After 6 days of continuous data collection a day for something a little different was greeted with a warm welcome! Personally, I was ecstatic for my first lie in since arriving in Nilaveli, but alas, no 1pm Weetabix came to fruition as Friday saw a 6:30 wake up call. The early start was well worth it however, as we had the morning planned to doing outreach with a local school. Communicating through MEPA, we got in touch with Anar Balika Girls School who invited us to help plant mangrove trees with the aim to regenerate the School’s river banks. We were joined by a couple of Sri Lanka University students, the school's head, and a class of eager kids! The planting was very successful, and a fantastic experience for both the team and more importantly to the kids who will care for the mangroves throughout their future time at school. Feet boggy and heads sweaty we enjoyed a gift of Sri Lankan yogurt drinks whilst talking to the principle after the planting session.
With time to spare in Trincomalee we decided to explore an open-air war museum. It was both fascinating and a sobering reminder of Sri Lanka’s recent history conflict.
Occasionally the team are treated to an al fresco dining experience; Friday was one such evening. Some very friendly locals’ back garden proved a curious setting for a restaurant, but what pursued was the tastiest food in Sri Lanka yet! 10/10 would munch again.
Saturday saw the return of data collection, which is running smoother than ever with methodologies ironed out. Alongside the scientific research, Priyanka has been talking with local schools around Nilaveli to offer the teams help in teaching both English and Biology related studies. From which we have now began teaching at Nilaveli Kaileshwara College; more on this to come!
Here are a few photos of the day planting mangroves:
