Urban Wetland Conservation Project | Sri Lanka Wilderness Foundation

Wetlend02

Urban Wetland Conservation Project

The Colombo District is endowed with a variety of wetlands comprising of man-made lakes, canals, paddy fields, abandoned paddy lands and marshes. These wetlands provide a number of important ecosystem services such as storage of rainwater, particularly during the heavy monsoon seasons, thereby functioning as flood retention areas. They also provide opportunities for recreation, food in the form of freshwater fish and other aquatic vegetation. Furthermore, they reduce extreme air temperatures and make the city more liveable, while serving as repositories of immense biological wealth. For the above reasons, it is vital to preserve and maintain the unique properties of these wetlands. Yet, upcoming projects severely threaten the wetlands, and it is necessary for the cooperation and collaboration of relevant line agencies to achieve preservation of these areas. The conservation project, in partnership with the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) Colombo, is done to pilot test the conservation of urban wetlands by utilizing birds as an umbrella group in five selected wetlands within the Colombo District. In addition, through the application of the Citizen Science Programme approach, further research is to be carried out.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Our policy in discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

Animals Are Friends Too: Discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

We at ExJ stay away from tourism experiences that are staged and involve animal cruelty and shopping traps that are contrived to exploit and deceive clients.

Even though some of the popular ‘attractions’ are not included in our programmes due to the above reasons, we have no objections in our clients making their own arrangements with our Drivers to visit these places.

Why we do not promote following attractions

Turtle Hatcheries

As this concept has serious negative aspects in terms of conservation, we do not encourage our visitors to patronize the turtle hatcheries, as not all of them are really turtle-friendly. We instead encourage them to observe turtles in their natural habitats.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

When we became aware that the animal welfare standards there were questionable, we stopped encouraging our clients to visit the orphanage. We are pleased to observe that the Born Free Foundation has now adopted similar measures.

Elephant back rides – Habarana

There’s uncertainty surrounding the attitude of this place towards animal welfare. There may be a few ethical operators, but in general, we are not in agreement with how the place is run. We all would love a photo of us riding an elephant, but is a lifetime of pain caused to these magnificent mammals really worth a few fleeting likes on social media?

Traditional Village Tour with a Canoe Trip and Bullock-Carts – Habarana

This is a tourist trap where a lot of the trip is ‘staged’ for commercial purposes. Such fake touristic experiences will not give our visitors an idea of what life in the country is really like, so join us as we show you the real side of Sri Lanka. And at the end of every vacation, always ask yourself, “Did you feel that your holiday was ethical, eco-friendly, and reduced environmental impacts?”

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