In Hopes of Slowing a Ticking Clock: RACFOSUOC’s Project S.A.F.E.

Time is a physical quantity that the developed species of humankind has shaped and represented in many forms; be it the simple passerby informing of the phases of the day, or the comparison of a quantity at various intervals. If we compress the known history of the universe to a single year, written history as we know it would not have been shaped any sooner than 12 seconds to the end of the very last day of the year. Taking this scope into mind, you might be able to fathom how much has changed on planet Earth in a cosmically insignificant time period. The news however, is only going to get worse.

With a rather heavy population density, the overbearing advancements that have been coupled with greed and nourished by free-reign have left permanent scars on our planet. One such scar that is deepening day by day, is the loss of habitat zones, and the ensuing issue: the loss of endangered species. As nations and organizations across the globe unite to address this dire issue, as responsible undergraduates, the members of the Rotaract Club of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo (RACFOSUOC), have come up with an initiative from the Environmental Services avenue; “Project S.A.F.E. (Save Animals from Endangerment)”.

Primarily aimed at promoting awareness among the community on the subject of animal welfare and conservation, a highlighting phase of the project was a panel discussion held on the 2nd of October, 2021 in accordance with World Animal Welfare Week 2021, together with the Base for Enthusiasts of Environmental Science and Zoology (BEEZ) of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo. Upon calling a Project Organizing Committee (POC) together, ideas of all nature and scale were jotted down to start off with. The decision to hold a panel discussion on the theme of endangered species conservation as a means to spark a conversation on the topic within the local community was one that everyone favored.

After a brief project phase to get the word out about the panel discussion (deemed to be Phase 02 of the project), where challenges were presented to the members of RACFOSUOC, the panel discussion was held. In this, the official media unit of the Faculty of Science, FOS Media acted as the exclusive media partner, with Kulu Safaris Sri Lanka taking the role of the official media partner. Furthermore, NOWYOUSEEME Photography engaged as the digital media partner and Chokolaate sponsored the event as the printed/youth media partner.

Vidyajothi, Emeritus Professor Sarath W. Kotagama took the reigns as the first panelist and provided the audience with a perspective changing account on the conservation of endangered animal species, and our misconceptions on it. A very appreciative remark made by Prof. Kotagama was on subjectivity (especially in concerns of classifying species as endangered), and how as students of a scientific community we should rely on data driven models to enhance objectivity in our work, and the importance of collecting data and conducting research were points in highlight.

Rtr. Piyumali Samarakoon, our compere for the session, then invited Professor Sampath Senevirathna to the discussion. After giving the audience a rather informative vision into how species are classified into population categories (specifying on what it means to be “endangered”), Prof. Senevirathna provided an eye into the role society and awareness plays in the conservation of species and their habitats.

Professor Turney Pradeep then took the audience’s attention towards marine ecosystems and marine conservation activities. Describing the global need to take action towards maintaining ocean eco systems, Prof. Pradeep regaled the audience with a very well needed light into endangered marine species, the threats they face and how we as a nation can stand against the destruction and step up to promote the conservation of these species
Our final panelist, renowned actress and Earth Day Network Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Ms. Michelle Dilhara led the audience through her experiences to inspire and motivate the audience, as well as to instill a sense of social responsibility within them.

Finally, Rtr. Sanduni Theekshana joined in compering to open up the Questions and Answers session. The true meaning of a panel discussion was brought out here in a strikingly engaging moment, where all four panelists added their thoughts, complementing and building up on the other’s response. This moment was a rather precious moment as the audience feedback highlighted continuously.

With that, the panel discussion on endangered animal conservation in Sri Lanka came to a close, with many minds changed of their thinking, and many hearts determined to protect and conserve the species and their habitats of not only our country, but to support conservation across the globe.

Rtr. Dasith Tilakaratna
Editor, Project S.A.F.E.,
Rotaract Club of the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo.