At our Endane Biodiversity Corridor in Rathnapura, something special was brought to life – D-Island, a one-of-a-kind arboretum in Sri Lanka.
Created earlier this year in partnership with the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, D-Island is a living collection dedicated to the Dipterocarpaceae family – a group of trees that form the backbone of our lowland rainforests.
In just two days, we planted 40 seedlings representing 33 of the 58 Dipterocarpaceae species found in Sri Lanka. That’s more than half the species there!
Why Dipterocarps?
Dipterocarps grow slowly, and their seeds don’t last long, making natural regeneration tough.
D-Island builds on Dilmah Conservation’s earlier arboretum efforts at Endane. First came the Memecylon plot, a unique nursery for threatened Memecylon species – some newly discovered. Now, D-Island takes things further, giving Sri Lanka’s slow-growing, rare Dipterocarps their own dedicated space. These special nurseries are vital as they protect threatened species and give them a real chance to thrive.
Conserving and restoring these plants helps connect forest patches, support wildlife, safeguard biodiversity, and secure a future for these trees in Sri Lanka’s forests – just as we’ve been doing in our Endane Biodiversity Corridor, showing steady progress over the years.
What’s next?
We plan to promote these arebeortums as spaces for further learning about these flora species for both the general public and specialist groups. We imagine that such initiatives will awaken a new found love for botany among a new generation.
