On October 25th we were delighted to welcome representatives from the Yala Leopard Centre to the centre for the latest module of our course. This week, our teachers were research team members Dushyantha Silva and Milinda Wattegedera.

They taught the students about leopard identification and behaviour, including how Sri Lankan leopards differ to their African peers. This is because they are the apex predator at nearby Yala National Park whereas their African cousins have a lot more competition for resources from other predators. 

As a result, they are not solitary creatures at Yala but happy to share their home ranges with other leopards of either gender.

On October 19th, our teacher for the week was Rohan Laksiri from the Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Ruhuna.

He came to the centre to teach the sustainable tourism module. This included the three pillars of profit (economic sustainability), planet (environmental sustainability) and people (social sustainability).

He told the students that sustainable solutions need three components: economic viability, social desirability and economically feasibility. Practical examples include limiting visitor numbers to sensitive areas, designing eco-friendly accommodation and choosing tourism operators committed to sustainable practices. 

On October 12, our lecturer for the week was Channa Suraweera, Assistant Director of at the Department of Wildlife Conservation, at Lunugamvehera National Park.

He presented an overview of the different types of mammals in Sri Lanka and how their various adaptations to regulate body temperature, mean they are able to survive in environments ranging from extremely cold environments to extremely hot environments such as deserts.

In total, Sri Lanka has 91 different types of terrestrial mammals with a further 33 marine mammals.

This week, Pradeep Ratnasiri from the Department of Wildlife and Conservation came to teach the students about crocodiles.

He went all the way back 250 million years to the early Triassic period to unravel how modern crocodiles evolved from their ancestors archosauria and how closely related to birds they are (they are both from the archosaur group).

He taught the students how to understand the difference between crocodiles and alligators, plus the ecosystem that Sri Lanka's estimated 3,500 crocodiles inhabit across the country's 14,000 lakes, ponds, rivers, canals and lagoons. 

We followed our module covering bird identification with a field trip to Sri Lanka's foremost wetlands at Bundala national park.  Leading the birdwatching expedition was our lecturer Menaka Pathirage, an Education and Research Officer from the Department of Zoological Gardens.

He helped the group identify some of the 200 species that inhabit the park's many lagoons. 

We didn't see any flamingos as it is too early in the season but we did identify many types of waders including herons, egrets, storks and ibis. 

On September 19th, we were very pleased that Menaka Pathirage, an Education and Research Officer from Hambantota's Department of Zoological Gardens came to teach the bird module. Sri Lanka is a birdwatcher's paradise with 522 bird species of which 244 breed on the island. Many are migratory. 

Menaka explained how to classify and identify different types of birds, in addition to highlighting their migratory routes and the different habitats they live in across the island. 

He also ran through a short history of how birds have evolved, including the fate of the world's largest flightless bird, the elephant bird of Madagascar - driven to extinction after humans arrived. 

On September 12th, botanist Ranjith Bogoda gave an illuminating lecture about plants and trees to students studying for the Wildlife Certificate Course.

Among the many things he taught the students, were the similarities and differences between human and plant reproductive systems, plus how seeds grow.  

He also explained the history of why plants have Latin names and how certain animals such as pandas and koalas depend on single plant food sources.

And he also helped the students learn how to identify different trees by looking at their trunks and leaves, plus how to then explain what are seeing when showing them to tourists.

At the end of August, we were delighted to welcome DC Mahanama, Park Warden at Galge National Park to lecture on marine mammals.

Sri Lanka has three main areas for marine mammals - Mirissa, Kalpitiya and Trincomalee. The island's waters are awash with multiple types including: 16 species of whale, ranging from blue whales to humpback whales and 18 varieties of dolphin, including the misleading named pygmy killer whale and false killer whale. 

Marine conservation efforts are critical to protect them and he talked at length about the regulations governing tour boats. He also provided an overview of how mammals originally adapted to marine life, how to identify different types, plus what marine biologists know about their social life and feeding patterns. 

Dr Ajith Gunawardana, Director of Awareness and Training at the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), came to the MCTC in mid-August to talk about the authority's work. 

The CEA is Sri Lanka's main body responsible for managing and protecting the country's environment. And it has global significance given the whole country is classified as one of the world's 36 biodiversity hospots.

Dr Gunawardana talked of what balancing economic development with environmental conservation entails. Positive impacts include: increased funding for conservation, research and renewable energy, plus a rise in eco-toursim and greater environmental awareness programmes among the general population.

Mrs Chandani Wilson, Deputy Director of Training and Research, at Department of Wildlife and Conservation, used her lecture to provide an overview of Sri Lanka's wildlife conservation laws.

She pointed out that safari tourism depends on healthy wildlife and ecosystems before commenting on some of the challenges the national parks face from excessive numbers of jeeps, littering, noise,  and habitat damage.

Installing good practices among jeep drivers is key. This encompasses switching off engines while waiting for animals, respecting wildlife and bringing rubbish back so tourists leave no trace. Eco-friendly practices create a win-win situation, she added, since enhanced tourist satisfaction leads to more tips and return visits.

We were delighted to welcome EP Damayanthi, Assistant Director from the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department (COD) in Hambantota, to explain the agency's work. She flagged the important role tourism plays given 80% of hotel rooms are in coastal areas. 

And the latter face twin threats from human activity - pollution, removal of coastal vegetation, coral mining and illegal contstruction (to name but a few), plus natural activity thanks to rising sea levels and sea erosion.

She finished her lecture by analysing what can and is being done to protect the nation's coastal resources including sand nourishment programmes and beach cleaning programmes.

On August 1st, we welcomed Roshan Jayawardena, Extension Officer, Tissamaharama Range, from the Department of Forest Conservation to kick off our Wildlife Certificate Course.

He began his lecture by quoting a famous saying attributed to the Buddha: "The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence".

After explaining Sri Lanka's history of forest conservation dating back to 207BC, he turned to modern protection efforts, including the laws governing conservation and the agencies that operate them. He also discussed the importance and development of tourism at Sinharaja Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It's been a number of years in the making, but we were delighted to launch a new course, this May: a six-month Wildlife Awareness Course with certification from the Department of Wildlife and Conservation.

The course is designed for trackers working at nearby national parks and other people working in the tourism industry locally. A series of wildlife experts from across Sri Lanka will be coming to the centre to provide the class with deeper knowledge of Sri Lanka's wildlife and biodiversity.

The aim is to not only equip the course participants with greater insights to pass onto tourists but also increase awareness of how valuable Sri Lanka's biodiversity is from an economic and environmental perspective.   

We were delighted to have two volunteers join us for over a month before they continued on their travels across Sri Lanka.

Millie and Margot are friends from the UK taking a year off before going to university. 

They were a great help teaching children conversational English at two schools - one large town school (Mahasenpura) and one rural school (Osuwinna). 

They also helped out at the MCTC as well, located in Mahasenpura School. 

They are pictured here teaching grade four students at Osuwinna School.

Our latest Kids Class - number 15 - finished this spring.

Pictured is the class with volunteers Millie and Margot who have been staying in Tissa to volunteer at local schools and came into the centre for the very final class. 

The course, taught by Nimeshika was held every Saturday from 11am to 2pm with students from three rural schools - Osuwinna, Ranminithenna and Yatalatissa Primary School. 

Nimeshika noted that unlike recent classes where boys stood out, it was girls that stood out in the final exam this time round.