Save the land. Save the elephants.
Donation protected
Land is being systematically stolen from the Sri Lankan elephants. More and more forests are destroyed daily as land is captured. Just a few years ago land along the Gangewadiya Road leading to Illiya was densely inhabited forest. It is all now laid bare. The area where elephants roamed free has been transformed into croplands that are incising to the elephant’s insatiable appetite. Trouble for farmers is trouble for elephants!
Appe Kale Project is located on the last untouched patch of land and provides all the animals with precious water, grassland and fruiting trees. Help us to keep this 50-acre oasis. We need $5000 to secure the land legally with all the permissions to reforest and provide stocked water sources. We need an elephant fence to link the plot to the large forested area of Wilpattu National Park. This will prohibit elephants from entering the farmland.
Hello, I am Suraj Goonewardene. Dr Linda Hodges, Rashmika and I are asking your help to save the endangered wildlife and help conserve the biodiversity in the Northwest Dry Zone. My degree is in Wildlife Management from University of Edinburgh and certification as a field guide from Kenya has inspired me to co-develop the Appe Kale project in the Puttalam District. Illiya is one of the most bio diverse areas of the dry zone. Our project is focused on developing habitats on the land for animal conservation as well as working to control the wildlife/human conflicts the plague the region due to expanding agricultural lands. Our project is being threatened. Please help us with your donation and by sharing this crisis with others.
The Project
Illiya, situated between Wilpattu National Park and the 5000 acres of Insee/Holcim forest, is home of the Appe Kale Project. The 40 acres left untouched for more than 30 years host a combination of grassland, scrub forest, marsh, riverine and mangrove habitats creating one of the most biodiverse areas in the region. The land also adjoins to a 30-acre tank (lake) which is a key water source for the elephants. During the dry season, Illiya hosts as many as 50 elephants a day who come to drink water and graze.
Textlon Lanka Private Limited Appe Kale Project acquired the Illiya land in 2015 for the sole purposes of creating:
1. a safe environment with varying habitats to conserve the lush biodiversity.
2. awareness of the critical importance of the biodiversity
3. a place for research and monitoring biodiversity.
Many different types of habitats have been and are being created on the land.
· Water holes and a tank were built and are maintained with a constant supply of water, fish and plants.
· A mangrove tree nursery is being grown and will be planted to replace the disappearing mangrove forest areas.
· Thousands of native forest fruiting trees are being grown in our nursery to add to replanting already been done in Illiya.
· A large wetland area will be developed and stocked with fish and aquatic plants for birds and the other animals.
· A large grassland area will be maintained by watering during the dry season.
The Solution
We are trying to raise $5000 by the first of November 2018. The funds will be used to secure the land rights through the supreme court and permissions for us to continue our project without contest. Once we win the supreme court battle and re-establish our undisputed land rights, Illiya will be safe from future illegal attacks. Please help us with your donation and by sharing our need. Our website is www.appe-kale.com .
Fundraising team (3)
Linda Hodges
Organizer
Rockwall, TX
Suraj Goonewardene
Team member
Rashmika Dilhara
Team member
