their natural habitat.鈥� Yonzone, a native of Kalimpong with an extensive background in the study of the flora of the eastern Himalayas, emphasizes that the main challenge arises from unregulated construction and infrastructure development. These activities often occur without adequate planning, environmental impact assessments, or management strategies in place. To facilitate the balance between conservation and development, she says it is crucial to integrate scientific expertise and careful planning into the process. 

Yonzone acknowledges the intricacy, discipline, and hard work involved in botanical art, but he also highlights its limitations. 鈥淚n today鈥檚 technology-driven world, digital display through photography can offer a quicker and more efficient means of preserving plants and their scientific details.鈥� Photographic documentation of plants is faster to capture, easier to store, and simpler to transfer, he explains.

However, Hemlata contends that botanical illustration excels in capturing and emphasizing details that might prove elusive in photos. 鈥淓lements like cluttered backgrounds or any plant deformations encountered when photographing a plant in its natural habitat can be completely omitted in a painting.鈥� Botanical illustration, she says, serves a unique purpose in identifying and depicting plants more intimately than photographs.