A rain forest in the nursery

Some centuries ago nature was deified (treated like a god) by our ancestors. Unfortunately, it is not so today.

With the advancement of technology, instead of preserving the environment, people try to destroy it. Nature has become a slave of the so-called advanced economy.

However the unpleasant repercussions (results) of ill-treating Mother Nature were clearly seen in Myanmar and China recently. The catastrophies (disasters) that affected these countries are an eye-opener for those who destroy nature.

Man is the very person who is responsible for the destruction of the environment and he is the very person who dedicates a day for the protection of the environment - World Environment Day!

Designating such a day is important because it could remind those who don’t feel the pulse of nature, the importance of preserving the environment. It is beyond question that if man treats Mother Nature in a friendly and proper manner, she will treat man the same way in return.

There is a long-felt need to preserve the environment the world over, especially going by what’s happening around the world today.

As June 5 was the World Environment Day, how do you think Sri Lanka’s famed theme park, Leisure World celebrated the day? By declaring open a ‘rain forest’ extending over seven acres of land designed on the same lines as Sri Lanka’s national heritage, the Sinharaja rain forest.

The rain forest was officially declared open by the Minister of Environment and Natural resources Patali Champika Ranawaka with the planting of a tree. Speaking at the event, the Minister said, “this was a step forward in keeping with Sri Lanka’s theme for this year’s Environment Day - Sustainable tomorrow, a simple lifestyle.”

Students of St. Don Bosco School, Hanwella were also present at this event.

Location of the rain forest

Zone 3 of the Leisure World Theme Park at Kaluaggala, which is seven acres in extent, has been demarcated for the rain forest simulation (imitation) project. The project has been initiated with the objective of developing a sample lowland rain forest patch with 48 endemic and indigenous tree species.

It has been designed as an experiment in ex-situ (cultivating something outside its natural habitat) conservation and also to enhance the ecological knowledge of both local and foreign tourists, especially schoolchildren.

Attempts have been made to replicate (copy) the Sinharaja rain forest as far as possible with 48 species of flora and fauna found in the Sinharaja forest planted in this rain forest.

For example, certain trees belonging to the ‘Hora’ tree communities found in the lower plateaux of Sinharaja, and ‘Nadun’ tree communities found in the highest grounds of Sinharaja are planted in the theme park rain forest.

A nature trail, approximately one km long, runs through the forest, giving the visitors an opportunity to observe the method of afforestation (planting trees) and learn, from their guides, the features of a true rain forest. The new forest has three sub-rain forest communities which can be studied.

They are Thiniya dun community, Hora community and Nadun community.Because of the existence of an abandoned paddy field within the premises it has a typical wet lowlands swamp forest patch.

Some of the trees planted in this rain forest are: Hora, Bu hora, Dun, Thiniya dun, Yakahalu, Suwada, Na, Beraliya dun, Diya na, Wal del, Batu keena, Kiri hembiliya, Weli piyana, Murutha, Godapara, Kithul, Katu kithul, Dunukeiya, Dothalu and Batali.

This rain forest which is still in its infancy will be a full-grown forest in the future. The trees which have just been planted, will be fully grown in 20 years time bringing the Sinharaja forest a little closer to us and adding a novel attraction to Leisure World.

Well, one cannot expect fully grown trees to be planted in the rain forest now, can we? Plants need time to grow. So, at present the public can see only seven acres of ‘growing’ rain forest!

Even though it may not have the appearance of the natural rain forest you are used to seeing at Sinharaja, at the moment the project is certainly a step in the right direction.

Rain forests in Sri Lanka

Rain forests in Sri Lanka are present in a small ever-wet region of about 22,500 km., in the South-Western quarter of the country. These forests both lowland and montane(mountainous) are not only rich in species compared to other ecosystems in the country, but also unique due to the high degree of endemism among the flora and fauna.

The protective benefits of these rain forests as watersheds (line of high land separating two water systems) and ameliorators (improver) of climate are not secondary to their biological value as a genepool.

It is speculated that Sri Lanka and the Indian subcontinent separated from the ancient southern continent of Gondwana land in the midcretaceous (of the Palaeozoic era), 170 million years ago.

Later, Sri Lanka separated as an island from the Indian subcontinent, during the miocene period, 25 million years ago. The Sri Lankan rain forests therefore appear to have been isolated from the influence of other land masses throughout their development.