Interactors of District 3220 lends a hand!

Under the Rotary Green Cover Project, a Tree Planting campaign was organized by Interact District 3220, with Interact Club of Ceylinco Sussex College, Rotary Clubs of Colombo Regency, Kandy and Ratnapura on 25th October 2008.

10 schools were selected in the Ratnapura area and 50 plants were planted in each school averaging a total of 500 trees, by more than 50 Interactors from Colombo and Ratnapura representing the Interact District 3220.

Beauty Queens show their support to Rotary Green Cover

Miss Holland Melissa Seekes

Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World Mariah Colombage

Bollywood Actress Neha Dhupia was the showstopper. She is wearing a custom made saree for the Rotary Green Cover - 10 Million Trees Project by designer Satya Paul.

Indian Models

Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World Mariah Colombage

French designer Lecoanet Hemant (brand LH)

COLOMBO VOGUE LIFESTYLES WEEKEND

The Rotary Club of Colombo Regency in association with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau organized the Colombo Vogue Lifestyles Weekend a spectacular lifestyles weekend event held from 30th May to 1st June 2008 at Hotel Galadari.

The programme was two days of a fashion blitz under the banner of Colombo Fashion Statement with Indian designers showcasing their creations on 31st May and International Designers sashaying their designs on 1st May.

The Rotary Club of Colombo Regency organizers of this mega event received its charter from Rotary International on the 24th of May 2002 with a vision to strengthen the Rotary movement in Sri Lanka. It began with a new club, a new image - progressive, young, dynamic with Rotary's active concern for the community. Since its inception the club has been spearheading a number of community social service projects that have been transforming the lives of the young, old, marginalized and differently able across Sri Lanka.

Colombo Fashion Statement was a unique expose of the latest designs for 2008 by renowned designers. The Indian designers Satya Paul, Shobaa De and Rina Gill showcased their latest collections on 31st May. French designers Lecoanet Hemant (brand LH), Nathalie Ozier & Noemie Dieudonne, Bangladeshi designer Bibi Russell and Brandix showcased on 01st June.

The fashion shows featured the reigning Miss India for Miss World Parvathy Omanakuttan, Miss India for Miss Earth Tanvi Vyas, Miss Sri Lanka for Miss Universe Aruni Rajapakse, Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World Mariah Colombage, Miss Holland Melissa Seekes and Miss Israel 2007 Liran Kohener modeled on the runway, a rare occasion, along with 09 models from India and 8 models from Sri Lanka. Bollywood Actress Neha Dhupia was the showstopper on 31st May

The proceeds of this show will be utilized to plant and nurture trees in rural Sri Lanka as part of Rotary’s 10 million trees project, Rotary (Sri Lanka) Green Cover. This project is being organized by the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency, Rotary Club of Kandy and Sri Lanka Tourism and will be implemented in association with all Rotary Clubs in Sri Lanka.

Participation from NGO’s and Organizations interested in this project is welcome.

Rotarians of Rotary Colombo Regency in Galle

Project Chairperson "Rotary Green Cover" 10 Million Trees Project, Rtn. Shantha Warnakulasuriya planting a tree at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.

Rotarians of Rotary Club of Colombo Regency at the Galle International Cricket Stadium at the Tree Planting Ceremony.

Sri Lanka Tourism extends support to Rotary Sri Lanka

Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism, Renton de Alwis is seen planting a tree at the Galle International Cricket Stadium to show their support to Rotary Sri Lanka's "Rotary Green Cover" 10 Million Trees Project.

Brandix Supports Rotary

M. Raghuram, CEO of Brandix Sri Lanka Plants a tree at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in support of Rotary Srilanka's "Rotary Green Cover" 10 Million Trees Project.

Cricketers Plant Tree at GICS

Captain of Sri Lanka Cricket Mahela Jayawardena planting a tree at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in support of Rotary RI 3220, Sri Lanka's "Rotary Green Cover" 10 Million Trees Project.

Vice Captain of Sri Lanka Cricket Kumar Sangakkara planting a tree at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in support of Rotary RI 3220, Sri Lanka's "Rotary Green Cover" 10 Million Trees Project.

Sri Lanka Cricket Team Supports Rotary Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara, Vice Captain of the SriLanka Cricket is extending his support towards Rotary Sri Lanka, RI 3220's "Rotary Green Cover" 10 Million Trees Project by planting a sapling at the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

English Cricket Team Planting Trees

Michael Vaughn, Captain of the English Cricket Team accepting a sapling from a Rotarian of the Rotary Club of Kandy to be planted in their effort to show support to Rotary Sri Lanka, RI District 3220's "Rotary Green Cover" 10 Million Trees Project.

