Aiding biodiversity conservation through weather condition monitoring

The Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS) partnered with Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle
(WCSG) in sponsoring a solar electrical system for the Station, which will be the main energy source for
all activities.

Established in 1993 in collaboration with the Maritime Museum of Galle, the Wildlife Conservation
Society of Galle (WCSG) focuses on engaging school children and the general public on wildlife related
themes, with the hope of creating a more conscientious conservation community.

The WCSG started building the Biodiversity Conservation and Weather Monitoring Station in Eastern
Sinharaja, to aid conservation through science and research. Owing to its rich biodiversity, Eastern
Sinharaja is considered a super-hotspot with a very high rate of endemism. Reptiles in Sri Lanka
generally show more endemism compared to mammals and birds and within the Eastern Sinharaja
region, ~ 30% of amphibians and reptiles are point endemic, meaning if they disappear from that single
location they are found in, they will be gone forever from the whole world. Which further highlights the
need for urgent research and monitoring within this region, to aid future conservation activities to stop
species extinction.

Research is an essential element of effective conservation and by monitoring the weather condition
changes, we may be able to find solutions to pressing issues such as forest die-back which appears to be
affecting the ecological health of Sri Lankas’s montane and lowland rainforests. The Station will also
facilitate logistics for the research community by providing lodging including a library as well as working
stations.

The initiative is financially supported by MAS Holdings (MAS), Nations Trust Bank (NTB) as well as many
individual donors and the WCSG itself.

The Biodiversity Conservation and Weather Monitoring Station is scheduled to open during the first
week of July 2021.