Building habitat for Biodiversity and Conservation.

Belipola is an in-situ research & demonstration site for protecting native biodiversity. We use Analog Forestry techniques for increasing ecosystem services function considering anthropogenic utility.

In accordance to the work we do, the practical application of that work will look something like this.

- Water flow & retention for amphibian habitats -

Belipola Arboretum was designed by Dr.Ranil Senanayake to demonstrate skilled landscape restoration. Considering that Belipola was once a montane wet forest, the degradation brought about by centuries of monocrops like tea has severely depleted the land of it's water flow and retentive capacity. Over time many springs have run dry... but thanks to our conservation efforts, we are able to maintain small havens for biodiversity that would otherwise leave the region or sadly, go extinct.

Designing rainforest waterways is a learned process. We use Analog Forestry design techniques to create space for biodiversity considering falling trends in habitat for these vulnerable species.

Volunteers and goodwill tourists participate hands on in the conservation process landscaping "homes" for these compromised species.

- Designing Butterfly Pathways -

Butterfly are used to pollinate flowers and feeder species for their own survival. Their movements sustain a healthy ecosystem that supports healthy soil composite / increase B:B ratios and increases primary ecosystem services (PES) function.

Here ER agents are seen with the intents of propagating Ixora Coccinia, from a local native forest patch in the vicinity for feeding the Blue Onyx butterfly seen at Belipola

Designing butterfly pathways where the forest cover was too dense is an application of aesthetic and thoughtful design for proximal human interactions with nature.

Designing landscapes that mitigate climatic and related heat stress.

Designing such landscapes will help us manage labour and external resources for growing sufficient food (nutrition). The design we propose will include over 20 highly nutritional and niche market potential crops for considered income generation.

It also helps to:

- Increase soil fertility without external input

- Lessen terrestrial heat stress

- Lessen water evaporation from the soil

- Lessen solar radiation wasted considering the canopy GAP cover

- Less labor intense compared to the "conventional farm" model

Fast growing trees such as Etithrina Edulis for mitigating heat stress as well as border utility. The seed of this tree is high in protein and can be used as an alternative food source that is high in nutrition.

Shifting our current agronomic scapes to that of tree crops. A three tiered orchard is being designed by EarthRestoration in demonstrating better more efficient use of the land and its nutrients.