• to Help Sustain Soils?
• to Promote More Sustainable Agriculture?
• to Help Reduce Pesticide Use and Exposure?
• to Control Common Insect Pests and Weeds?
• to Reduce Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution?
• to Reduce Water Waste?
• to Reduce Water Pollution?
• to Reduce Solid Waste?

• to Reduce Hazardous Waste?
• to Help Preserve Biodiversity?
• to Be a Responsible Ecotourist?
• to Help Protect Endangered and Threatened Species?
• to Waste Less Energy?
• to Help Protect Your Health?
• to Reduce the Threat of Climate Change By Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions?

What Can You Do to Help Sustain Soils?

• Keep soil covered with vegetation.
• When building a home save as much soil as possible. Require the contractor to disturb as little soil as possible, set up barriers to catch any soil eroded during construction, and save and replace any topsoil removed instead of hauling it off and selling it.
• Set up a compost bin and use it to produce soil conditioner for yard and garden plants.

What Can You Do to Promote More Sustainable Agriculture?

• Waste less food.
• Eat lower on the food chain by reducing or eliminating meat consumption to reduce its environmental impact.
• Grow some of your own food using organic farming techniques and drip irrigation to water your crops.
• Buy organic food at grocery stores, food, co-ops, and farmer’s markets.
• Compost your food wastes.
• Think globally, eat locally. Whenever possible, eat food that is locally grown and in season.

What Can You Do to Help Reduce Pesticide Use and Exposure?

• Do not insist on perfect-looking fruits and vegetables. These are more likely to contain high levels of pesticide residues.
• Use pesticides in or around your home only when absolutely necessary, and use them in the smallest amount possible.
• Wash and scrub all fresh fruits and vegetables and when possible peel them to help remove pesticide residues.
• Grow your own fruits and vegetable using organic methods.
• Buy organically grown food

What Can You Do to Reduce Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution?

• Reduce use of fossil fuels. Drive a car that gets at least 15 kilometers per liter (35 miles per gallon), join a carpool, and use mass transit, walking, and bicycling as much as possible. This reduces emissions of CO₂ and other air pollutants, saves energy and money, and can improve your health.
• Obtain as much heat and cooling as possible from noncarbon natural sources, especially sun, wind, geothermal energy, and trees.
• Buy the most energy-efficient homes, lights, cars, and appliances available. Evaluate them only in terms of lifetime cost.
• Test for radon inside your house and take corrective measures as needed.
• Remove your shoes before entering your house. This reduces inputs of dust, lead, and pesticides.
• Do not store gasoline, solvents, or other volatile hazardous chemicals inside a home or attached garage.
• If you smoke, do it outside or in a closed room vented to the outside.

What Can You Do to Reduce Water Waste?

• Install water-saving toilets that use no more than 6 liters (1.6 gallons) per flush.
• If you live in a water-short area, flush toilets only when necessary. Consider using the advice found on a bathroom wall in a drought-stricken area: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
• Shower instead of taking baths and take short showers.
• Check frequently for water leaks in toilets and pipes, and repair them promptly. A toilet must be leaking more than 940 liters (250 gallons) per day before you can hear the leak. To test for toilet leaks, add a water-soluble vegetable dye to the water in the tank but don’t flush. If you have a leak, some color will show up in the bowl’s water within about 15 minutes.
• Turn off sink faucets while brushing teeth, shaving, or washing.
• Wash only full loads of clothes or use the lowest possible water-level setting for smaller loads.
• When buying a new washer, choose one that uses the least amount of water and that fills up to different levels for loads of different sizes. Front-loading models use less water and energy than comparable top-loading models.
• When washing many dishes by hand, do not t let the faucet run. Instead, use one filled dishpan or sink for washing and another for rinsing.
• Keep one or more large bottles of water in the refrigerator rather than running water from the tap until it gets cold enough for drinking.
• Wash a car from a bucket of soapy water, and use the hose for rinsing only. If you use a commercial car wash, try to find one that recycles its water.
• Reduce evaporation losses by watering lawns and gardens in the early morning or evening rather than in the heat of midday or when it’s windy.
• Use drip irrigation and mulch for gardens and flowerbeds. Better yet, landscape with native plants adapted to local average annual precipitation so that watering is unnecessary.
• Use recycled (gray) water for watering lawns and houseplants and for washing cars.

