Marking a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s plant conservation history, the Ministry of Environment today launched the national environmental program alongside the ceremonial planting of the Twenty-Eight Sacred Bodhi Trees at Sri Sudharmananda Purana Mula Maha Viharaya in Udugampola, coinciding with the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day and National Environment Week.
The first day of the national program, implemented in line with World Environment Day, falls on May 30 and is being conducted under the theme, “Environmental Conservation through Attitude Transformation.”
The initiative aims to promote environmental protection not merely through legislation, but by fostering spiritual values and positive attitudes toward nature among the public. Organizers emphasized that cultivating a deeper sense of environmental responsibility and respect for nature is essential for long-term conservation efforts.
In Buddhist culture, the veneration of trees and reverence for the natural environment have long been intertwined with religious practice. The planting of the Twenty-Eight Sacred Bodhi Trees, representing the enlightenment trees associated with the twenty-eight Buddhas, seeks to strengthen the bond between society and the environment through spiritual and cultural values.
Officials noted that the project extends far beyond a one-day tree-planting event. It forms part of the Government’s broader green policy agenda and serves as a key component of a long-term national plant conservation program aimed at protecting the environment and preserving biodiversity.
The initiative is expected to contribute to increasing the country’s forest cover, conserving threatened plant species, and promoting greening efforts in both urban and rural areas for the benefit of future generations.
The twenty-eight sacred trees being planted under the program include species such as Na, Sal, Kumbuk, Murutha, Mara, Divul, and Bo (Sacred Fig), all of which possess significant ecological, medicinal, and biodiversity value.
The program was conducted under the guidance of the Minister of Environment and was attended by members of the Maha Sangha of the temple, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Anjali Kumaragama, Additional Secretary Sudheera Jayaratne, and a gathering of devotees and officials.
The Ministry stated that the initiative reflects the Government’s continued commitment to environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation while encouraging greater public participation in protecting Sri Lanka’s natural heritage.
