“SiduNalaRaksha”

            “SiduNalaRaksha”

“SiduNalaRaksha” , a project initiated with the view of conserving  the coastal area of the island, with the view of protecting the island and its inhabitants. Planting approximately five hundered mangrove plants on   Kalpitiya lagoon was a step closer in achieving the above said objective.  The initiative was taken on 25^th of November 2017 from 6.00 a.m onwards .Financial assistance of the project was solely born by the Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.  while the man power needed for the project was provided by us Leos.

Mangrove plants protect the coastal area from natural hazards like tsunami and coastal erosion. They have a unique adaptation to natural hazards.  They link freshwater and oceanic eco systems and is a habitat for diversify species. Tress network of roots is a habitat for a varied of marine species.  Most importantly it consumes a huge amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thus helps to reduce the global warming. Furthermore, they provide obstacles for winds and waves in situations of storms and hurricanes. Altogether, mangrove restoration is vital for the existence of a healthy eco system. Coastal area of the island is conserved mainly by mangroves and it is necessary to protect our island form natural disasters. 

The idea was put forward by Brayan Zoysa to commence a project under the category of Wildlife and Life below water. The idea was focused on conserving the coastal line and its inhabitants. A committee was formed with his leadership to plan and organize the project. Planting mangroves was the solution came up with the committee to aachieve the above mentioned objective. We planned to conduct this project on 25^th of November and we were able to initiate the project on that day.

Firstly, we contacted Mr. Douglas of the Seacology - Sudeesa Mangrove Museum to find a proper place to imitate our project.With his guidance and help we were able to choose Kalpitiya as our viable location, as it was convenient to transport mangroves from the location of museum to Kalpitiya lagoon. Mangroves were provided free of charge by the museum for this worthy cause.The responsibility for each task was divided among the members of the committee. Tasks related to financing the project was the main issue that we had to cope up with. We were able to find a sponsorship from Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ via a contact of University of Colombo. The whole project was mostly financed from the Bank. Several meetings were conducted to discuss about any issues in relation to the project. Within a period of two weeks all the responsible subordinates were brought up with their suggestions and proposals. These were preceded further after the recommendation by the chairperson of the project.

After arriving to the museum we had our breakfast at “WayabaHelaBojun”.We gathered to the Seacology - Sudeesa Mangrove Museum auditorium to discuss about the project and how the agenda will be happening. Mr.Matsushita General Manager of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ gave a brief introduction about the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. Furthermore, Mr. Douglas gave us an introduction to mangroves and how to plant mangroves.  He further explained about the importance of mangrove restoration and how it will help for the future generation. Finally,Leo Brayan Soyza introduced Leos to Mr.Matsushita and his team. We left from the museum in a bus while the mangrove plants were loaded to a lorry provided by Seacology - Sudeesa Mangrove Museum.

Around 10.30 we arrived at the lagoon to start the rest of the schedule. The villagers in the area were already gathered when we arrived there. We initiated the project by planting mangroves in the lagoon and we followed the instructions provided by Mr. Douglas when planting them. For instance the plants were restored parallel with a gap from one plant to another.The project was carried out from 10.30 a.m to 3.30p.m.,for around 06 hours.The kind support given by the residents in the area was a massive support for us. The project was winded up with lunch at Coco Dance Restaurant at Kalpitiya.

This project was a collective effort with the guidance of the club president and with the help of club members. We were able to give back to our mother Nature via protecting the island and its inhabitants. The financial assistance that was given to the project by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ should be highly appreciated. Moreover, Mr. Douglas from Seacology - Sudeesa Mangrove Museum should be given credit for his kind guidance and support and  further his immense dedication to protect the coastal line of the country should be appreciated.

It was a memorable experience to the participants. Throughout the visit to the museum we learned a lot about different kinds of mangroves and how it protects our island. It was a knowledgeable experience for all us and we were able to witness marine species. Further, when we arrived at the lagoon the support from the villagers helped us a lot.  It helped club members to improve their mutual relationships. Planting mangroves was different from how we usually plant trees. We had to step into the water and mud to plant mangroves. It was a different experience for all of us. The immense guidance and support from Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ taught us a valuable lesson on punctuality and we all learned how to work on time and how important it is to work on time. In overall context, the experience for us Leos cannot be expressed in words. We were able to enjoy and protect our mother nature via initiating this project.