Rainforest Protectors Trust

25/09/2026

Are you an Environmental Science, Biology, Ecology, Zoology, or related university student looking for an opportunity to conduct field research in one of Sri Lanka’s most biodiverse rainforest regions?

Rainforest Protectors Trust offers opportunities for students and researchers to undertake field studies on freshwater ecosystems in the Northern Sinharaja Buffer Zone.

Research may focus on freshwater fish, aquatic invertebrates, stream ecology, species distribution, and the impacts of surrounding land use on freshwater habitats.

Researchers will receive free accommodation at our Rainforest Conservation & Education Center in Weddagala (6 km to the main entrance of Sinharaja Rainforest), providing a convenient base for fieldwork and environmental research close to the Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest. Additionally researchers will have access to over 30 acres of forest lands under Rainforest Protectors Trust, containing freshwater streams and bordering rivers.

Your research can contribute to a better understanding of the freshwater biodiversity of the region while supporting our ongoing efforts to protect rainforest, streams, and important wildlife habitats.

Contact Rainforest Protectors Trust (Email: [email protected] or WhatsApp +94 717187677) to discuss your research interests, proposed project, duration, and fieldwork requirements. You must have a mode of transportation (preferably a motorbike) for travel between sites. A stipend will be provided to cover food and other expenses.

https://rainforestprotectorstrust.org/research-opportunities

Research opportunities with Rainforest Protectors Trust in the Northern Buffer Zone of Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest.

23/09/2026

🚨Government Forest Allegedly Being Destroyed in Horowpothana 🚨

Locals in Horowpothana have raised concerns over the alleged illegal clearing, tree cutting, and burning of government forest land in Mukkarawewa, Horowpothana, Anuradhapura, above the Mosque Wewa area.

According to local residents, this land was identified and marked as government forest land with official forest boundary posts. Despite previous complaints to authorities, concerns remain that forest clearing and burning activities may still be ongoing.

If these allegations are confirmed, the destruction could result in serious and irreversible impacts on:
🌳 Forest ecosystems
🦅 Wildlife habitat and biodiversity
💧 Watersheds and environmental stability
🌍 Climate resilience and carbon storage

We respectfully call upon the Department of Forest Conservation and all relevant authorities to:

✅ Conduct an urgent field inspection
✅ Verify forest boundaries and land status
✅ Investigate alleged tree felling and burning
✅ Identify responsible parties
✅ Take legal action where offences are established
✅ Prevent any further destruction of public forest lands

Protected forests belong to all Sri Lankans and play a vital role in safeguarding our natural heritage for future generations.

📍 Location: Mukkarawewa, Horowpothana, Anuradhapura
📍 Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/JUFMAm2KpbsY5aZ3A?g_st=aw

Forest Department-Sri Lanka Central Environmental Authority - Sri Lanka Federation of Environmental Organizations - Sri Lanka

18/09/2026

On World Water Monitoring Day, we’re reminded that every forest’s strength begins with clean, living water. When streams and rivers are polluted, entire ecosystems lose their balance — plants weaken, wildlife suffers, and the delicate connections that hold nature together begin to break.

Each of us can make a difference: by reducing pollution at its source, supporting watershed conservation, and standing up for the rivers and streams that cannot speak for themselves.

RainforestProtectorsTrust.org

15/09/2026

What we call “nature” today is only a shadow of what existed 100 years ago. Each generation grows up believing the environment they see is “normal,” but the truth is heartbreaking: our baseline keeps shrinking.

A child in 1926 saw towering old‑growth trees, rivers running clear, birds and butterflies in numbers we can barely imagine today.
A child in 2026 sees concrete, fragmented patches of green, and forests that are young, thin, covered with invasives and struggling — yet believes this is what nature is supposed to look like.

This slow, quiet loss is dangerous. When we forget what a healthy ecosystem truly looks like, we stop fighting for it.

