[Sri Lanka] 1. Environmental studies
Our team from Sweden is all from Pingstkyrkan (Pentecostal Church) and the ten of us were going to Sri Lanka with the purpose to study the environment there. This trip is an exchange project where people from Sweden make a two-week-visit to Sri Lanka and then ten members from Smyrna Church in Ragala will go to Sweden and study the environment here.
Sri Lanka is a very beautfiful country (and it reminds me a lot about Vietnam) with curious but friendly people. However, the country is poor and that affect the mentality of the people who live there and their lifestyles and what they think (or don't think) about environmental issues. I found it tragic that even if their country is so beautiful, they treat it nonchalantly and don't seem to treasure it. But I guess manageing garbage would be the last thing you'll think about when you're struggling for survival...
Animal life is part of the environment, don't you think?
Wild dogs everywhere. No one's taking care of these poor things, it's a sight unusual for us (Swedes). The dogs don't bother people though, they're just strolling around, searching for food.
Bats in the tree.
Dangerous animals. A poisonous snake. ^^;
We visited Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
They're using elephant dung to make paper. That's a cool way of recycling. 100% crap.
Elephants having fun. ^^
The lake in Kandy. Nice view, isn't it?
With all the exhaust fumes and other pollutions in the air, I doubt that the laundry will stay clean that long...
Lanka Bible College in Kandy, where a professor from the University of Kandy held a lecture about Sri Lankan environment. The Bible College is trying to make the students aware of the importantance of recycling and management of garbage, so they have different bins for different kind of garbage. Sadly, in the end, they just put all the contents in each bin together and burn it. Ah well, it's still a start...
Food for urban animals.
Going up in the mountains.
It's a bit foggy.
At the guesthouse which runs by Smyrna Mission House in Nuwara Eliya. It was an orphanage before and it is also the place where Mike, one of our guides, grew up. Here you can see us in sharing our impressions and thoughts about what we've seen so far about the environment.
Seriously working, we are.
The children are our future. Let's give them a proper education. We're at the preschool in Smyrna Church, Ragala.
Tea plants as far as the eye can see. We were discussing what consequences it may give to the biodiversity in this area when replacing the original forrest with other plants.
Tea plants workers. They're picking tea leaves for the factory.
I've forgotten what place this was, I think it was some kind of sewage treatment works, something with water... Anyway, they didn't let us in. T_T
Re-using CDs, keeping the birds away. That gave me inspiration to reuse my own CDs, maybe some creative activities with the kids...? XD
Hey, over there!
Refuse dump.
Medical waste. They don't seem to have a plan for what to do with these, just storing them for the time being.
Nuwara Eliya should be cleaner than most other places in Sri Lanka...
I don't like dogs, but my heart aches for this sight.
At a textile factory. They have these bins, but no one practises the use of it.
The biggest/broadest waterfall in Sri Lanka...?
Leaving the mountains, going West to the coast.
Downtown Colombo seems clean.
Billboard education, Colombo.
Fishing boats in Negombo.
Fish market in Negombo. At least you won't be run down by trucks like in Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. Sushi next? I don't think so.
Here's where they store confiscated boats.
Drying fishes on the beach.
Sri Lanka is a very beautfiful country (and it reminds me a lot about Vietnam) with curious but friendly people. However, the country is poor and that affect the mentality of the people who live there and their lifestyles and what they think (or don't think) about environmental issues. I found it tragic that even if their country is so beautiful, they treat it nonchalantly and don't seem to treasure it. But I guess manageing garbage would be the last thing you'll think about when you're struggling for survival...
Animal life is part of the environment, don't you think?
Wild dogs everywhere. No one's taking care of these poor things, it's a sight unusual for us (Swedes). The dogs don't bother people though, they're just strolling around, searching for food.
Bats in the tree.
Dangerous animals. A poisonous snake. ^^;
We visited Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
They're using elephant dung to make paper. That's a cool way of recycling. 100% crap.
Elephants having fun. ^^
The lake in Kandy. Nice view, isn't it?
With all the exhaust fumes and other pollutions in the air, I doubt that the laundry will stay clean that long...
Lanka Bible College in Kandy, where a professor from the University of Kandy held a lecture about Sri Lankan environment. The Bible College is trying to make the students aware of the importantance of recycling and management of garbage, so they have different bins for different kind of garbage. Sadly, in the end, they just put all the contents in each bin together and burn it. Ah well, it's still a start...
Food for urban animals.
Going up in the mountains.
It's a bit foggy.
At the guesthouse which runs by Smyrna Mission House in Nuwara Eliya. It was an orphanage before and it is also the place where Mike, one of our guides, grew up. Here you can see us in sharing our impressions and thoughts about what we've seen so far about the environment.
Seriously working, we are.
The children are our future. Let's give them a proper education. We're at the preschool in Smyrna Church, Ragala.
Tea plants as far as the eye can see. We were discussing what consequences it may give to the biodiversity in this area when replacing the original forrest with other plants.
Tea plants workers. They're picking tea leaves for the factory.
I've forgotten what place this was, I think it was some kind of sewage treatment works, something with water... Anyway, they didn't let us in. T_T
Re-using CDs, keeping the birds away. That gave me inspiration to reuse my own CDs, maybe some creative activities with the kids...? XD
Hey, over there!
Refuse dump.
Medical waste. They don't seem to have a plan for what to do with these, just storing them for the time being.
Nuwara Eliya should be cleaner than most other places in Sri Lanka...
I don't like dogs, but my heart aches for this sight.
At a textile factory. They have these bins, but no one practises the use of it.
The biggest/broadest waterfall in Sri Lanka...?
Leaving the mountains, going West to the coast.
Downtown Colombo seems clean.
Billboard education, Colombo.
Fishing boats in Negombo.
Fish market in Negombo. At least you won't be run down by trucks like in Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. Sushi next? I don't think so.
Here's where they store confiscated boats.
Drying fishes on the beach.