Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink and provide habitat to over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Forests provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines.
Trees play a key role in capturing rainwater and reducing the risk of natural disasters like floods and landslides. Their intricate root systems act like filters, removing pollutants and slowing down the water’s absorption into the soil. This process prevents harmful waterslide erosion and reduces the risk of over-saturation and flooding.
A single tree can be home to hundreds of species of insect, fungi, moss, mammals, and plants. Depending on the kind of food and shelter they need, different forest animals require different types of habitats. Without trees, forest creatures would have nowhere to call home.
“Marathon Towards Greenery” is a project initiated to promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems in Sri Lanka. Based on the countless natural disasters and adverse weather conditions that Sri Lanka has faced in the recent years it is understandable that there is a need to improve both urban and rural eco-systems. This project is an attempt to promote tree planting & reforestation as a mode to recover the declining terrestrial ecosystems and educate the general public on methods to reduce the energy usage in buildings by designing optimized constructions.
The first step to uplift and improve the eco-systems is to raise awareness and popularize tree planting and instill a sense of responsibility to protect the environment among the younger generation of the country. Tree planting in urban locations are vital to balance the ecosystems and to provide better living conditions for the citizens of the country. Most of the destruction to terrestrial ecosystems are caused to carry out constructions for human use. As constructions increase day by day it is necessary for everyone to be educated in the design strategies that can be implemented in these constructions to minimize the damage to the environment and provide maximum comfort to the users. Four sub-projects were planned for this version of “Marathon Towards Greenery” covering all of these aspects.
The tree mortality in urban ecosystems have been declining steadily in recent years due to human activities. The main causes for the destruction of urban ecosystems can be traced back to damage of roots & soil through construction activities, competition from invasive plant species and air pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to improve these ecosystems to ensure livable, safe urban areas with considerably better air quality.
Maga Addara 22.1 was successfully held on 17th March 2022 in Karadiyana, Piliyandala.
This project was focused on improving the urban ecosystem in Piliyandala-Bokundara area by planting trees beside the roadside. The State Timber Corporation was the partner for this project and donated around 42 mango and kumbuk plants to be planted beside the roadside. Especially Mr Gamini Alwis from the Timber Corporation also joined hands with us on that day and we had great support in the beginning also