What Can You Do to Reduce Water Pollution?

• Use manure or compost instead of commercial inorganic fertilizers to fertilize garden and yard plants.
• Use biological methods or integrated pest management instead of conventional chemical pesticides to control garden, yard, and household pests.
• Grow some of your own food using organic farming techniques and drip irrigation to water your crops.
• Buy organic foods at grocery stores or better at local food co-ops and farmer’s markets.
• Compost your food wastes.
• Use low-phosphate, phosphate-free, or biodegradable dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, and shampoo.
• Do not use water fresheners in toilets.
• Do not throw unwanted medicines down the toilet.
• Never apply fertilizer or pesticides near a body of water.
• Clean up spilled oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, and other harmful chemicals.
• Use less harmful substances instead of commercial chemicals for most household cleaners. For example, use (1) liquid ammonia to clean appliances and windows, (2) vinegar to polish metals, clean surfaces, and remove stains and mildew, (3) baking soda to clean household utensils, deodorize, and remove stains, (4) borax to remove stains and mildew, and (5) mineral oil to wax floors and polish furniture.
• Do not pour pesticides, paints, solvents, oil, antifreeze, or other products containing harmful chemicals down the drain or onto the ground. Contact your local health department about disposal.

What Can You Do to Reduce Solid Waste?

• Buy less by asking yourself whether you really need a particular item.
• Follow the four R’s of resource use: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
• Rent, borrow, or barter goods and services when you can.
• Buy things that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and be sure to reuse, recycle, and compost them.
• Buy environmentally friendly (green) products.
• Reduce your use of wood and paper products, recycle paper products, and buy recycled paper products.
• Try to buy beverages in refillable glass containers instead of cans or throwaway bottles.
• Use reusable plastic or metal lunchboxes.
• Carry sandwiches and store food in the refrigerator in reusable containers instead of wrapping them in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
• Use rechargeable batteries and recycle them when their useful life is over.
• Carry groceries and other items in a reusable basket, a canvas or string bag, or a small cart.
• Use reusable sponges and washable cloth napkins, dishtowels, and handkerchiefs instead of throwaway paper ones.
• Do not use throwaway paper and plastic plates, cups, and eating utensils, and other disposable items when reusable or refillable versions are available.
• Buy recycled goods, especially those made by primary recycling, and then make an effort to recycle them.
• Reduce the amount of junk mail you get.
  • Use e-mail in place of conventional paper mail.
  • Buy products in concentrated form whenever possible.
  • Lobby local officials to set up a community composting program if you don’t have such a program.

What Can You Do to Help Preserve Biodiversity?

• Plant trees regularly and take care of them.
• Reduce your use of wood and paper products, recycle paper products, and buy recycled paper products.
• Only buy furniture, doors, flooring, paneling, and other wood that have been certified as having been grown sustainably.
• Help rehabilitate or restore a degraded area of forest or grassland near your home.
• When building a home, save all the trees and as much natural vegetation as possible.
• When building a home save as much soil as possible.
• Landscape areas not used for gardening with a mix of wildflowers, herbs (for cooking and for repelling insects), low-growing ground cover, small bushes, and other forms of vegetation natural to the area.

What Can You Do to Be a Responsible Ecotourist?

• Before embarking on an ecotour, seek answers in writing to the following questions: (1) What precautions are taken to reduce the tour’s impact on local ecosystems and species? (2) What percentage of the people involved in planning, organizing, and guiding tours are local? (3) Are the guides trained naturalists? (4) Will you stay in locally owned hotels or other facilities, or will you be staying in accommodations owned by national or international companies? (5)Does the tour operation respect local customs and cultures? If so, how? (6) What percentage of the tour’s gross income goes into the salaries and businesses of local residents? (7) What percentage of tour’s gross income does the tour company donate to local conservation and social projects?
• Stay on designated trails and at designated campsites and follow the wilderness motto of leaving no trace.
• Do not harass or disturb animal and plant life.
• Do not buy furs, ivory products, items made of reptile skin, tortoiseshell jewelry, feathers, and materials made from endangered or threatened animal species.

What Can You Do to Help Protect Endangered and Threatened Species?

