Zahira OBA's Green Initiatives for Ecological Restoration - Zahira College Old Boys' Association

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Zahira OBA has successfully launched the “Green for All” ecological restoration project at Sinharaja Forest, specifically within the Endane Biodiversity Corridor (EBC). This initiative, in collaboration with Dilmah Conservation, Kahawatta Plantation Company, and Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, was inaugurated on Sunday, July 29, 2024. Main sponsor for the event STUDENT VISA and Cosponsor MEGA VISION.

Zahira OBA, along with its dedicated team of 40 members, embarked on an arduous trek spanning over 5 kilometers through a leech-infested corridor. This corridor connects the Walankanda Forest Reserve (part of the Sinharaja Forest) with the fragmented forest of the Iharakanda Proposed Forest Reserve. Their mission was to plant nearly 1,000 threatened lowland rainforest tree species, aiming to enhance both biodiversity and ecosystem health.

Many of us recognize the significant environmental benefits of trees. They provide essential habitat and nourishment for wildlife, purify the air by filtering pollutants, and help regulate temperatures in urban areas. Trees also play a vital role in enhancing the quality of human life and contribute to the overall environmental well-being of our communities.

This year, Zahira OBA dedicated its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to tree planting efforts, emphasizing environmental conservation, agroforestry, and community collaboration. The project was initiated by the chairman, Shafraz Salley, with assistance from Yufliq Qabeer.

The OBA members, trekking with youthful enthusiasm, thoroughly enjoyed the tree planting activities, which provided them with a remarkable experience in a natural habitat. Zahira OBA’s ecological restoration project at the Sinharaja Forest was truly an unparalleled experience, and it will undoubtedly remain in the memories of every OBA Exco member for many moons to come.