Paul Collingwood of the English Cricket Team sharing a joke while accepting a sampling to be planted, in their effort to show support to "Rotary Green Cover" 10 million trees project.

Michael Vaughn watering the newly planted sapling across from the Asgiriya Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

Manager of the English Cricket Team having a chat with Rotarians while the tree planting is in progress.

Sri Lanka Tourism Minister & Students Planting Trees in KANDY

Hon. Deputy Minister of Tourism Faize Mustapha & Students together with the Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Kandy planting trees in a forest patch.

What will be Achieved

• 10 million trees will reduce 250,000MTof carbon annually in the atmosphere.

• 10 million trees will provide oxygen to sustain up to 40 million people annually.

• The nation will regain its green cover dramatically.

The Numbers

• The cost of planting and nurturing a tree for 5 years is US$2 per tree.

• So planting and nurturing 10 million trees will amount to US$20 million over a 5 year period.

Making the Objectives Real

• Setting up a Project Office, and dedicating Full Time Project Resources

• Appointing Community Based Field Officers to guide, monitor and communicate progress,
replacements & status

• Allocating Funds for Seedlings, Fertilizer and other expenses to be disbursed through the local
Rotary Clubs

• Creating a database of trees endemic to the areas.

• Providing regular updates to Donors & Stakeholders via Blogs and Email.

A Closer Look

Empowering Rural Women

Home Gardens - Providing rural women with seedlings to create their own home gardens, which will sustain them with income, food, firewood and fodder.Community Nurseries - Setting these up for rural women groups and in turn making them a source of seedlings for the project.Community Orchards - Partnering with rural women groupsto set up orchards which will prove to be income earners for them through the sale of fruit.


Forest Conservation & De-forestation

Employing rural people, mainly women, to plant trees in degraded natural forests, and rain forestsLobbying policy makers to strengthen the law against illicit logging and enforce the lawLobbying the Government to seek payment from overseas funding agencies for maintaining forestsInvolving volunteer groups to plant trees in forests.Encouraging people to have forest gardens by supplying them with seedlings and fertilizer


Coast Conservation

• Building a wind cover with trees along the coast.

• Employing rural women and also through volunteers.

• Maintaining the trees through volunteer groups.

• Preventing the logging of coastal trees and clearing of vegetation through coastal protection
groups.

• Carrying out awareness on coast conservation.


Awareness & Education on Global Warming

•Carrying out awareness campaigns through the media and group discussions.

•Spreading knowledge through seminars.

•Distributing educational kits to school childrenInvolving school children in planting trees.

•Organizing art competitions on global warming in schools


Positioning Sri Lanka as a Tourism Earth Lung

•Guilt free travel for tourists through carbon offsetting

•Enabling tourists to purchase and plant trees, visit in village households and understand the
local culture.

•The seedlings will be made available at resort hotels.

•Tourists will be encouraged to plant trees while nature trails and camping sites will also be set
up for them to enjoy the bio diversity.

•Tourists who cannot plant trees will be able to buy tree vouchers, available in city & resort
hotels and with tour operators.

Secondary Objectives

• Empowerment of Rural Women

• Forest Conservation and Reforestation

• Coast Conservation

• Awareness & Education of Global Warming at the Grass root level

• Increasing Inbound Tourism positioning Sri Lanka as a Tourism Earth Lung

Primary Objective

To reduce Global Warming by carbon reduction in the atmosphere by planting and nurturing 10 million trees in Sri Lanka over the next 5 years.

Project Mission

To control and reduce the environmental damage that has endangered and continues to endanger our planet and ensure a greener and sustainable world for future generations.

Rotary Green Cover

In the next 40 years, 40% of the Artic ice will melt away and oceans levels will rise by 20 feet,
a direct result of Global Warming.

In 1936 Winston Churchill said something significant “We are entering a period of consequences.
So, what we initiate today, will have a lasting impact on our tomorrows… good or bad.”

One practical solution is Increasing the Earth’s Tree Coverand we can begin this in Sri Lanka.

An initiative to Plant & Nurture Ten Million Trees in Sri Lanka. A Project by Rotary District 3220, Rotary Club of Colombo Regency, Rotary Club of Kandy & Sri Lanka Tourism.