• On land you own do not destroy or degrade wetlands or terrestrial habitats that contain endangered or threatened species and develop a plan for protecting such species.
• Do not buy furs, ivory products, items made of reptile skin or other animal skins, tortoiseshell jewelry, feathers, and materials made from endangered or threatened animal species.
• Do not buy wood and paper products produced by cutting remaining old-growth forests in the tropics and elsewhere. Information on such products can be obtained from the Rainforest Action Network, Rainforest Alliance, and Friends of the Earth.
• Do not buy aquarium fish taken from coral reefs. Often these fish are harvested by stunning them with squirts of cyanide or dynamite. This harms coral reefs and kills other aquatic species.
• Do not buy birds, snakes, turtles, birds and other animals that are taken from the wild.
• Do not buy orchids, cacti, and other plants that are taken from the wild.
• Do buy sustainably harvested products such as shade-grown coffee, nuts and other products sustainably harvested products.
• Get pets from the Humane Society or other animal shelters.
• Do buy fabrics made from organically grown linen, cotton, and other fabrics.

What Can You Do to Waste Less Energy?

• Reduce use of fossil fuels. Drive a car that gets at least 15 kilometers per liter (35 miles per gallon), join a carpool, and use mass transit, walking, and bicycling as much as possible.
• Drive less and consolidate trips.
• See if you can substitute a phone call or e-mail for a trip by car.
• Turn off lights, TV sets, computers, and other electronic equipment when they are not in use.
• Fix faucet or pipe leaks, especially for hot water.
• Wash laundry in warm or cold water.
• Eat locally grown foods in season.
• Recycle paper, metals, and glass and compost organic wastes.
• Buy materials and products that are made locally and that are long lasting.
• Obtain as much heat and cooling as possible from natural sources, especially sun, wind, geothermal energy, and trees.
• Buy the most energy-efficient homes, lights, cars, and appliances available. Evaluate them only in terms of lifetime cost.
• Lower the cooling load on an air conditioner by increasing the thermostat setting, installing energy-efficient lighting, using floor and ceiling fans, and using whole-house window or attic fans to bring in outside air (especially at night, when temperatures are cooler).

What Can You Do to Help Protect Your Health?

• Do not smoke.
• Avoid excess sunlight (which ages skin and can cause skin cancer).
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Reduce consumption of foods containing cholesterol, fats, saturated fats, sugars, salt, and sodium.
• If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation (no more than two drinks in a single day).
• Loose excess weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• If you drive, do it safely and in a vehicle with the best available safety equipment. Driving is the most dangerous thing most people do.

What Can You Do to Reduce the Threat of Climate Change By Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions?

• Reduce use of fossil fuels. Drive a car that gets at least 15 kilometers per liter (35 miles per gallon), join a carpool, and use mass transit, walking, and bicycling as much as possible.
• Drive less and consolidate trips.
• See if you can substitute a phone call or e-mail for a trip by car.
• Insulate new or existing houses heavily, caulk and weatherstrip to reduce air infiltration and heat loss, and use energy-efficient windows.
• Obtain as much heat and cooling as possible from natural noncarbon sources, especially sun, wind, geothermal energy, and trees.
• Wash laundry in warm or cold water.
• Use a low-flow showerhead.
• Buy the most energy-efficient homes, lights, cars, and appliances available. Evaluate them only in terms of lifetime cost.
• Turn thermostats down in winter and up in summer.
• Recycle paper, metals, and glass and compost organic wastes.
• Buy materials and products that are made locally and that are long lasting.

K Wickramasinghe and P Steele
Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

Sinharaja is a forest in south-west wet zone of Sri Lanka which contians a high Bio diversity. A large proportion of flora and fauna in this forest is endemic to the country and some endemic to the Singharaja Forest itself. This is a very good place to see many endemic birds such as Ceylon Lorikeet, Layard’s parakeet, Jungle and Spur Fowl, Ceylon Wood Pigeon, Grey Hombill, Spotted wing Thrush, Rufous and Brown- capped Babbler, Ashy-headed Laughing Thrush, Ceylon Blue Magpie, White Headed Starling, Ceylon Hill Mynha, Legge’s Flowerpecker. The clear cut roads in to the jungle provide easy access to the forest. This important forest is a Man and Biosphere Forest reserve and it is considered as a World Heritage Site.

