ELEPHANT AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN WASGAMUWA

Help conserve the Elephants and other wildlife of Sri Lanka in Wasgamuwa National Park. Go back to basics in stunning rural Sri Lanka and play a part in the conservation and protection of the country's majestic giants while getting involved in the local community. A real gem of a project!

The activities on this project are diverse - one moment you could be laying cameras to identify new leopard trails, and then next you could be staying overnight in a tree-house to watch for elephants.

Also on this page:

• Accommodation

• Sightseeing in the Region

• Travel and Support & Backup

PROJECT OVERVIEW
The National Park of Wasgamuwa is a dedicated area of conservation, a stunning expanse of grasslands and hills described by locals as the most beautiful place in the whole of Sri Lanka. Elephants are synonymous with Sri Lanka, and have lived alongside the people of this incredible country as long as the civilisation has existed. Be a part of the conservation effort and get to know the real Sri Lanka!

The project, run by SLWCS, one of Sri Lanka's top Conservation Societies, is well structured and enormously beneficial to the local people and environment. 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.

The main aim of the project is to "save elephants, other biodiversity and their habitats by helping people". The activities undertaken on this project are vast, and you could find yourself involved in any number of things while working and living in Wasgamuwa. One moment you could be laying cameras to identify new leopard trails, and then next you could be staying overnight in a tree house to watch for elephants.

If you want to go back to the very basics, in a stunningly beautiful part of the world, helping local people and the local wildlife this project is perfect for you. You’ll be doing work that is really valued and that makes a significant difference to people’s lives. The location is breathtaking with incredible scenery and wildlife set in the remote hinterland of the island, given the accolade, by natives, as the most beautiful place in Sri Lanka.

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN FROM DOING THIS PROJECT:

• An exciting, never-to-be-forgotten adventure into South East Asia and the Sri Lankan culture.

• The enormous satisfaction of improving the quality of life of the animals. The knowledge that you've contributed to conservation in Sri Lanka and that you made a difference to the animals.

• New skills, more confidence, a greater understanding of a different culture, invaluable personal and professional development.

• An entry on your CV or résumé that will put you head and shoulders above most others in the job market

• And best of all ... an unforgettable experience!

WORK CONTENT:
The work you can get involved in is diverse and fascinating. It also covers a broad range of elements and activities. You’ll be conducting all the work yourself, but will of course have the supervision and guidance of either the project researcher or his assistant. The work might not only be vigorous but can also be mentally challenging, due to the warm and humid climatic conditions (especially in summer) but the work is also extremely satisfying and rewarding! There can be a lot of physical activity involved in the project, you may be walking up to 10 kilometres a day and / or cycling up to 15 kilometres a day! You’ll also be monitoring the ‘elealert’ electric fence that the SLWCS has developed. This greatly reduces the human-elephant conflict in the area as it protects the locals farmland, which is their livelihood. The elephants are kept out by the electric fences and in turn, protected themselves (as they are not ruining the local populations livelihood, the locals have no reason to attack and hurt the elephants.) The project has a broad scope and volunteers will be expected to help out in any of the research projects and operational needs summarized below to accomplish the objectives of the Society. Not all these activities will be available at one time – you’ll likely be involved in several, or a selection, depending on the needs of the conservation society we work with. Below is a list of the current activities, but some of these can change depending on what is required at the you’re there and on other factors , such as the weather:

ELEPHANT RESEARCH

• Tank (where the elephants bathe) monitoring

• Trail transects (a hike to identify if elephants have been in the area) on the trails that range from 5-10 kilometres on undulating to steep terrain.

• Road transects outside (buffer zone) of the national park.

• Park ID - identification of elephants within the park

• Fence monitoring - in both Pussellayaya and Weheragalagama

• Observations of elephants from tree hut and at tanks.

LEOPARD RESEARCH

• Leopard transect - Transects are “lines” in the forest that scientist use to collect data on their study animal. To observe leopard sign, you will walk several trail transects, carefully noting and recording the presence of pugmarks, scats, and scrapes. While searching for leopard sign, you will also be recording data on elephants. While sound¬ing very basic, monitoring transects is the first and most important step to investigating wildlife by more sophisticated methods.

• Leopard camera trapping

• Camera checking

SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND AGRO/SOCIAL FORESTRY RESEARCH

• Village Headman (GND) Surveys

• HEC (Human-Elephant Conflict) and HLC (Human-Leopard Conflict) assessment surveys

• Project Orange Elephant (alternative crops project that is providing locals with oranges to farm as well as their usual crops. Elephants do not eat citrus fruits, so even if the farmland was destroyed by elephants the livelihood of the locals would not be ruined as they still have the oranges to sell.

BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH

• General Biodiversity Surveys

• Butterfly Study

• Fish Study

• Avian Study

• Medicinal Plants

FARMING & AGRICULTURE

• Data on farming operations (such as number of eggs produced, milk production, health issues, paddy/fruit production)

OPERATIONS AND BASIC HOUSEKEEPING

• Cleaning and maintenance of vehicles, bicycles and other equipment

• Clearing / Cleaning of field bases and equipment

• Packing / Storing and Stock taking of all equipment before departure of groups of volunteers / at least every two months.

