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 county'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 treehouse to watch for elephants.

You are needed to provide essential people power to help sustain these efforts, and in return you'll gain a whole host of experience and knowledge that will last a lifetime.

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, and it covers a broad range of elements and activities. Below is a list of the current activities, but some of these can change depending on what is required at the time you're there and on other factors, such as the weather.

Elephant Research:

• Tank monitoring
• Trail transects on trails that range from 5-10 kilometers on undulating to steep terrain.
• Road transects out side and inside the park.
• Park ID - identification of elephants within the park
• Fence monitoring
• Observations of elephants from tree hut and at tanks

Socio-Economic and Agro/Social Forestry research:

• Elephant Damage Surveys
• Village Headman (GND) Surveys
• HEC and HLC assessment surveys
• Project Orange Elephant – Citrus Plantation

Farming:

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

GIS Research and overall coordination:

• Identification of trails which leopards/bears/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.

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 Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has a Field Project House near Wasgamuwa in a beautiful scenic location overlooking the village reservoir. The house is very basic but is made up of entirely eco-friendly material due to the fact that it was built by a team of conscientious conservationists – the SLWCS.

The walls are made of wooden slats and hardened mud and the roof is formed of wooden slats and tin sheets. You really do feel like you are in the wilderness! It can be quite a culture shock at first, but rest assured the friendly nature of the villagers and beautiful scenery soon make up for the very basic and open nature of the accommodation.

Because of the location of this project there is no electricity in the house and thus no refrigerator or fans on site. There is a bathroom with cold running water and a western style toilet and in the evenings lights are generated by solar power.

It's also possible that you may stay in a tented campsite near to the Wasgamuwa National Park, depending on the number of volunteers on the project.

Food and Transport:
All of your food will be provided (gorgeous, mostly vegetarian Sri Lankan curries) and local transport is either by bicycle or walking.

Getting around is not easy in this remote area and bicycles are essential as the main form of transport. Buses to Kandy and Colombo run from here and take approximately 5 to 9 hours, respectively. Buses run more frequently to Hettipola, which is the nearest town, located about 1 hour (15 km) away.

Local sights such as Sigirya, Pollannaruwa, Nuwera Eliya & Dambulla are all about a 3 - 4 hours away by private vehicle. To cool off, you can hire a van and go the Knuckles Range (3,000 ft), which is about 1 hour away - there are beautiful areas to hike and plenty of cool streams to bathe in. The temperature drops off to a comfortable 20-28 degrees at this altitude.

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. 

Locals washing clothes in the river