Young Zoologists' Association of Sri Lanka

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Young Zoologists' Association of Sri Lanka

Let's Protect Nature Mr. Lyn De Alwis, the world renowned academic and nature lover, founded the YZA in 1972.
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The Young Zoologists' Association (YZA) is a non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary youth organization based at the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka. The majority of the organization consists of students and undergraduates, where the balance of the organization compromise young professionals and nature lovers under the age 35. Vision
The most intelligent creature in the animal kin

gdom live harmoniously with its surroundings utilizing its benefits while not forgetting that he alone leads it up the path of destruction. Mission
Make conservation a habit and not an activity, through selfless dedication to the cause of environment and to instill the message in the hearts of the community. He was the Director of National Zoological Gardens at that time. In order to fulfill a large void of enthusiastic youth, armed with extensive knowledge on principles and applications of environment sciences to act as Conservationists the organization was formed. Since the establishment of the YZA, the organization has become the first institution for many leading Environmentalists and Naturalists of the country. The close relationship with the Zoo Management gives the strength and opportunity to study the animals more closely and their behaviors. The Junior YZA was formed in 1999, it has being successful in seeding the conservation concepts from an early age. Today the Association consists of an active membership exceeding 600 dynamic individuals. Their commitment and knowledge is unparallel in the field.

12/06/2026

🌿🌎 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 & 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

As part of the 𝐘𝐙𝐀 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 & 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫, an awareness session on “𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞” was successfully conducted for 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝟔 & 𝟕 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚.

The session focused on biodiversity conservation, environmental responsibility, and inspiring young minds to play an active role in protecting nature for future generations. 🌱

The program was conducted by 𝐒𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐚 on behalf of the 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬’ 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚 (𝐘𝐙𝐀).

💚 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬.

11/06/2026

🌍♻️ Public Relations and Education Year 2026

In parallel with the Public Relations and Education Year, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, the Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka successfully conducted an awareness session on “Climate Change and Action” for Grade 6, 7, and 8 students of Dehiwela Tamil Maha Vidyalayam on 3rd June 2026.

The program was held at Dehiwela Presbyterian Girls’ School and conducted by Shafran Packeer, Manusha Fernando, and Vihansa Jayasinghe on behalf of YZA.

The session encouraged students to understand the impacts of climate change and inspired them to take positive environmental actions towards a sustainable future.

We extend our appreciation to the school administration, teachers, and students for their enthusiastic participation and support.

🌱 Small actions today can create a better tomorrow.

10/06/2026

🌍♻️ Public Relations and Education Year 2026

As part of the Public Relations and Education Year, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, the Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka successfully organized an educational awareness session on “Climate Change and Action” for the students of Upadya Vidyalaya, Panadura on 3rd June 2026.

The session was conducted by Nilanjan Vijethilake on behalf of YZA and engaged 60 students in discussions on climate change, its impacts, and the actions individuals and communities can take to build a more sustainable future.

We thank the administration, teachers, and students of Upadya Vidyalaya for their enthusiastic participation and support.

🌱 Together, awareness leads to action, and action leads to change.

09/06/2026

🎨🌿 Did you know?

The Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka is home to the only Wildlife Art Group that teaches wildlife art methodically and systematically.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced artist, this is your opportunity to develop your skills, learn from experts, and connect art with wildlife conservation.

Join YZA and enjoy the privilege of being part of a community where creativity meets conservation.

🦋 Draw Nature. Understand Nature. Protect Nature.

08/06/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲 – 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟖

The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, provides us with oxygen, regulates the climate, and supports an incredible diversity of life. Yet, it faces increasing threats from pollution, overfishing, and climate change.

On this World Ocean Day, let us recognize the vital role our oceans play and renew our commitment to protecting them. Every small action—from reducing plastic waste to supporting sustainable practices—can help preserve these precious ecosystems for future generations.

Together, let's protect our blue planet and ensure healthy oceans for all.

ලෝක සාගර දිනය – ජූනි 08

පෘථිවියේ මතුපිටින් 70% කට වැඩි ප්‍රමාණයක් ආවරණය කරන සාගරය, අපට අවශ්‍ය ඔක්සිජන් සැපයීමට, දේශගුණය සමතුලිත කිරීමට සහ අසීමිත ජෛව විවිධත්වයකට ආධාර වීමට වැදගත් කාර්යභාරයක් ඉටු කරයි. එහෙත්, ප්ලාස්ටික් දූෂණය, අධික මත්ස්‍ය අල්ලා ගැනීම සහ දේශගුණික විපර්යාස හේතුවෙන් අද වන විට සාගර පද්ධති දැඩි තර්ජනවලට මුහුණ දෙමින් සිටී.

මෙම ලෝක සාගර දිනයේදී, සාගරයේ අගය හඳුනාගෙන එය ආරක්ෂා කිරීමට අපගේ වගකීම නැවතත් සිහිපත් කරමු. ප්ලාස්ටික් භාවිතය අවම කිරීම, වෙරළ පරිසරය පිරිසිදුව තබා ගැනීම සහ තිරසාර පරිසර හිතකාමී ක්‍රියාමාර්ග අනුගමනය කිරීම වැනි ක්‍රියාවන් මඟින් අපගේ නිල් ග්‍රහලෝකය සුරැකීමට දායක විය හැකිය.

