Dilmah Conservation

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Dilmah Conservation

Established by Dilmah Founder Merrill J. Fernando to make a better tea for the planet. Dilmah Founder Merrill J.

Fernando pledged in the 1950s to make his business a matter of human service. That pledge is fulfilled in the work of the MJF Charitavle Foundation www.mjffoundation.org. In 2007, with the addition of a sixth pillar to The Five Pillars of Dilmah, Dilmah Conservation was established to recognise the enduring connection that Dilmah, a tea company, has with the environment. Dilmah Conservation utilises revenue from the global earnings of Dilmah to design, fund and manage initiatives aimed at promoting biodiversity and sustainable interaction with the environment. These extend to species and terrestrial and marine ecosystem conservation as well as protection of unique cultural heritage such as that of the ancient Veddah people of Sri Lanka.

23/09/2026

When we say, “Let’s build a butterfly garden,” the first question is usually, “How?” And that’s where knowledge comes in. But then comes the part that can turn knowledge into action- taking a stroll through an existing butterfly garden, seeing butterflies flutter past, and thinking, “We want this at our school too.” 🦋🌿

Last week, the students of Koralawella Roman Catholic School, from the Moratuwa Education Zone, visited our Dilmah Butterfly Garden in Moratuwa as part of a programme organised by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS). Here, they learned how to create a butterfly garden at their own school. But they didn’t just hear about it. They walked through the garden, saw it in practice, watched the butterflies make use of the space, and got to see first-hand what all that knowledge can create.

Today, they put that learning and inspiration into action by setting up their very own little butterfly garden at school - a space that will now give around 250 students the chance to observe, explore and connect with butterflies right in their own school premises. 🦋

From one garden to another, we hope the inspiration keeps growing.

Knowledge can show us how. Sometimes, seeing it for ourselves is what inspires us to begin.

18/09/2026

The excitement of spotting a colourful butterfly, their little observations and the comments they eagerly share as it passes by - these are the moments that make learning about nature come alive. And, in turn, seeing their curiosity and joy amuses us differently every day. 🦋💛

We’re glad that a little space like our Butterfly Garden can play a part in this wonderful journey of helping children connect with and care for nature.

And for those little nature enthusiasts who have managed to capture a butterfly in a beautiful frame, why keep that moment to themselves? 📸🦋 Through our Flutter Shutter Butterfly Photography Competition, schoolchildren can share their favourite shots and let others see the beauty they’ve discovered too!

Flutter Shutter is open for both School and Open categories. Capture, share and celebrate Sri Lanka’s beautiful pollinators. 🌿🦋

Check the link for more information! https://www.dilmahconservation.org/flutter-shutter-photography-competition-2026.html

15/09/2026

A simple hotel! 🐝🏨

Almost 97% of Sri Lanka’s bees consists of wild, solitary bees. Unlike honeybees, solitary bees don’t live in hives or have honey stores to defend. Each female bee is her own queen, building and provisioning her own nest. 👑🐝

They’re also gentle little pollinators. Without a hive to protect, they are unlikely to sting, while their loose pollen-carrying bodies make them highly efficient at pollinating flowers and crops. 🌼

A bee hotel gives these important pollinators a safe place to nest. And it’s not just bees that may check in — other helpful insects, including solitary wasps, can use these little spaces too. 🌿

So, if you’re worried about a bee hotel bringing a whole colony to your garden, there’s no need to worry! 🐝😉 These are homes for solitary bees, not hives for colonies.
A small addition to your garden can provide a safe space for some very important little visitors. 💛

11/09/2026

Kayankerni...

Back in 2011, we ran baseline studies here with the Ocean Resources Conservation Association. That work helped get the reef declared a protected site under the Fauna and Flora Protection Act, making it Sri Lanka's 18th Marine Sanctuary.

In 2024, we returned through Biodiversity Sri Lanka’s Life to Coral Reefs program. This initiative looks at coral conservation through a sustainable livelihoods lens: when people's daily lives depend on a healthy ecosystem, they protect it with a natural urgency that traditional education alone rarely achieves.

10/09/2026

We protect what we understand. When marine conservation and local tourism grow together, the community becomes the most powerful guardian of the reef.
🌊 As part of the 'Life to Our Coral Reefs' initiative with Biodiversity Sri Lanka (BSL), Dilmah along with other project partners just kicked off a brand-new Naturalist Training Programme in Kalkudah.

