Record high inflation (reaching 60%), lack of fuel shutting down the entire country, formal announcement of bankruptcy, massive public protests, President fleeing the country, these are some of the dramatic events which occurred during the last 3 months in Sri Lanka. During this period, Rainforest Protectors Trust also faced significant challenges due to transportation issues - finding a mode of transportation due to lack of fuel and the exorbitant price of hired transportation, resulting in delayed project activities.
While the cost of almost everything has doubled due to inflation during last few months, the price of land has not, at least for the time being as the real estate market has cooled down. We believe that cost of land will start going up once the economy stabilizes. Therefore, the best time to acquire privately held forest land for conservation and expand the protected buffer zone of Sinharaja Rainforest is right now.
Rainforest Protectors Trust is currently exploring and surveying privately held forest lands for possible acquisition to expand the protected buffer zone. Having protected 4 forest lands totaling 24 acres, we are also working towards purchasing a suitable and easily accessible property nearby for setting up a Rainforest Conservation and Education Center. Once setup it will also enable Rainforest Guardians (villagers employed to protect the conservation lands as well as Sinharaja rainforest) to carry out their work.
Audited Financial Accounts for the past 3 years were also completed during the past quarter, and these statements are available to the public through Rainforest Protectors Trust website under the "About" section.
We urge foreign donors and Sri Lankan expatriates living overseas to please consider making a onetime or better yet a recurring monthly donation for any amount. As mentioned earlier, this is the best time to acquire land for conservation and Rainforest Protectors Trust is looking forward to protecting as much as possible. Together, we can make a difference and achieve the goal of creating a protected buffer zone for Sinharaja World Heritage Rainforest.
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