The Department of Education, central government, and the North Central Provincial Education Department have recruited the facilities of our research station at Polonnaruwa, and expertise of our staff, in organizing and carrying out nature education programs in for school children between the 6th grade and A-levels. More than 300 children already have benefited from the program in 2011.

In the photograph, Mr. S. M. Saluwadana, Director of Science, North Central Province Education observes as our team, lead by Sunil Gunathilake, instructs about fish biology.

Our neighbors and collaborators, Mr. Nimal and Ms. Malani Perera, life-long fisher-folk, give pointers about the anatomy and habits of different fish species found in the Parakrama Samudra lake.

Here they show the “tilapia” Oreochromis mossambicus imported from East Africa in 1951 and used to stock dry-zone tanks. In the photo, the fish held by Mr. Perera is urinating.