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Walkers Tours has embarked on a conscious journey in preserving, conserving and restoring eco systems in Sri Lanka. The first tree planning session of the Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project of John Keells Foundation (CSR arm of John Keells Holdings) was successfully completed on the 21st of May 2022 at Kalawana, an area close to one of the country’s UNESCO world heritage sites, Sinharaja rain forest. 10 passionate staff of Walkers Tours together with 30 more volunteers from our mother company, John Keells Holdings volunteered at this initial event of transporting the saplings to the ridge of the plot and planting saplings at designated places under the supervision of the field experts. Walkers Tours, as a part of the sustainability collaborations, has pledged to maintain a land of 5 acres until March 2024 and got our first international clients engaged in the project. The project head and wildlife biologist, our own Mr. Vimukthi Weeratunga accompanied the team and explained the diversity of flora and fauna that will be created to restore the biodiversity of the wet zone and also the impact of the conservational efforts that can be witnessed in 10-15 years. More details about the project : “Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project” was launched in collaboration with Ruk Rakaganno (The Tree Society of Sri Lanka), Forest Department Sri Lanka, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and John Keells Foundation, to restore a degraded 50-acre plot over a period of three years after which nature will take over the regeneration process. Natural forest regrowth is increasingly being seen as a viable climate change solution globally and this project, heralds the dawn of a new era in enriching Sri Lanka’s biodiversity amid a sense of urgency. The 50-acre site is situated in the Ratnapura District, at a proximity of 3.5 kilometers from the biodiversity hotspot and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, one of the few virgin forests left in the country. Restoring and reforesting this 50-acre site will further enrich the ecological significance of the region which also consists of numerous waterfalls and places of cultural and religious significance. The “Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project” provides a timely role model for corporate institutions working with government organizations and NGOs to conserve the biodiversity.
A Preliminary assessment was conducted in the seas off Nayaru Northern Side of Sri Lanka. The purpose of the first phase of the pilot project, the Preliminary Assessment was to create a coral restoration within the area. The pilot project commenced with the Special Forces Combat Diving training school of the Sri Lanka Army with Earthlanka Youth Network and Walker Tours. Baseline surveys were conducted and the next step would be to design a technical report for the SL Army to commence the pilot phase of the coral restoration project.
By being the transport partner to this timely project at a time when our marine life is in great danger, our prime concern is to support the youth who is engaged in this project with logistics so that they are encouraged to complete this project successfully. While we align ourselves with SDG #14 – LIFE UNDER WATER, we support this conservation effort of restoring corals and at the same time promote the local organisation’s efforts through communication while building awareness of the importance of preserving and conserving the eco systems of Sri Lanka. The richness of biodiversity is one of the main reasons why travelers make Sri Lanka a bucket list destination of their travels. As a destination management company, we perceive it’s our responsibility to support the local partners and collaboratively work together to achieve our target of conservation.
