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Sacred Bodhi tree’s journey to Oz 2300 years in the making Source:-www.awe.gov.au In a cultural first for Australia, a sapling from a sacred tree revered by the world’s Buddhist community has been imported from Sri Lanka in what can only be described as a great biosecurity success story. Head of Biosecurity at the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Andrew Tongue, said the sapling is from the famous Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa), under whose shade Buddha achieved enlightenment. “The specimen is a direct descendent of the original Bodhi tree in India, off which a branch was taken to Sri Lanka in 288BC,” Mr Tongue said. “As imported plants can carry a range of biosecurity risks, this sapling had to comply with our strict import conditions and will spend 12 months at our post entry quarantine (PEQ) facility. “These conditions help ensure the sapling is free of potentially dangerous plant ...