Sri Lanka Natural History Society

Sri Lanka Natural History Society Some eminent past Secretaries of the Society include the author/ illustrator G.M. Henry, W.W.A Philips, etc. Field excursions are organized regularly.

Founded in 1912, the Sri Lanka Natural History Society (SLNHS) has remained an active, albeit small society to ensure the preservation and protection of Sri Lankan natural history for the benefit of future generations. Founded in 1912, the Sri Lanka Natural History Society (SLNHS) has remained an active, albeit small Society with a core membership of enthusiasts and professionals in nature conserv

ation. The SLNHS organizes a varied program of lectures and slide presentations for its members. The subject matter of the talks embraces all fields of Natural History including marine life, birds, environmental issues and the recording thereof via photography, etc. Excursions include day trips as well as longer excursions with one or more overnight stays.

🌊🌱 Hidden Heroes of the Ocean 🌱🌊Beneath Sri Lanka’s coastal waters lies one of our most valuable yet least appreciated e...
06/08/2026

🌊🌱 Hidden Heroes of the Ocean 🌱🌊

Beneath Sri Lanka’s coastal waters lies one of our most valuable yet least appreciated ecosystems.

Seagrass meadows support fisheries, store vast amounts of blue carbon, protect marine biodiversity, and quietly sustain countless forms of marine life. Yet these underwater habitats remain among the most overlooked—and threatened—ecosystems in our country.

Join us for SLNHS Public Lecture #6 (2026) with Susantha Udagedera, seagrass specialist and marine conservationist, as he explores the ecological and economic importance of Sri Lanka’s seagrass meadows, the challenges they face from human activities and climate change, and the practical steps needed to conserve them for future generations.

📅 13 August 2026
🕕 6:00 PM onwards
📍 Auditorium, 6th Floor, Information Learning Centre (Library) Building, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo

💻 Join online via Zoom
Meeting ID: 846 4943 2036
Passcode: 753995

Admission is free.

🪲🌿 INSECTS: The Almost Forgotten Biodiversity of Sri Lanka and its Importance 🌿🦋What would our world look like without i...
03/07/2026

🪲🌿 INSECTS: The Almost Forgotten Biodiversity of Sri Lanka and its Importance 🌿🦋

What would our world look like without insects?

From pollinating our crops and recycling nutrients to maintaining healthy ecosystems, insects quietly support life on Earth every single day. Yet, despite being the most diverse group of animals on the planet, they remain among the least appreciated components of Sri Lanka's rich biodiversity.

Join us for SLNHS Public Lecture #5 / 2026 with Dr. Nirmalie Pallewatta as she uncovers the hidden world of Sri Lanka's insects and explores why these "small things that run the world" deserve our attention, appreciation, and conservation.

📅 9th July 2026
🕕 6:00 PM onwards
📍 Auditorium, 6th Floor, Information Learning Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo

💻 Join online via Zoom
Meeting ID: 867 2878 4891
Passcode: 413197

The Sri Lanka Natural History Society presents a Public Lecture, sponsored by George Steuart & Co., exploring the often-...
03/07/2026

The Sri Lanka Natural History Society presents a Public Lecture, sponsored by George Steuart & Co., exploring the often-overlooked world of Sri Lanka's insect biodiversity and its vital role in sustaining ecosystems.

Join Prof. Nirmalie Pallewatta, Retired Professor in Zoology and Environmental Science, for an insightful session on why insects deserve greater attention in biodiversity conservation.

👉🏼 9th July 2026 – 6.00 PM onwards
👉🏼 Auditorium, 6th Floor, Information Learning Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo
👉🏼 Organised by the Sri Lanka Natural History Society
👉🏼 Free to all and join via Zoom

Q&A session included, with recording available on YouTube after the event.

🦅 SLNHS Public Lecture #4 (2026) 🦅 | Crossing the Mighty Himalayas: Birds That Fly Over the World's Tallest Mountains t...
14/06/2026

🦅 SLNHS Public Lecture #4 (2026) 🦅 | Crossing the Mighty Himalayas: Birds That Fly Over the World's Tallest Mountains to Reach Sri Lanka

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an inspiring and fascinating lecture delivered by Professor Sampath Seneviratne.

The lecture brought together more than 80 participants, both in person and online, for an extraordinary journey into the world of bird migration and the remarkable species that traverse the Central Asian Flyway.

