Story about the tree planting project
About us
Rotary was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1929 with the founding of the Rotary Club of Colombo. Since then Rotary has grown from strength to strength and today there are 70 Rotary Clubs with a membership of over 2000 spread across the entire country. Throughout its history, Rotary Sri Lanka has worked very closely with the local community and has been associated in a number of pioneering efforts for the betterment of society.
Rotary Sri Lanka has launched an ambitious flagship project in the country to plant One million trees and play its part in helping Sri Lanka grow back its forests to support future generations.
The Rotary club of Ibbagamuwa is a key partner in the project and has since inception been involved in environment based projects including Tree Planting, Irrigation and Water Supply. The membership of The Rotary Club of Ibbagamuwa constitutes members coming from the rural sector and from different disciplines including Scientists, Agriculturists, Engineers, Bankers and Businessmen etc all sharing the same love for the environment and its conservation.
Governor's Message
Sri Lanka’s forest coverage has depleted drastically from 53% to 29% in the last two decades creating many environmental complications as well as hindering the chance for future generations from enjoying the comfort of trees. Rotary Sri Lanka & Maldives together with the lead club RC Ibbagamuwa has embarked on an ambitious project to plant a million trees.
I am delighted to inform you that adequate saplings are currently available for immediate planting within a special geographical area in Kurunegala allocated for this purpose. Research finds every human being is emotionally attached to a tree at some point in their lives either during childhood, at school or at their workplace. Hence the theme “One Million Tree Stories” was conceived.
Tree Stories will also be promoting Carbon Credits gained by the planting of these trees as well as work towards the long term objective of creating a Bio Diversity Bank to make Sri Lanka a carbon credit trading hotspot amongst India and Indonesia.
As part of stage 1 of this touching new campaign, members of Rotary and well-wishers are requested to share their own tree stories. I am happy to kick off this first stage by sharing with you my own tree story. When the Project Committee asked me to share a memory I made with a 'tree', I honestly could not think of one, as personally I have a phobia of snakes and I never wondered around trees. Then my mind went back to the 26th of December 2004. It was 9.32 am. when the tsunami struck Sri Lanka and I was with my family in the east coast of the country, in Nilavelli. We were hit by the tsunami very badly. After the first wave hit and the waters started receding, the only thing that stopped me from getting dragged into the sea was a "tree" that stood close to the chalet that we were staying in. The theme that the team has selected for this memorable campaign in Sri Lanka is commendable.
Each of us do indeed have a "Tree story" that is very close to our hearts. I hope you can unearth one such story and share it, just as I did. Let me thank the team for bringing this to life by way of this flagship Rotary project. Let me officially invite each and every one of you to be part of this campaign "1 Million Tree Stories" whilst I also take this opportunity to thank our corporate partners for joining hands with us to help future generations form their own tree stories, and also for their eagerness to take part in phase 2 & 3 of this project, which will deal with the issuance of Carbon Credits and the inception of a Bio Diversity Bank.
Light Up Rotary
Gowri Rajan
District Governor
2014-2015