අනාගත පරපුර සඳහා සෞඛ්‍ය සම්පන්න සාගර පද්ධතියක් රැක ගැනීමට අප සැවොම එක්ව ක්‍රියා කරමු.

07/06/2026

🌿⛰️ 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 – 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝

The 3-Day Montane Biodiversity Workshop at the Knuckles Mountain Range, held from 28th to 30th May 2026, was successfully concluded with the enthusiastic participation of YZA members.

The workshop provided a valuable opportunity to explore the unique biodiversity of Sri Lanka’s montane ecosystems through field observations, discussions, and hands-on learning experiences. Participants gained deeper insights into the ecology, conservation significance, and remarkable flora and fauna of the Knuckles Conservation Forest.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our resource persons Dr. Suranjan Fernando, Dr. Kelum Nalindra Manamendra-Arachchi, Dr. Sonali Premarathna, Mr. Isuru De Soysa, Mr. Dimuthu Wickramasinghe, and Mr. Dulan Ranga Vidanapathirana for generously sharing their expertise and knowledge throughout the workshop.

Our heartfelt thanks also go to the Forester General, officers, and staff of the Forest Department, as well as the officers who joined the program, for their invaluable collaboration, guidance, and support in making this workshop a success.

Special appreciation is extended to all CMC members and participating members whose dedication, teamwork, and enthusiasm contributed greatly to the successful completion of this field workshop.

Together, we continue to learn, explore, and protect Sri Lanka’s natural heritage. 🌱💚

06/06/2026

🌿🐟 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

A community awareness program on Malpulutta Conservation and Habitat Enrichment was successfully conducted at Thundola on 3rd May 2026.

The program focused on raising awareness about the conservation of the endemic Malpulutta fish (Malpulutta kretseri), the importance of protecting its natural habitats, and the role of local communities in safeguarding freshwater biodiversity. 🌱💧

The session was conducted by 𝐍𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐣𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐚, 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨, and 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚 on behalf of the Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka (YZA).

Together, we can protect Sri Lanka’s unique freshwater ecosystems for future generations. 💚

05/06/2026

🌍 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆 2026

The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat—it is happening now. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the loss of biodiversity are affecting communities and ecosystems around the world.

This World Environment Day, let us recognize that urgent climate action is not just a responsibility but a necessity. Every effort matters, from reducing waste and conserving natural resources to supporting sustainable practices and protecting our environment.

Together, we can create a healthier, greener, and more resilient future for generations to come. The choices we make today will shape the world of tomorrow.

🌱 Act now. Protect nature. Be part of the solution.

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🌍 ලෝක පරිසර දිනය 2026

දේශගුණික අර්බුදය තවදුරටත් අනාගතයේ ගැටලුවක් නොවෙති. එය වර්තමානයදී ද අපගේ ජීවිත, ප්‍රජාවන් සහ පරිසර පද්ධතිවලට බලපෑම් එල්ල කාරමින් පවතී. උෂ්ණත්වය ඉහළ යාම, අධිකව විචලනය වන කාලගුණික තත්ත්වය සහ ජෛව විවිධත්වයේ අහිමිවීම අප සැමට බලපාන අභියෝගයන් වේ.

මෙවර ලෝක පරිසර දිනයේ තේමාව වන "කඩිනම් දේශගුණික ක්‍රියාමාර්ග" අප සැමට ක්‍රියා කිරීමට කරන කැඳවීමකි. අප විසින් අද ගන්නා සෑම කුඩා පියවරක්ම — අපද්‍රව්‍ය අවම කිරීම, ස්වභාවික සම්පත් සුරැකීම, තිරසාර පුරුදු අනුගමනය කිරීම සහ පරිසරය ආරක්ෂා කිරීම — හෙට දවසේ ලෝකය හැඩගස්වයි.

අනාගත පරපුර වෙනුවෙන් සෞඛ්‍ය සම්පන්න, හරිත සහ තිරසාර ලෝකයක් ගොඩනැගීමට අප සැම එක්ව ක්‍රියා කරමු.

🌱 දැන්ම ක්‍රියා කරන්න. පරිසරය සුරකින්න. වෙනසක කොටසක් වන්න.

04/06/2026

🌍🌱 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 & 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 | 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

As part of the 𝐘𝐙𝐀 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 & 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫, and in collaboration with the 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, a lecture on 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 was successfully conducted for Grade 6 and 7 students of 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐚.

The session engaged 30 students in understanding climate change, its impacts on ecosystems and communities, and the importance of adopting sustainable practices for a better future. 🌿

The lecture was conducted by 𝐒𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐧𝐢 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐚 and 𝐘𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢 𝐁𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚 on behalf of the 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬’ 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚 (𝐘𝐙𝐀).

03/06/2026

🦊🐘 𝐘𝐙𝐀 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 | 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧–𝐀𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭

On 17th May 2026, the Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka successfully conducted its General Lecture on Human–Animal Conflict, a growing conservation and environmental challenge in Sri Lanka.

The session explored the causes, impacts, and possible mitigation strategies related to conflicts between humans and wildlife, highlighting the importance of coexistence and sustainable conservation practices.

The lecture was conducted by Mr. Pubudu Weerarathne, Main Instructor of the Mammals Group of YZA.

We thank all participants who joined the session and contributed to the discussion. 🌿

Address

National Zoological Gardens, Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha
Dehiwala
10350

Opening Hours

11:00 - 16:30

Telephone

Telephone: +94114852828

Website

http://www.yzasrilanka.lk/

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