Rainforest Conservation and Education Centre in Sri Lanka
The Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest is the last remaining virgin rainforest in Sri Lanka. It exhibits the highest biodiversity in all of the island and is well known for its birds, especially rare species endemic to Sri Lanka: e.g. the beautiful Sri Lanka blue magpie, the red-faced malkoha and the Sri Lanka hanging parrot. In fact, of the 26 bird species endemic to Sri Lanka, more than 20 can be easily found in Sinharaja. Mammals of the Sinharaja Rainforest include the endemic purple-faced leaf monkey, the torque monkey, the fishing cat, the rusty spotted cat, the barking deer, the mouse deer, the sambur, the giant squirrel, the occasional and elusive Sri Lanka leopard and the even rarer black leopard.
While 11,427 hectares of the Sinharaja Rainforest are currently protected as an International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Rainforest, thousands of hectares of rainforest directly adjoining it remain unprotected and are constantly being destroyed through encroachment, illegal logging and various construction activities. The lack of a conservation center close to the rainforest has been a considerable obstacle to successfully carrying out conservation and education activities of Rainforest Protectors Trust.
The Rainforest Conservation and Education Center helps our organization coordinate conservation projects and campaigns efficiently, educate tourists visiting Sinharaja about the threats the rainforest faces and about our conservation efforts, educate school children and villagers nearby, run a native-plant nursery for critically endangered flora and offer a base for carrying out research, among many more possibilities.
In October 2025, Rainforest Protectors Trust acquired a partially constructed house on 0.6 acres of land. The property requires essential renovations and furnishing to serve as a welcoming space for volunteers and visitors. Plans are underway to complete the unfinished upstairs area, transforming it into a dedicated conference room for educational workshops and community engagement. To further strengthen our mission, we aim to secure adjacent land to expand nature trails, restore degraded areas through reforestation, and establish a botanical garden of endemic flora. These initiatives are urgently needed to enhance conservation education, provide hands-on learning opportunities, and inspire greater participation in rainforest protection.
Cost: Rs. 9,000,000 (US$ 30,000)
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