CNVR programme for World Rabies Day

Embark, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative spearheaded by Otara Gunewardene, will hold its third field clinic from September 17 to 29, in the Nawala and Rajagiriya areas to mark 'World Rabies Day'.

This event was organised by the Alliance for Rabies Control in an effort to raise global awareness of canine and human rabies. Sharing similar ideals to help curb the spread of rabies in Sri Lanka, Embark, in conjunction with the Tsunami Animal-People Alliance (TAPA), regularly organise a series of field clinics whereby a number of animals are treated under the humane Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release (CNVR) programme.

The CNVR process used by Embark, is approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and is widely regarded as a quick, efficient and effective way of controlling and managing the number of Rabies cases reported in the island.

Although Embark primarily focuses on community dogs, which are those dogs that may not belong to any one particular person but rather are looked after by many people within the community, the organisation also caters to dogs whose owners may not be able to afford healthcare for their animals.

According to figures released by the WHO, human rabies affects an estimated 60,000 people annually worldwide. The report further claims that, in Sri Lanka, canine rabies is endemic in most districts of the country as approximately 75 rabies-related human deaths are reported annually island-wide.

The report also states that the occurrence and spread of the disease rose dramatically since the Tsunami in 2004, where estimates have shown that over 100,000 dogs have lost their owners or the community to which they belonged.

With the goal of ongoing prevention of the spread of this and other diseases amongst canines in the Colombo district, Embark, in conjunction with veterinarians from TAPA, will again treat over 300 animals under the stringent guidelines defined by the CNVR process during this field clinic.

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World Rabies Day today

World Rabies Day is a global initiative to raise awareness about the continuing burden of Rabies and how the disease can be prevented. World Rabies Day is marked on September 8 with the goal of building the political will necessary to end rabies. Various events are planned throughout the world to raise awareness and resources towards working together to make Rabies history.

Did you know that one person dies from rabies every ten minutes? It is estimated that 55,000 people die worldwide from rabies each year. Children are particularly at risk, with almost half of all rabies deaths occurring in children under 15 years.

The main source of human exposure to rabies is from dogs. Rabies can be transmitted from dogs not vaccinated against the disease. Unfortunately, vaccination is neglected in many parts of the world.

Take a step against this killer. If your dog or a neighbouring pup is not vaccinated yet do not delay. Your action may save many lives.

Flowers of Sri Lanka:

Filling the pots with your medium

Manoj Dissanayeke

From our previous articles you have the basic knowledge on what to include in your media. Take the required amounts and of ingredients which are of good quality, mix and use a sieve with 2.5 m.m. holes in sieving. It would appropriate if you were able to sterilise the mixture.

Filling the medium into packets

If you are growing flowers to benefit economically you would be selling the plants. Therefore it would be appropriate to grow the plants in polythene packets (black polythene), clay pots or cement pots.

If you are growing seedlings of annuals use 300 gage thick 5"x5" polythene bags. Use 6"x6", 8"x8" or 10"x10" packets according to the size of the plant.

Fill the medium into the packets up to the opening and keep in a place. Do not move these plants for at least two weeks. The medium would sink about one inch during this period. Then plant the seedlings in the medium.

If you had been faced with any kind of problems related to the media we hope that these articles provided a helping hand to you. Follow our guidelines and you will note the difference in your plant's growth and health. Our next set of articles concentrates on steps to cultivate seedlings.

(The writer is the Agriculture Instructor of Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya)

Reflect on Bonsai

The Sri Lanka Bonsai Association will hold its 15th annual exhibition "Reflections 2007 - Natural Images" at the Art Gallery, Colombo 7 from September 14 to 16. The exhibition will be open from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. daily. Demonstrations in Sinhala and English will be on September 15 and 16 at 11.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.

The Chinese were the first to plant miniature trees in dishes and even today Bonsai is part of the Chinese culture. But it was not the Chinese who introduced the art of Bonsai to the rest of world, it was the Japanese.

Buddhist monks probably took Bonsai to Japan in the 10th and 11th centuries. For them they were religious objects, 'verdant stairways leading to heaven'.

During the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368) Japanese government ministers and merchants brought home Bonsai as presents from China. Around 1644, a Chinese official fled from the rule of Manchu's to Japan.

He took with him his entire collection of Bonsai literature and it was his specialist knowledge that contributed to the spread of the art in Japan. Around this time Japan was beginning to establish its own form of Bonsai cultivation.

No one can fail to be enchanted by these perfect little trees growing in dishes and resembling in every detail except size, trees growing in the wild.

A little bit of skill is needed to shape and tend to the Bonsai. But anyone who has had the luck with other plants will get a great deal of pleasure from creating a Bonsai.

The members of the Sri Lanka Bonsai Association will exhibit Bonsai, which have been created recently to ones that have been with them for over 15 years.

There will be over 100 Bonsai on display.

The visitor will be able to see the magnificent trees found in Sri Lanka in miniature form and marvel at the skill of the local Bonsai enthusiasts.

Kiyoshi Araki, Ambassador of Japan and Madam Araki will open this exhibition on September 14 at 11.00 a.m.

Flowers: what is the meaning behind them?

As every flower lover knows, flowers have a language of their own. Every sentiment is expressed in one form or another by these delicate blooms. Of course, even the experts disagree on the "true meaning" of many flowers and most have different meanings to different people.

So, while all flowers convey thoughtfulness and love, here are some of the more traditional flower meanings, according to one source.

See, if you agree. And, remember, a gift of flowers for a special someone will always create its own personal meaning too.

Acacia - Concealed Love, Beauty in Retirement, Chaste Love

There are roughly 1300 species of Acacia worldwide. About 950 of them native to Australia, with the remainder spread around the tropical to warm-temperate regions of both hemispheres, including Africa, southern Asia, and the Americas.