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| Sunday, 14 July 2002 |
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The magnificent silvery blues of twilight dawn on the enchanting serenity of nature's magnificence. The Chirpy music of Thrushes, Tits and others seems endless. The cloudy veils of waterfalls, the heavenly mist, the cool coziness all blend to create this unmatched beauty. The image is of Horton Plains. And it is vividly etched in my mind. But will this enchantment be limited only to our imagination and thoughts? I ponder this as news of wanton destruction and callus disregard for not only this heavenly seclude, but other areas of environmental significance as well, continues to gather momentum. Think!. Won't our thoughtless deeds lead to an irreversible destruction of these invaluable environs? Adam's peak, the golden beaches of Trincomalee and Nilaweli and many other aesthetically valuable natural sites and wild animals of the Island are in the endangered list solely due to the carelessness of the tourists' pilgrims, and holiday goers. Horton Plains, a unique eco system, was, until recently, in a very critical stage due to visitor impact. Various programmes carried out by the government and non-governmental organisation has reversed the situation to some extent. If all of us could be a little concerned about our natural heritage this wouldn't be a big issue. Imagine for a moment - you are packing up for a picnic near the beautiful surroundings of Bopath Ella (As it was) in Ratnapura. What do you use to wrap your lunch? POLITHNE LUNCH SHEETS? On the way - you bathe in the crystal clear water, sit under the cool shades of the magnificent trees, enjoy the sweet music of the Tailor birds and satisfy your hunger and thirst. You also take some photos. What next? You Throwaway the garbage (degradable or non-degradable) - the polythene lunch sheets and wrappers. You might also feed a dog with the leftovers. This may be ok if you are careful enough to take those papers or polythene back once the dog finishes eating. Just imagine how wonderful it would be if the animal grazing nearby is an innocent Spotted Deer instead of the stray dog. For, the environment you are visiting is theirs. Is it fair to spoil the beauty of their home by leaving your unwanted stuff? How many of us understand that the beauty and fragrance of a wild flower lingers longer when its in its own surroundings. The beautiful violet of the Binara may fade out and the magical fragrance may turn to an undesirable ordure in few minutes time if we pluck it. But if we are thoughtful and leave the flower untouched, many more can enjoy its beauty and fragrance - the bees may feed on its nectar and disperse the pollen, which in turn enable many more flowers to bloom. And it isn't just flowers. Even plants are not safe from our need to make our home and garden beautiful. |
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