SRI LANKA FOREST DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ARRIVE ON STUDY TOUR

Bangalore, 18 September 2007: A team of twelve forest officials from the Sri Lanka Forest Department arrived here in Bangalore today for an eleven-day study tour that will take them to sites in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

ATREE has been facilitating this study programme for the Sri Lanka Forest Department since 2002. Every year, one or two teams travel to India for this study programme. The programme is coordinated by ATREE Trustee and former PCCF of Karnataka Forest Department Dr. SN Rai.

Participants from the 2005 study tour

After a brief orientation here at ATREE, the team will travel to the field where they will visit plantations of the Karnataka Forest Department and Karnataka Forest Development Corporation, the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding at Coimbatore, Kerala Forest Research Institute and KFRI field stations and plantation areas, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Bandipur National Park, BIRD-K's work in watershed management and tree-based farming work in Tiptur, and ecotourism areas in Channarayapatana. The specific areas of their interest: plantations, national parks, tree improvement, nursery technologies, ecotourism, agroforestry and medicinal plants conservation and management.

The first batch of 12 officials is led by District Forest Officer SK Dahanayake. A second batch of officials, led by Assistant Conservator of Forests PAGS Nandakumara will be undertaking a similar tour from 30 September to 11 October.

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