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Walkers Tours volunteered to support the ‘Nurdle Free Lanka’ campaign initiated by Pearl Protectors.
The campaign focuses on removing plastic pellets, the debris of X-Press Pearl disaster from the shorelines of Sri Lanka through volunteer mobilizations. As a responsible DMC we believe it’s our duty to protect and preserve the beauty of our golden sandy beaches while attributing to make our ocean a healthy living space for its inhabitants.
Over 1122 Kgs of nurdles mounting to 60 million plastic pellets were removed from west beaches through 12 volunteer mobilizations from July to November 2021. We completed the campaign committment of taking part in at least 5 mobilizations covering 51 volunteer hours. Plastic and glass waste were handed over to the recycling partners while the nurdles were handed over to the authorities at MEPA. We hope all our genuine volunteer commitments and efforts will result in mitigating the severe impact caused to our marine environment.
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.