For our second partner visit, participants headed out to the stunning Kayankerni Marine Sanctuary for an unforgettable coral-watching session alongside our technical partners Blue Resources Trust (BRT) and IUCN. 🪸✨

Over the next six weeks, local youth from Koralai Pattu (Kalkudah and Pasikudah) and Koralai Pattu North (Kayankerni) DS divisions will dive into weekend training at our Kalkudah Centre. They are learning to become naturalists—guides who share their knowledge of nature with visitors— building hands-on skills in marine ecology and sustainable tourism. A massive thank you to initiative partners—including the Sri Lanka Red Cross and the Pasikudah Hoteliers Association—for helping us grow a new generation of local naturalists ready to champion our oceans!

09/09/2026

📸 Calling all shutterbugs! 🦋

Get ready for the 2nd “Flutter Shutter” Photography Competition — and this time, we’re going beyond butterflies to celebrate our silent pollinators that play a vital role in our ecosystems.

🐝 What counts as a pollinator?
Bees, moths, beetles, flies, birds, bats, wasps, ants and other species actively involved in pollination.

Open to Sri Lankan residents and non-residents in both School and Open categories, featuring pollinator species found in Sri Lanka.

📷 Submit up to 3 entries, under three categories (one per category):

🔸Beyond the Image: Stories Unfolded
Capturing butterflies in a meaningful moment, experience or discovery that made the photograph special.

🔸Life Before Wings: Immature Stages of Butterflies
Celebrating the fascinating early stages of butterflies, from eggs and caterpillars (larvae) to pupae.

🔸Nature’s Unsung Pollinators: Other Pollinators
Shining a spotlight on bees, moths, beetles, flies, birds, bats, wasps, ants and other pollinating animals.

Deadline: 8 October 2026.

Details & submission: https://www.dilmahconservation.org/flutter-shutter-photography-competition-2026.html

🏆 Recognition and prizes await!
The top entries to be showcased at an exhibition in November.

Grab your camera, head outdoors and start looking a little closer at the tiny creatures keeping our ecosystems in bloom.

04/09/2026

Reliving Sri Lanka’s birding history

We are proud to have supported the publishing of The Best of Malkoha: Half A Century of Ornithological Writings which was launched to mark 50 years since the founding of the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL).

FOGSL began in 1976 as a small dream shared by seven bird lovers and conservationists, who came together to improve the state of birding and bird conservation in Sri Lanka, with citizen involvement at its heart. Today, as the Sri Lankan affiliate of BirdLife International, FOGSL's work spans research on endemic species, habitat conservation, and identifying Important Bird Areas across the island all the while nurturing generations of birders along the way.

The Best of Malkoha brings together decades of that journey: writings, field notes, and stories that only fifty years of dedicated fieldwork could produce. It's a piece of history that birders young and old will treasure. 🐦

01/09/2026

Nature and ecosystem regeneration is not just an initiative for us, it is the blueprint of everything we do.

Grateful to be named a Biodiversity Champion Finalist at the Reuters Global Sustainability Awards that recognises organisations putting the planet and nature at the heart of their business strategy.

28/08/2026

Seeing a Miyawaki Green Space for the first time

This time, we took the learning outdoors for the Grey2Greeners with a special community site visit — visiting a model Miyawaki forest, that grow up faster than conventional plantings - at the Sarvodaya Institute of Higher Learning in Bandaragama, followed by a model garden in Kalutara that brings together several sustainable practices and local solutions.

More than just a site visit, it was a chance to see these ideas in action, discover how small spaces can create big impact, learn from Sri Lankan approaches, and connect with a diverse community of people who believe in greener possibilities. Because creating change doesn’t always need more space — sometimes, it simply needs us to look at the space we have differently. 🌱

21/08/2026

Our butterfly garden is a fantastic, hands-on space for kids to learn all about butterflies and their important role in pollination. We have designed it entirely with native host plants, creating a safe haven where 30 different butterfly species—along with moths, bees, and other pollinators - love to hang out.

See some highlights from two of our most recent school visits: Girl Guides from St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Sujatha Vidyalaya, Christ King College and the Little Friends from the Piliyandala Zone.

Address

111 Negombo Road
Peliyagoda

Telephone

+94114822490

Website

http://www.dilmahconservation.org/

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