Fauna

Fauna Endemism is high, particularly for birds with 19 (95%) of 20 species endemic to Sri Lanka present. Endemism among mammals and butterflies is also greater than 50%.
Threatened mammals are leopard Panthera pardus and Indian elephant Elephas maximus (E). The endemic purple-faced langur Presbytis senex is present. Birds considered to be endangered or rare (Hoffmann, 1984) are Sri Lanka wood pigeon Columba torringtoni, green-billed coucal Centropus chlororhynchus, Sri Lanka white-headed starling Sturnus senex, Sri Lanka blue magpie Cissa ornata, and ashy-headed babbler Garrulax cinereifrons, all of which are endemic, and red-faced malkoha Phaenicophaeus pyrrhocephalus. Of interest is the presence of Sri Lanka broad-billed roller Eurystomus orientalis irisi (I), sightings of which have decreased markedly in the last five years (Zoysa and Raheem, 1987). Of the reptiles and amphibia, python Python molurus is vulnerable and a number of endemic species are likely to be threatened. Noteworthy species include Calotes liolepis, the rarest of all Agamids on the island, the rare rough-nose horned lizard Ceratophora aspera, restricted to part of Sri Lanka’s wet zone, and Ramella palmata, a rare endemic microhylid (Zoysa and Raheem, 1987). Threatened freshwater fish are combtail Belontia signata (R), smooth-breasted snakehead Channa orientalis (R), black ruby barb Barbus nigrofasciatus (V), cherry barb Barbus titeya (V) and red-tail goby Sicydium halei (V), the conservation status of which is considered in Evans (1981). Of the 21 species of endemic butterfly, Sri Lanka rose Atrophaneura jophon is vulnerable (Collins and Morris, 1985). Sri Lankan five-bar sword Graphium antiphates ceylonicus, which is considered to be very rare, is not uncommon in Sinharaja at certain times of the year (J.N. Banks, pers. comm., 1986). Zoysa and Raheem (1987) comprehensively summarise what is known about the fauna.

An early account of the fauna is given by Baker (1937). Preliminary lists of the fauna (viz. mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and butterflies) have been compiled (March for Conservation, 1985) and are included in the draft conservation plan (ForestDepartment, 1985).

Vegetation

Two main types of forest can be recognised. Remnants of Dipterocarpus forest occur in valleys and on their lower slopes, with hora D. zeylanicus and bu hora D. hispidus present in almost pure stands. Secondary forest and scrub occur where the original forest cover has been removed by shifting cultivation and in other places the forest has been replaced by rubber and tea plantations (Rosayro, 1954). Mesua-Doona (Shorea) forest, the climax vegetation over most of the reserve, covers the middle and upper slopes above 500m (Rosayro, 1942) or above 335m as suggested by Gunatilleke and Gunatilleke (1985). Garcinia hermonii followed by Xylopia championii invariably dominate the understorey tree stratum, a range of species dominate the subcanopy and na Mesua nagassarium usually predominates in the canopy layer (Gunatilleke and Gunatilleke, 1985). Details about the structure and composition of the vegetation are summarised by Zoysa and Raheem (1987).

Of Sri Lanka’s 830 endemic species, 217 trees and woody climbers are found in the lowland wet zone (Peeris, 1975). Of these, 139 (64%) have been recorded in Sinharaja (Gunatilleke and Gunatilleke, 1985), 16 of which are considered to be rare (Gunatilleke and Gunatilleke, 1981). Other rare endemics are the palm Loxococcus rupicola (R) and Atalantia rotundifolia, the latter being restricted to Sinhagala at 742m. Of 211 recorded species of trees and woody climbers, 40% have low population densities (less than or 10 or fewer individuals per 25ha) and 43% have restricted distributions, rendering them vulnerable to further encroachments into the reserve (Gunatilleke and Gunatilleke, 1981).

A variety of plants of known benefit to man are present, of which palm kitul Caryota urens (for jaggery, a sugar substitute), wewal Calamus sp. (for cane), cardamom Elattaria ensal (as spice), Shorea sp. (for flour), dun Shorea sp. (for varnish and incense) and weniwal Coscinium fenestratum (for medicinal purposes) are used intensively by villagers. A list of 202 plants, together with their endemicity and uses is given in the draft conservation plan (Forest Department, 1985).

