Teak

The Teak Museum is located at Nilambur in Malappuram district. The museum is located on the campus of the sub centre of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and was established in 1995. The world’s first teak (Tectona grandis) plantation was raised in Nilambur way back in the 1840s in order to ensure a steady supply of Teak timber to the British empire in India. The extensive root system of a 55-year-old teak tree is exhibited in the portico of the museum. The ground floor of the museum exhibits a translite of Kannimara Teak, the oldest naturally growing teak tree located at the Parambikulam wild-life sanctuary and the life-size replica of the trunk of the largest known teak tree growing in the Malayattoor forest division. Another translite of a giant tree present in the oldest teak plantation in the Conollys Plot at Nilambur offers the visitors a glimpse into the teak plantation activities undertaken 160 years ago. Teak poles of varying sizes and qualities obtained during the process of Thinning of teak plantations are also displayed along with the necessary details of standard classification of teak poles. The depiction of foliage, flowers, fruits and bark of the tree gives us a deeper insight in to the other characteristics of the teak. Here, one can also find the large stump of a 480-year-old teak tree brought from Nagarampara forest range in Kottayam division.  There is an 800-metre long bio-resources nature trail on the museum campus. This nature trail passes through a heavy growth of shrubs, trees and bamboos. There are different species of birds and reptiles here. There are 50 naturally grown tree species and 136 endangered and near-extinct tree species of the Western Ghats planted in this nature trail. About 58 species of birds, both resident and migratory, has been recorded in this area. There is a medicinal plant garden consisting of 150 species in this trail.

Some of the other special attractions of the museum are a series of interesting paintings portraying tree felling operations, a collection of photographs on the phonological events of teak at different seasons, exhibits on traditional harvesting tools and wood samples of different ages from various parts of the world.

Railway Station: Nilambur, about 3 km from the Teak Museum.

Airport: Karipur International Airport, about 36 km from Malappuram.