The SLWCS (Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society) established their first project in Wasgamuwa, a village in the Central Province over a decade ago, with the “Saving Elephants by Helping People” (SEHP) project, which fence elephants OUT of villages rather than IN reserves, using solar powered electric fencing.

This project still remains the most successful participatory HEC resolution program in Sri Lanka today. The communities are still working together to maintain their fences. Unfortunately, due to the security situation in Sri Lanka, the number of international volunteers has declined drastically since February, so sadly the main field research site at Wasgamuwa is operating on a skeleton staff. The locally trained Field Scouts have continued to collect data on the fences, HEC, and socio economic issues without help from volunteers.

Through this important research SLWCS have discovered that elephant raids have reduced by 100% in some areas, and approximately 7 hours per day of farmers time has been saved, and Rs.5,500 (approx $50) per annum saved from not having to purchase paraphernalia to chase away crop raising elephants, as well as saving thousands of rupees previously spent on repairs to property damaged by elephants. We have just been informed that two volunteers will be joining our Research Team at Wasgamuwa in July, which is great news!

SLWCS made an exciting discovery in one of the field sites, of a possible, but not confirmed presence of an endemic fish species (see the presentation “A Fish Story” above), and would like to encourage researchers and conservation enthusiasts to join the team in undertaking further studies of the area.

SLWCS is also keen to find funding to continue the good work in the area, by carrying out the Habitat Enrichment Project (HEP), as an additional means of deterring elephants and alleviating poverty, by planting citrus and other crops varieties that are known to be not preferred by elephants.

We have plenty of spaces for this project area and the work the SLWCS are doing is really fantastic and makes a massive difference to the local elephant and human community in particular – let us know if you are interested in teaching English or helping in their conservation work – we would love to get you out there to see this wonderful setting and opportunity for yourself!

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For the past ten years the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) have been working with community participation to resolve the human-elephant conflict. To this end, a community based elephant conservation programme has been initiated in the village of Wasgamuwa in the Central Province. SLWCSs’ long-term goals for this region are:

• To generate a list of the plant and animal species of the region.

• Human & economic development - so that some of these villagers can participate in the field & ecotourism projects as well take the message of conservation to other communities.

• Field research - using suitably trained local people with the guidance of scientists and conservation experts

SHORT TERM (STAGE 1):
Delivering 3-4 month intensive courses in spoken English. These will mostly be to young people in the villages surrounding our project site close to Wasgomuwa National Park. The English training will include some outdoor classroom activities and inculcation of natural history and nature conservation values. To foster this SLWCS will provide some training by local wildlife experts and you will then dispense this knowledge in their classes. The villagers are aware that they will benefit from their participating in that they will increase their knowledge and skills. As a result of our volunteers' teaching, the villagers will also be the recruitment base for the Wildlife Conservation Society's field researcher positions and in the future they will have opportunities to increase their incomes by working as nature guides (see Stage 2)

Additionally some of the locals who attend the classes will be used by some of our volunteers in the morning to visit surrounding villages and conduct intensive qualitative and quantitative socioeconomic evaluations. Volunteers may also provide intensive English reading and writing skills to interested individuals in the mornings. These efforts will support the Society's goal of human development, which will lead to the added potential for economic development.

LONG TERM (STAGE 2):
In too many cases, environmental fieldwork and data collecting is carried out by non-locals (and to a great extent non-nationals) who spend some time in the area, get their data and leave. Generally the locals do not benefit from such exercises except in providing labour for carrying equipment and guiding. To rectify this, a Village Field Scouts Programme is being initiated and all the villagers will be invited to participate in the classes conducted by Travellers volunteers. Our volunteers will teach basic spoken English, combined with natural history of local fauna and flora.

For Stage 2, Travellers Worldwide volunteers with a background in Biological Sciences and fieldwork experience will conduct an intensive 2-month course in general fieldwork techniques and use of field equipment. The villagers will also be taught some basic data analysis and computer skills. At the end of the 2-month session a test will be held to select the most promising candidates for the Field Scouts Programme. They will be selected on the basis of their knowledge and ability to work in the jungle and for their skills at reading, writing and operating field equipment. These selected individuals will undergo further training under the guidance of Travellers biological science graduate volunteers and Sri Lankan experts on how to collect data in the field.

This programme is ongoing and provides a real opportunity to make a real difference to the local community and to individual Sri Lankans.

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In 2008, the SLWCS was selected by the United Nations Development Programme to be a recipient of the prestigious Equator Prize 2008. The Equator Prize is an international award that honours community-based projects that represent outstanding efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Got any questions? Please email us: info@travellersworldwide.com

 
Got any questions? Please email us:
info@travellersworldwide.com

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