Geographical Location

Situated in the south-west lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka, within Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces. It is bounded on the north by the Napola Dola and Koskulana Ganga, on the south and south-west by the Maha Dola and Gin Ganga, on the west by the Kalukandawa Ela and Kudawa Ganga and on the east by an ancient footpath near Beverley Tea Estate and by the Denuwa Kanda. 6°21′-6°26′N, 80°21′-80°34′E

Date and History of establishment

Notified a national heritage wilderness area on 21 October 1988 (Gazette No. 528/14). Most of the area was originally declared a forest reserve on 3 May 1875 under the Waste Lands Ordinance and notified in the Ceylon Government Gazette No. 4046, dated 8 May 1875, while the rest was notified a proposed forest reserve in the early 20th century. Sinharaja Forest Reserve, comprising the existing and proposed forest reserves, was declared a biosphere reserve in April 1978, and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988.

Area

According to Gazette No. 528/14, the total area of the national heritage wilderness area is 18,899 acres and 12 perches (7,648.2ha). The area of the biosphere reserve and World Heritage site as cited in the respective nominations is 8,864ha, of which 6,092ha is forest reserve and 2,772ha is a proposed forest reserve.

Cultural Heritage

The Sinharaja region has long featured in the legends and lore of the people of Sri Lanka. Its name, literally meaning lion (sinha) king (raja), perhaps refers to the original ‘king-sized or royal forest of the Sinhalese’, a people of the legendary ‘lion-race’ of Sri Lanka (Hoffmann, 1979), or to the home of a legendary lion of Sri Lanka.

Local and Human Population

There are two villages within the south-west of the reserve, namely Warukandeniya and Kolonthotuwa, and about 52 families live in the north-western sector. At least 20 other settlements occur on the periphery, an unknown number of which have been illegally established on state land without approval from the relevant authorities. The total population is in excess of 5,000 people. Some land adjacent to the reserve is under private ownership, including small tea and rubber plantations. The extent to which local people are economically dependent on rain forest resources is variable but about 8% of households might be completely dependent (Silva, 1985).

Visitors and Visitor Facilities

Visitors are low in number and mostly naturalists. Entry is by permit, obtainable from the Forest Department in Colombo. There are nature trails to the peaks of Moulawella and Sinhagala. Guidebooks to the Moulawella Trail and to the secondary vegetation have recently been prepared (Gunatilleke et al., 1987a, 1987b). Some accommodation is available with the Forest Department near the reserve entrance at Kudawa. Further facilities are planned.

Scientific research an Facilities Among the earliest studies are those of Baker (1937, 1938). Rosayro (1954, 1959), Andrews (1961) and Merritt and Ranatunga (1959) assessed the area’s potential for selective logging, based on aerial and ground surveys. Gunatilleke and Gunatilleke (1980, 1981, 1985) examined the floristic composition and phytosociology of woody vegetation and assessed its conservation value. Research on theendemic fauna has been undertaken by WWF/IUCN (Project 1733) and March for Conservation (Karunaratne et al., 1981). Conflicts over the local use of forest resources have been examined by McDermott (1985, 1986) and Silva (1985). An annotated vegetation/land-use map (1:40,000) of the reserve has been produced by the Forest Department (n.d.). The Natural Resources Energy and Science Authority of Sri Lanka has provided a field research station in the reserve. The Forest Department building at Kudawa, outside the reserve, is used by scientists and visitors.

Covservation Value Sinharaja is the last extensive primary lowland tropical rain forest in Sri Lanka. It holds a large number of endemic species of plants and animals, and a variety of plants of known benefit to man. Sinharaja Forest Reserve is the last viable remnant of Sri Lanka’s tropical lowland rain forest; over 60% of the trees are endemic and many of these are rare; and there are 21 endemic bird species, and a number of rare insects, reptiles and amphibians (IUCN Technical Evaluation).

