Environment Day celebrated in Wariyapola schools

Environment Day, June 5, was celebrated with a special program with schools in Wariyapola at the Malagane Maha Vidyalaya. Twenty five children each from Netiya Kanishta Vidyalaya, Malagane Maha Vidyalaya, Puranawa Kanishta Vidyalaya, Wilgamdematawa Kanishta Vidyalaya and Mellapoththa Adambabul Muslim Maha Vidyalaya participated in the program.

The Guests of Honour were the Chief Minister of the North Western Province Tissa Balalle and the Ambassador for the European Union Bernard Savage. The Managing Trustee of the Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust Jayantha Jayewardene was also an invitee. The Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust organized this special event.

The guests were welcomed by the Environment Club and the school band of Malagane Maha Vidyalaya.

The Sri Lanka flag, the flag of the European Union and the Malagane M.V. flag were hoisted by the guests.

The day's program consisted of tree planting program, two detailed lectures, with multi-media, on The Natural Environment of Sri Lanka and the Biodiversity of Sri Lanka given by Sudath Abeysinghe and Ravi Kariyawasam of the Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust.

The European Union has sponsored the publication of two books on Sri Lanka's Biodiversity & Sri Lanka's Natural Environment in both Sinhala and Tamil.

The first copies of these books were presented to the participating schools. The Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust in the course of their Schools' Awareness Program will distribute the rest. The Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust carries out these awareness programs in 150 rural schools each year and has been doing so for the past seven years.

The program ended with the singing of the Environmental song, a special song composed by the children of Malagane M.V. and the National Anthem.

The principal of Malagane M.V., B.A.D.K. Balasuriya welcomed the guests on behalf of all the teachers and children participating in this program and said that it was a momentous day for schools.

She also said that this program would be of great benefit to the school children in the area. She also thanked the Guests of Honour for being present on this occasion and also thanked the Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust for organizing this event.