John Keells Foundation mobilized the first batch of the Group’s staff volunteers in a phased tree
planting initiative at the ‘Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project’ site at Suduwelipotha, Kalawana,
Ratnapura District in proximity to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, in the lead up to World Environment
Day 2022, under the guidance of Vimukthi Weeratuga, Senior Biologist at Cinnamon Nature Trails
and Dushy Perera, President of Ruk Rakaganno.
Initiated in June 2021, and relaunched as the ‘Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project’ earlier this
year, the project is a strategic, multi-sectoral collaboration on environmental and biodiversity
conservation undertaken by John Keells Foundation (JKF) – the CSR entity of the John Keells
Holdings PLC (JKH), Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Ruk Rakaganno (The Tree Society of Sri Lanka),
and Forest Department-Sri Lanka to reforest a degraded 59-acres of Suduwelipotha Forest located in
Kalawana with native vegetation which will grow into a forest habitat similar to (and mimic) the
adjoining Sinharaja Forest – the largest lowland rainforest in Sri Lanka and a biodiversity hotspot that
is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The project exemplifies the potential of publicprivate partnerships for collective action on national causes while encouraging employee and
community participation in further enhancing the impact generated.
“John Keells Foundation is delighted by the success of this first volunteer initiative under the
Cinnamon Rainforest Restoration Project”, said Carmeline Jayasuriya, JKH’s Head of CSR. “Guided
volunteer initiatives of this nature are ideal opportunities for generating experiential learning and
greater awareness on forest restoration and ecology. The initiative is also very much in line with the
theme for World Environment Day 2022 – ‘Only One Earth’ focusing on living sustainably in harmony
with nature and exhorting collective environmental action. The enthusiastic participation of volunteers
from across the Group, especially in the current challenging context, was very encouraging and more
such initiatives are in planning. We will continue to undertake these initiatives in the interest of
collective and transformative action for environmental conservation.”
The main task of the volunteers was to transport 580 saplings from the nurseries to the top of the
ridge forming a human chain and this was no easy task considering the distance and nature of the hike.
“It was an exhausting task but the unique experience that we gained through the project was definitely
worth it all. The bigger cause that we were working towards kept us going even during the few showers
of rain that fell upon us during the hike”, said Janith Perera, a volunteer from John Keells Property
explaining his experience.
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John Keells Group – Confidential
‘Environment’ is one of the six focus areas of John Keells Foundation – the CSR entity of John Keells
Holdings PLC (JKH), Sri Lanka’s largest listed conglomerate in the Colombo Stock Exchange
operating over 70 companies in 7 diverse industry sectors. With a history of over 150 years, John
Keells Group provides employment to over 14,000 persons and has been ranked as Sri Lanka’s ‘Most
Respected Entity’ for the last 15 Years by LMD Magazine. Whilst being a full member of the World
Economic Forum and a Participant of the UN Global Compact, JKH drives its CSR vision of
“Empowering the Nation for Tomorrow” through John Keells Foundation and through the social
entrepreneurship initiative, ‘Plasticcycle’, which is a catalyst in significantly reducing plastic pollution
in Sri Lanka