Conservation Management Sinharaja is administered by the Forest Department under the Ministry of Lands and Land Development. Recognising the need for maximum possible protection, it has recently been declared as a national heritage wilderness area under the National Heritage Wilderness Areas Act. Any excision to such an area is permissible only with the concurrence of parliament and the President of the country. The site is also partially protected under the provisions of the Forest Ordinance. Sinharaja was first recognised in 1936 as being “the only considerable patch of virgin tropical rain-forest in the island” (Baker, 1937). Owing to its inaccessibility and steep, hilly terrain, the reserve remained untouched until 1968 when a government directive was issued to extract timber for the plywood sawmill and chipwood complex established at Kosgama. From 1971 until 1977, when logging was banned, largely due to public pressure with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society playing a leading role (see Hoffmann, 1972, 1977), about 1,400ha of forest in the western sector were selectively logged (Gunatilleke, 1978; Forest Department, 1986). Presently, the reserve has 6,500-7,000ha of unlogged forest. Since 1977, the Forest Department has given high priority to protecting the reserve and in 1978 began planting Pinus caribaea along the periphery to establish a live boundary. More recently, betelnut palm Areca catechu has been used for this purpose (Zoysa and Raheem, 1987).

A conservation plan has been officially approved (Forest Department, 1986), implementation of which is being carried out under a cooperative agreement between IUCN and the Sri Lankan government, with additional funding from the Norwegian government (Hails, 1989). In order to ensure the strict protection of the reserve for scientific and aesthetic reasons, a scheme of zonation and management is proposed for areas outside the reserve. The creation and propagation of essential forest products, for sustained utilisation, in areas outside the reserve is intended to meet local needs and thereby eliminate former dependence on resources within the reserve. Alternative strategies are either to establish a 3.2km-wide buffer zone round the reserve or to enlarge the area protected to about 47,380ha, with the reserve forming a strictly protected core area and surrounding areas set aside as buffers for various uses. The only resource which may still be legally collected, under permit, is kitul (McDermott, 1988). The preferred strategy has been to freeze resource use within the reserve at 1985 levels (when the conservation plan was prepared) and gradually eliminate futureresource dependency on the reserve by relocating villages to areas outside the reserve (Ishwaran and Erdelen, 1990).

Management Costraints

Of the many constraints to the protection of Sinharaja, socio-economic ones relating to the people and organisations in the immediate vicinity of the reserve are perhaps among the most important. Encroaching cultivations are probably the biggest problem, particularly along the southern boundary (McDermot, 1985). Contractors open up routes to facilitate logging operations and, although no felling is permitted within 1.6km of the reserve boundary, this may render the reserve more accessible to illicit timber operations. Planting of Honduran mahogany Swietenia macrophylla along abandoned logging trails as an enrichment species may lead to displacement of natural species, especially as it is a prolific seed producer (Zoysa and Raheem, 1987). Alleged malpractices by the State Timber Corporation are a source of concern for the Forest Department. Private land owners along the periphery perhaps make illegitimate use of timber resources within the reserve: having felled all merchantable timber on their own land, they continue to request permits for timber (Hathurusinghe, 1985). The most important forest produce is firewood, significant quantities of which are used in the production of jaggery (McDermot, 1985; Silva, 1985). The traditional use of minor forest products, most important of which are kitul for jaggery and wewal or cane for weaving baskets, is now restricted to forest surrounding the reserve. Illicit gem mining was considered to be a serious problem in eastern parts of the reserve. It is organised mostly by wealthy merchants from outside the Sinharaja region and needs to be stopped. The lack of a uniform land-use policy and the multiplicity of governmental and semi-governmental agencies involved in land-use planning in Sri Lanka are the major administrative constraints in evolving a suitable protection plan for Sinharaja. For the moment, transactions related to lands surrounding the reserve are suspended under presidential order until such time as the conservation plan for the reserve is ready for implementation (Forest Department, 1986).

Local Address - Range Forest Officer, Range Forest Office, Kudawa, Weddagala
Compiled By L.A.M.C.Amarasekara
Forestry and environment socitey, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Sinharaja world heritage forest

Sinharaja world heritage Forest is a
unique rain forest on the island which apart from very limited use by local people has been left largely undisturbed.

Biodiversity of the forest is very high, a staggering 830 of Sri Lanka’s endemic species of flora and fauna are found here, including myriad birds, reptiles and insects, while no less than sixty percent of the reserve’s trees are also
endemic to the country and some endemic to the Sinharaja Forest itself.

