Celebrations in Sri Lanka

Focus is on a programme for school children

The Commemoration Programme of International Biodiversity day (May 22) was held on Sunday, the 21st of May, at C. W. W. Kannangara Maha Vidyalaya, Colombo, by the Biodiversity Secretariat, Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka and Colombo Children’s Book Society of UNESCO Organization.


The Programme was mainly focused on School Children at different ages (Grade 1 – 12) and successfully conducted with the participation of 250 school children, island wide.


The theme of the day in year 2006 was to protect “Biodiversity in drylands” around the world and the Biodiversity Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment carried out several Programmes/ Activities to commemorate the day.

1.

Awareness Programme for School children at C. W. W. Kannangara Maha Vidyalaya, Colombo 08. (i) A presentation on Dryland Biodiversity Conservation. (ii) Evaluate their general knowledge on ‘Dryland Biodiversity’ through a Question paper (Senior, Junior and Primary levels were arranged). (iii) Awarding Certificates and sets of valuable environment-related books for the winners of the evaluation test. (iv) Awarding Participation Certificates for the rest of the participants in the programme as an incentive. (v) Preparation of dockets with articles, leaflets and brochures on ‘Dryland Biodiversity’ for all participants.

2.	Opening of a plant sanctuary (with 18 endemic threatened & culturally important plant species) at “Parama-dhamma” Vihara, Moraketiya, Pannipitiya.