But we can change that.
We can restore what was lost — not perfectly, not instantly, but meaningfully. Every tree planted, every acre protected, every voice raised helps rebuild the natural world future generations deserve.

Join us in protecting and restoring rainforest ecosystems.

RainforestProtectorsTrust.org

11/09/2026

The body of a fully grown leopard has been found in a forested area in the Gamthuna region of Aranayake. The animal is believed to have become trapped in a wire snare and died several days ago.

Snares are one of the main threats responsible for the destruction of Sri Lanka’s mountain leopards. Day by day, this precious wildlife resource of our country is being lost.

09/09/2026

Syzygium cumini Myrtaceae – Dan – දං

Wild fruits grown in villages, if you were born in 60’s you will remember this fruit very well. Dan (දං) trees were everywhere, there were දං කැලේ (Dan forest) where we used go and collect Dan (දං), it was juicy fruit. We pluck them from bushes and eat them.

It is very difficult to find a Dan (දං) tree now as with urbanization, trees has been wiped out, more over our birds and butterflies have lost their food source. As many people prefer to have a wall around their house and then grow imported plants, which are no use at all. It is high time Sri Lankans open their eyes. Dan (දං) not only help our fauna and flora but also has good vitamins rich with irons.

Please note that දං and මාදං are two different varieties.

දං grows and bear fruits even in Colombo

මාදං grows in dry zone and bear fruits in Dry zone.

There are so many varieties of Dan (දං), If you want Dan (දං) plants please call 0773210212.

06/09/2026

The Sri Lankan Birdwing (Troides darsius) - මහ කුරුලු පිය පැපිලියා / ශ්‍රී ලංකා මහකුරුල්ලා - is the National Butterfly of Sri Lanka and one of its most spectacular endemic butterflies. It is commonly seen in Sri Lanka’s wet zone—especially in rainforests such as Sinharaja and Kanneliya—as well as in the hill country.

The female lays her eggs only on the leaves of vines such as “Kiri‑anguṇa” (Tylophora pauciflora) and "Sapsanda"' (Aristolochia indica). The caterpillar that emerges feeds on the leaves of these plants as it grows. Because these vines contain specific chemical compounds, both the caterpillar and the adult butterfly become toxic, giving them natural protection from predators such as birds.

Protecting primary rainforest preserves the complex plant communities required by butterflies throughout their life cycle. Forest conservation therefore protects much more than the adult butterfly—it protects its eggs, caterpillars, host plants and the wider ecosystem.

Learn more: https://rainforestprotectorstrust.org/endemics/srilankan-birdwing

RainforestProtectorsTrust.org

05/09/2026

සියඹලා - Tamarind Tree (Tamarindus indica)

The tamarind tree stands as a quiet guardian of biodiversity. Its deep roots hold the soil, its canopy shelters wildlife, and its fruit sustains communities who have lived alongside it for generations.

But like so many native trees, tamarind habitats are shrinking.
Let’s preserve the trees that preserve us. 🌳

RainforestProtectorsTrust.org

03/09/2026

Destroy forests. Pour concrete. Blame nature. Extreme heat and natural catastrophes won’t stop until the destruction does.

RainforestProtectorsTrust.org

25/08/2026

Environmental education isn’t optional anymore — it’s essential. Today’s younger generation will inherit a world shaped by human‑induced climate change, disappearing forests, and rapidly declining biodiversity. Yet in the race for scholarships, exam scores, and prestigious university admissions, environmental learning is often pushed aside by parents, students, and even teachers.
That’s exactly why the Rainforest Conservation and Education Center exists.

Run by Rainforest Protectors Trust, the Center brings environmental education back to where it belongs — the heart of nature.
Students will explore rainforest trails surrounded by endemic flora, observe wildlife in their natural habitats, and learn directly from riverine and rainforest ecosystems. It’s hands‑on, immersive, and unforgettable.

RainforestProtectorsTrust.org