As part of Standard Chartered Bank's "Green Your Flights" campaign, the bank donated 5,000 trees to be planted on Kahagalla Hill near the town of Baduraliya, Sri Lanka. SCB has dedicated itself to protecting the environment, working closely with PATT on a total of five projects in Asia. This CSR effort to offset the bank's carbon emissions from flights and combat climate change will result in a total of 35,000 trees in four different countries.
The 5,000 trees donated by SCB are planted within the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve. Kahagalla Hill was the site chosen, as it is comprised of mostly degraded land. Sinharaja, which translates to "Kingdom of the Lion," is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to a number of endemic species of animals including mammals, amphibians, and butterflies. Over half of the trees in Sinharaja Forest Reserve are endemic, many of these also rare species, largely vital as this is almost all that remains of Sri Lanka's tropical lowland rainforest.
Planting a mix of endemic lowland forest trees with trees producing fruits, nuts, and medicine, combines income potential for the two villages hosted by the reserve, along with maximum biodiversity. The framework species method of reforestation that was implemented is designed to restore diversity with consideration to the ecosystem. Indigenous species that adapt strongly to open areas and revering plants have been introduced along two small streams starting from the hill.
The backbone of the project is large-scale social mobilisation through awareness campaigns, which are used to motivate volunteer participation. Volunteers from SCB's local branches journeyed to the Kahagalla Hill to plant some of the 5,000 trees on 18th December 2010 and local youths have participated in subsequent planting. Environmental awareness brings about a reassessment of the value of trees to ensure that their ongoing maintenance, protection and propagation continue beyond the initial implementation phase, thereby ensuring high survival rates for the trees.
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