There are two entrances to the forest. Most popular one is
on the north side of the forest at Kudawa (see Sinharaja
trail map), and the other one is at Mederipitiya about 11km east of Deniyaya.

Wild Life Sanctuaries and National Parks

Sri Lanka’s contains about 24 wildlife reserves, these are home to a
wide range of native species such as elephants, leopard, sloth bear, the unique small loris, a verity of deer, the purple faced leaf monkey, the endangered wild boar, porcupines and ant-eaters. Reptiles include vipers and marsh and estuarine crocodiles. Among many amphibians endemic to the country are the Nanophyrys frogs in the hills. Most of the fish are river or marsh dwelling- the trout, introduced by the British are found in the cool streams of the Horton plains.

All wildlife reserves are for the protection of wildlife and plants though
the categories differ. There are few “Strict Nature Reserves” (Ritigala,
Hakgala), which are set aside for research work only. “National
Parks” managed by Department of wildlife conservation are open to visitation.
The largest National Parks are Ruhuna-Yala, Gal-oya, Uda Walawe,
Wilpattu, Minneriya-Girithale, Horton Plains and Wasgomuwa. “Nature
Reserves” provide suitable habitats for wildlife by allow limited human
activity, while “Sanctuaries” allow human activities (eg. Khalle
Pallekele Sanctuary).

Forests managed by Forest department also attract ecotourists. These forests
include Sinharaja world heritage site (which is also man
and biosphere site), Kithulgala Forest Reserve, Knuckles forest
range and the highland peak wilderness and Adams
Peak.

Bird Sanctuaries

Sri Lanka also an ornithologist’s paradise with over 250 resident species,
mostly found in the wet zone. The Kumana sanctuary in the
southeast, and Bundala (famous for flamingoes), Kalametiya
and Weerawila sanctuaries between Tissamaharama and Hambantota
in the south, all with lagoons are the principal bird sanctuaries

Bellanwila-Attidiya sanctuary close to Colombo and Kurulu-kele
Vegetation in Kegalle are also some other bird watching areas.

Other sites of interest

Yagirala Forest
and Field Research station - Rain forest situated in Kalutara
district and part of the forest is managed by Department of Forestry and Environment
Science, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. This is used for field activities
of forestry students and for research, and can be reserved for visitors and
visiting foreign students and researchers (more details….).

Waterfalls
- The island is blessed with 103 rivers and streams radiating from the
central hills, rushing down rocky precipices forming a number of roaring
waterfalls of various shapes and heights, all ending up loosing the momentum
at the Indian Ocean. Some of the most picturesque waterfalls include Diyaluma,
St. Claires, Devon falls and Bopath Ella.

Wetlands – These are unique ecosystems with numerous bird life some
with mangrove vegetation. eg. Muthurajawela mangroves, Negombo mangrove
ecosystem, madu ganga and Bolgoda
Lake.

Botanical
Gardens - There are three botanical gardens in Sri Lanka: Peradeniya,

Hakgala and Gampaha- Henerathgoda.

Zoological
Gardens - Dehiwala zoo is one of the most attractive in Asia. The 15 ha
of undulating ground is beautifully laid out with shrubs, flowering trees
and plants, orchids, lakes and fountains. There are over 2000 animals include
large collection of birds, elephants, sloth bear, leopard, civets, and other
small cats, many kinds of lizard, crocodiles and snakes. Lions, tigers, jaguars,
black panthers, and many exotic species such as hippopotami, rhinos, giraffes
and kangaroos. The aquarium has over 500 species of fish.

Museums - The National Museum in Colombo 7, set in
an elegant white Neoclassical building and opened in 1877. It has a large
collection of paintings, sculptures, furniture, porcelain and Kandyan regalia.

The Natural History Museum is just behind the National Museum. Exhibits here
include stuffed leopards, pickled snakes and presentations of the islands
ecology and biodiversity.

The regular meetings of Young Biologists’ Association are
held in the third floor of the Natural History Museum building.

Elephant orphanages – Pinnewala Elephant orphanage is
one of the island’s most popular tourist attractions. Pinnewala is home to
the world’s most largest troupe of captive elephants, from dignified elderly
to the cutest of babies.