EU marks World Environment Day at Narandeniya Central

Planting a palm at the entrance

Winner Rumesh Kavinda of Narandeniya Central 

Text and pix by 

P.D. De Silva 

‘Seven billion dreams, One Planet. Consume with care’  was the theme of this year’s World Environment Day which fell yesterday, 5 June.

In Sri Lanka the delegation of the European Union together with the Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust enlightened the students of Narandeniya Central College and neighbouring schools in Kamburupitiya of the importance of conserving the environment. 

First Councillor Willem Verpoest and Secretary International Politics, Press and Information Robert Oudraad of the European Union delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and Maldives together with Managing Trustee Jayantha Jayawardena and Advisor Mohamed Ali of the Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust were guests at the ceremony. 

“I’ll be back in 10 years to see how this palm has grown,” quipped Verpoest, placing the first of many trees planted within the school premises in the morning. Speaking at the ceremony he said that the World Environment Day has been celebrated since 1972. He said that 30% of food cooked per meal is wasted worldwide which is enough to feed 800 million people. “All of you can contribute to conserve the environment by preventing waste of food and recycling waste materials.”

Sudath Abeysinghe, Conservation Biologist of the Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust, and Parami Waidyarathna of the Young Zoologist Association shared their knowledge about the wonders of the environment with Principal of Narandeniya Central College D.A. Priyadarshana, teachers and students who attended the ceremony.