Pakistan Forest Institute
Peshawar, Pakistan
Peshawar, Pakistan
The Museum is housed in the main building of the Institute and consists of three big halls measuring 160x40 feet, 80x39 feet and 79x39 feet. There is also a gallery on the west side of the main eastern hall of the museum. The Museum walls are wood paneled, displaying a number of important timbers grown in the country. Beautiful parquet flooring of teak has been done in all the three halls of the Museum.
Although a few items for the Museum were there since 1952 the Museum was really set up only in 1965. It is still being gradually developed along with the Institute. New and better exhibits are being added to the Museum as the time passes. In the short period since its inception, several articles, models, charts and exhibits have either made or acquired and are on displayed in the Museum. Four main division of the Museum deal with forestry research, biological sciences research, wood products research and forest education.
The forestry research division exhibits include materials depicting zonation of forest and the main tree species found in our forests. A model of irrigated forest plantation explains the techniques of raising tree crops in arid and semi-arid parts of Pakistan with canal irrigation. The exhibits also include a large number of photos of forest types and tree species found in the country and a display of technical papers and article published by the division. In the biological science research division there are a number of exhibits of general interest concerning some of our important tree species grown in Pakistan. Recently a fossilized tree dating back to millions of years obtained from the salt range has been added to the exhibits. A large cross-sectional disc of deodar cut from a tree about 350 years old is also being displayed showing the chronological occurrence of important historical events which happened during the life time of tree. There is a large collection of medicinal plants found in our forests and the pharmaceutical products obtained from them have also been exhibited. This section also shows various diseases of wood and various types of damages done to timber by the fungi. Several insect pests have been preserved and displayed along with the damage wood specimens. Some spraying and dusting equipment for the application of pesticides are also exhibited. A fish aquarium has also been setup in this division. A wildlife section is represented by common birds and animals (stuffed) found in our forests. The exhibits about the so-called minor forest produce would be of interest to the visitors.
The wood products research division contains a revolving cabinet having microscopic structure of wood of important timber species of Pakistan can be seen. There is a model of wood seasoning kiln which explains the techniques of timber seasoning. Many other wood based industries such as paper manufacture, match industry, sports goods industry, resin tapping and turpentine manufacture, pencil manufacture and plywood and chipboard products are also exhibited in this division. The forest education division shows different kinds of instruments used for surveying forest areas, measuring heights and girths of tree, sawing tools and logging equipment, etc. other exhibits are related to the curricula of the Degree in Forestry courses of the Pakistan Forest Institute and are of considerable interest to the students.