Through the stories of "Sherpa Tenzing" and "Hima Kumari"—two Brown-headed Gulls tracked between Sri Lanka and the Tibetan Plateau—Professor Seneviratne shared the science behind one of nature's greatest feats of endurance. Using tracking data collected over many years, he revealed the immense distances travelled by these birds and the challenges they overcome as they navigate some of the harshest environments on Earth.

The lecture also traced the history of our understanding of bird migration, from the earliest observations made in Europe to the sophisticated tracking technologies used today. By combining cutting-edge science with compelling stories from the field, Professor Seneviratne brought to life the incredible journeys undertaken by millions of migratory birds each year.

Above all, the lecture left many of us with a renewed appreciation for these avian Olympians and the interconnected landscapes that sustain them across continents.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Professor Seneviratne for sharing his expertise and passion, and to all those who participated in the engaging discussion and Q&A session that followed.

We would also like to thank George Steuart & Co. for their continued support of the SLNHS Public Lecture Series, helping us create opportunities for learning, dialogue, and appreciation of Sri Lanka's natural heritage.

We look forward to welcoming you to our next lecture as we continue exploring the remarkable stories of the natural world.

🌏🦅 Crossing the Mighty Himalayas 🦅🌏Meet Sherpa Tenzing and Hima Kumari — two Brown-headed Gulls that flew back and forth...
05/06/2026

🌏🦅 Crossing the Mighty Himalayas 🦅🌏

Meet Sherpa Tenzing and Hima Kumari — two Brown-headed Gulls that flew back and forth across the Himalayas to reach Mannar, braving dizzying heights, bitter cold, and the ill-placed killer-mills of Mannar.

Their story is also the story of millions of migratory birds that undertake these same epic journeys across snow-clad peaks, demanding an Olympian endurance in anatomy, physiology, and behaviour.

Join us for SLNHS Public Lecture #4 / 2026 with Professor Sampath Seneviratne as he explores one of nature's most remarkable migrations and the science that helps us understand it.

📅 11 June 2026
🕕 6:00 PM onwards
📍 Auditorium, 6th Floor, Information Learning Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo

💻 Join online via Zoom
Meeting ID: 852 2139 8212
Passcode: 821066

🐘 SLNHS Public Lecture #3 (2026) | Five Behaviours that Underpin Effective Management of Sri Lankan Elephants 🐘Thank yo...
03/06/2026

🐘 SLNHS Public Lecture #3 (2026) | Five Behaviours that Underpin Effective Management of Sri Lankan Elephants 🐘

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an engaging and thought-provoking lecture delivered by Professor Devaka Kirthi Weerakoon.

The lecture brought together close to 80 participants, both in person and online, for a discussion on one of Sri Lanka's most pressing conservation challenges.

A key message from the lecture was that many current approaches to managing human–elephant conflict focus on controlling the conflict itself, often without a sufficient understanding of elephant behaviour and the ways in which elephants interact with their environment. Drawing on decades of research and field observations, Professor Weerakoon highlighted five critical elephant behaviours that underpin effective management and challenged us to reconsider some of the assumptions that guide current conservation interventions.

The discussion encouraged participants to rethink conventional approaches to human–elephant conflict and consider how behavioural ecology can inform more effective and sustainable conservation solutions.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Professor Weerakoon for sharing his expertise and to all those who contributed to the lively discussion and Q&A session that followed.

We would also like to thank George Steuart & Co. for their continued support of the SLNHS Public Lecture Series, helping us create opportunities for learning, dialogue, and appreciation of Sri Lanka's natural heritage.

We look forward to welcoming you to our next lecture as we continue to explore the fascinating stories of Sri Lanka's biodiversity.

Five key behaviours. One of Sri Lanka’s greatest conservation challenges.Join us for SLNHS Public Lecture #3 (2026) wit...
12/05/2026

Five key behaviours. One of Sri Lanka’s greatest conservation challenges.

Join us for SLNHS Public Lecture #3 (2026) with Professor Devaka Kirthi Weerakoon, exploring the behavioural foundations that underpin the effective management and long-term conservation of Sri Lankan elephants.

🐘Five Behaviours that Underpin Effective Management of Sri Lankan 🐘

📅 14 May 2026
🕕 6:00 PM onwards
📍 Auditorium, 6th Floor, Information Learning Centre (Library) Building, Faculty of Science, University of Colombo

Sponsored by George Steuart & Co

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94, Cumarathunga Munidasa Mawatha,
Colombo
00300

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