Letters from the Ground Team: Anoka Abeyrathne

Anoka Abeyrathne is an undergraduate of Law through the University of London and Wildlife Conservation and Biology at the Open University of Sri Lanka. She is also studying management through the Northumbria University but due to the hectic work schedule will be reducing course content. She loves languages and due to living in various parts of the world, has acquired a habit of learning languages encountered. She believes that excellence is a habit and not a one time happening. Anoka is a British Council International Climate Champion 2010.

Being a kid who was always with animals and nature; camping, boating, trekking, going on Safaris and going to the awesome wildlife sanctuaries in Sri Lanka, Anoka is a born environmentalist. Seeing the painful destruction caused to the sensitive Mangrove ecosystem she did a Mangrove conservation project for more than 4 years to save the migratory birds/reptiles and other species in Bolgoda Lake, Sri Lanka while providing the community with the opportunity to understand the importance of the Mangroves not just an ecosystem but also as a way of livelihood; to earn a living through eco-tourism, carbon credits and eco-friendly handicrafts.  She became a British Council Climate Champion 2010/2011 and was given the opportunity to represent Sri Lanka at the International Youth Climate Finance Forum 2010.

She says that “the SAYSOCC committee and the SLYCAN have been doing awesome work and I feel greatly priviledged to be working with the most passionate and amazing people I’ve met ever. Vositha, Shehan, Sudarsha, De Alwis, Harshini and all the others are totally awesome and they keep inspiring and driving us forward to make this year’s SAYSOCC the best one yet. For me SAYSOCC is one the peaks of what Sri Lankan youth can achieve and we feel honoured to be the host of this year’s conference.

Sure we have a wee bit of annoyances like the “funding” and “red-tape” but seeing the fire lit up within each of these amazing individuals reassures you that “WE CAN” and “WE WILL”. So hang on, the wheels are in motion, SAYSOCC 2010 is gonna be awesome!!”