The world’s first Analog Forest demonstration; the objectives were to demonstrate accelerated processes of habitat and ecosystem maturity using a mix of native and exotic plant species of significant use to humans.

The Forests of Sri Lanka which stood for millenia were destroyed through the colonial experiment of Ceylon. This led to the vast destruction of the natural habitats and the cycles that sustained the biodiversity and ecosystem services and of the natural montane forests. The destruction was premeditated towards designing industrial levels of yeild, at the time in coffee, and tea. The landscape at Belipola Arboretum and Research Center represents the architectural structure and ecological functions of the natural forests that once spanned these landscapes over 350 years ago.

At Belipola one observes a sustainable and successive habitat which functions as an arboretum / gene-bank / biodiversity generator and a demonstration of how management practices guided by the 12 principles of Analog Forestry is one of the most (if not the most) effective measure of action to mitigate the loss of native biodiversity and negative effects of climate change.

The day to day activities at the Arboretum range from directing applied research related to ecosystem services / conducting ecological assessments / practicing natural farming / building compost / plant nursery management / seed collection / management of plant DATABASES / mechanical landscaping practices / sectoral management practices and harvesting yield.