Protect our Kandyan Forests

Bringing Life Back to the Land

Earlier this year, we started planting trees on Bodhiland – a piece of land that was completely deforested back in 2018. We planted a variety of native trees such as Jackfruit, Indian Olive (Weralu), Nutmeg, Karanda, Buruta, Mee, Pihimbia, Karau, and Gini Sapu.

At the same time, we made a list of plants that had started growing naturally on the land. We were happy to find a rich mix of trees like Halmilla, Coffee, Teak, Albizia, Ginicyria, Jackfruit, Banyan, Coconut, and even Pepper. This natural regrowth shows us that the forest is trying to come back on its own – so we will focus more on guided regeneration and plant fewer trees ourselves in that area.

Forest Maintenance 

Certain areas of the forest which were cleared out before are now overgrown with opportunistic wild grasses. These grasses are not very ecologically beneficial. Hence, Nel and her team have started to clear out these grasses to let the already planted sapling have a fighting chance as well to create more area for new saplings. There are also some invasive plants such as the Hawari Nuga trees and Nylon Bovitiya shrubs. The volunteer from Nepal is putting in effort to clear out these Nylon Bovitiya shrubs while more measured and calulcated method needs to be formulated to deal with the Hawari Nuga trees as they are massive and many number. 

Tree Planting with Yoga Guests

Thanks to yoga retreats at Polwaththa Ecolodge, we were able to organize several tree-planting activities. Guests enjoyed planting trees and learning about the forest. A group of young visitors from Australia planted 10 Clove and Mee trees along the new road to the Ecolodge. 

Nel and her team continued their hard work maintaining and protecting trees in Bululand, Mee Hill, and Bodhiland.

Monitoring Tree Growth

In August, we checked the growth of all the trees, especially those planted in partnership with Khiri Travel on Hilltop Land. We found that heavy rains caused water to collect in one area. Instead of draining it, we decided to leave the water, as it helps refill the underground water table and might even support Victoria Lake. We will plant water-loving trees such as Kumbuk  in this area.

Protecting Rare Ebony Trees

The Forest Healing Foundation received 15 very rare Ebony trees called Calamander, which are almost extinct. It is believed they were once taken to royal gardens in the UK. These special trees are now planted across different areas, and we are carefully watching how they grow.

Welcoming a Student Intern

In August, two staff members and a student from Colombo University visited us to talk about doing an internship. He will  start the internship in November focusing on Kandyan Forest Gardens which will help us model a forest for future large scale lands. 

New Opportunities and Outreach

We also received a proposal from the Forest Department to help plant trees around the Victoria Lake watershed. We are looking into this exciting opportunity.

Finally, a kind and talented volunteer from Brazil helped us improve our logo and PR materials. Thanks to her, our website and Instagram look much better – helping us connect with more people around the world. Similar outreach efforts and social media maintenance is being continued by our current volunteer who is contacting local corporates and potential partners for workshops and donations. 

Support Our Work

Every tree we plant helps restore the forest, protect wildlife, and fight climate change. And with your support you can help us grow even more.