GIS RESEARCH

• Identification of trails which predators / prey species use

• Biodiversity mapping

• HEC / HLC mapping

• Analysis of GIS data from all other research projects

WHAT THE PROJECT GAINS FROM YOUR VOLUNTEERING:
“The volunteer program is an integral component of the sustainable initiatives we are implementing in Sri Lanka. There has been a completely new economic development at the local level just based on the volunteer program. You can observe this in the growth and development of so many of the local stakeholders who are directly and indirectly benefiting from the program.  Even for the Wasgamuwa National Park we provide their biggest revenue.  We hope to initiate a study just to assess the economic impact of the volunteer program at Wasgamuwa.” Dr Ravi Corea, President and Founder of the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society

ABOUT WASGAMUWA NATIONAL PARK:

The location is amazing, with breathtaking scenery and wildlife set in the remote hinterland of the island, given the accolade – by natives – as the most beautiful part of Sri Lanka. This placement is ideal if you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors - there is plenty to keep you occupied in this beautiful region. The surrounding jungles and villages can be explored easily by foot or bike and trips to other parks in the region can be arranged.

This beautiful and untamed region is full of photo opportunities - outstanding rivers, lakes and wildlife that make for a photographer's paradise. There is no other entertainment, thus you'll enjoy serenity and spending time alone.

The Maduru Oya National Park, which is about an hour away by jeep, is renowned for its Elephant population and Elephant sightings during an organised safari are very common - the amount of wildlife in this area of Sri Lanka is just incredible!

This is a remote area with very basic facilities but will give you a true Sri Lankan experience.

The teaching project in Wasgamuwa was initiated by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) as a way of reducing the human-elephant conflict in the region. Through community participation the SLWCS aims to resolve this conflict over the coming years. The on-going goal is to increase the level of English amongst villagers. Read more about the goals of the SLWCS programme and how your work as a volunteer will assist with these.

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.

REQUIREMENTS: CAN YOU DO THIS PROJECT?

• You don't need any qualifications to participate in this project.

• Please bear in mind that this project is only suitable for those people who enjoy reading and solitude as there is nothing to do in the evenings except socialise with the other volunteers!

• BUT, if you want to gain an excellent cultural experience that is worthwhile and gives you much, much more than you'd get as a mere tourist, then this is an excellent placement.

Interesting interview with innovative thinkers in Sri Lanka today who are working towards creating a balance between human development and elephant survival with untraditional methods and sensitive thinking.

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Volunteer sitting in a hide to observe animals

A leopard caught by a camera trap in the dead of night

Read Volunteer Reports on Wasgamuwa

MAP OF SRI LANKA

The Project House and the amazing view!

The Wasgamuwa house is very, very basic indeed! The makeup of the house is the first thing you notice. It is a house made of entirely eco-friendly material, due to the fact that it was built by a team of conscientious! This is quite a surprise the first time you see it however as you really do feel like you are in the wilderness! The house is very open to the outdoors, but don’t worry the make up of the house is perfectly sufficient and keeps the house cool during the hot spells of the day and dry during the storm.

The house has five bedrooms, you may have your own room, but dependent on the number of volunteers you are likely to share with at least one other volunteer (of the same sex.) There are mosquito nets on each bed to keep out the bugs! There is a fully functional bathroom, with a shower (cold water only), a sink and a western style toilet. The accommodation has recently been modernised and there is now electricity, fans and wi-fi internet!

It's also possible that you may stay in a another field site near to the Wasgamuwa National Park, depending on the number of volunteers on the project and your activities and research - this would usually only be for a limited time.

Food and Transport:
Your food will be freshly cooked by the house caretaker and his wife. Neither of them speak very much English but a smile goes a long way! They are both lovely and love looking after you! The food is basic but delicious! The food usually consists of vegetarian curries, which are made milder than they would for themselves – but there is still a kick to them! There is also a shop about 5 minutes away from the field house, where you can stock up on snacks and cold drinks for your sugar fix! There is a fridge in the house, which can be used to store all your food.

Transport will be in the form of a jeep, bicycle or by foot!

The villages where we work are next to the Wasgamuwa National Park (10 minutes drive) so there is a lot to do and see if you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors. The Maduru Oya National Park is also about an hour away by car. This park is renowned for its wild elephant population. The surrounding jungles and villages can be explored easily by foot or bike. Sri Lanka’s longest river is about 20 minutes away and travelling a few kilometres down it in an inner-tube is safe and great fun - except during the rainy season! Sigiriya, Polannaruwa, Nuwera Eliya, Dambulla and Kalkudah Beach are all about 3-4 hours bus ride away. To cool off, you can hire a van and go to the Knuckles Range which at 5000 feet is much cooler! It is about 70 minutes away with beautiful areas to hike and plenty of cool streams to bathe in. The temperature drops to a comfortable 20-28 degrees at this altitude. The Field staff at the project will be able to help you plan any trips you want to take. They have a wealth of knowledge on the local area and Sri Lanka in general.

Generally though, this is a remote and basic area and the placement is suitable for those people who enjoy reading and solitude as there is little to do in the evenings. However, you will always be with at least one other Travellers volunteer so you will have company – and board games! You are also welcome to bring your own Laptop with you as the field house (where you will be staying) now has electricity and quite good wireless Internet connectivity so you can stay in contact with your friends and family.

The rest of Sri Lanka is a tropical paradise offering something to suit every type of visitor. Sri Lanka is often referred to as a 'Teardrop in the Ocean' - a beautiful island with a mystical past and history awaiting exploration. The countries beaches are outstanding and often rated amongst the finest in the world.