Last week I concentrated on the rain forests of Sri Lanka and all the weird and wonderful things that can be found there. This week I take a more respectful, almost holy, attitude to trees.
I am inspired by a contemporary of Humphrey Lyttelton at Eton, D-Day soldier, jungle bachelor and surely one of the most unlikely heroes of the environmental movement since Al Gore gave up on the White House.
Sam Popham first came to Sri Lanka with the Royal Navy and left after establishing a unique sanctuary for tropical trees. The Dambulla Arboretum, like many hangovers from the post colonial period, is a little corner of England.
This particular landscape was not set up to impose an apparently British sense of order, it was set up to save the trees. Today it is more important that ever.
You will be familiar with tropical hardwoods through family heirlooms like grandmother’s mahogany dressing table.
The great timbers of satinwood and ebony were ripped from countries like Sri Lanka during the last couple of centuries to feed insatiable demand for building materials and furniture.
Sam Popham did the opposite. He decided to save the trees. In 1963 the Cambridge graduate and former tea planter began an experiment in central Sri Lanka that was to become known as the “Popham Method”.
He cleared the land of the dense thorn scrub left after centuries-old timber has been felled and let nature do the rest.
Sure enough saplings that had been unable to see the light of day began to grow. Because the native species are drought resistant, with a little protection from the fire and wildlife, they soon grew into a beautiful forest.
But this landscape in the dry zone of the country is quite a different environment to the rainforest in the wet zone in the south. Where the rainforest was wet and wild this woodland is cool and calming, almost like an English orchard. On a summer’s day but with mangoes rather than apples, monkeys rather than squirrels, or occasional venomous snake.
That is not to say these are not as important as the rainforest. Dry tropical forest is key to, many areas of the world. Millions of humans are reliant on forests in hot areas but once it is chopped down it grows into useless scrub or desert, just look at the growing Sahara.
There is also the potential for important genetic research into these plants that can survive long periods of drought - particularly in the light of global warming – and possible medicinal properties that have yet to be exploited.
There are plenty of arboretums around the world like Kew Gardens that grow unusual species but very few in the tropics. The reason the Dambulla Arboretum is so important is because it is an example of native species growing in the wild and a potential model for re-forestation in other areas of the world.
In his writing Popham refers to trees with an almost religious reverence. After exploring the surrounding areas I could see why.
Within hearing distance are the drums of the Dambulla Cave Temples, Religious worship at the network of caves dates from the 1st Century BC and has been added to and embellished since.
As a consequence there is a bewildering array of artistic styles, from the Japanese kitsch of the 30 meter high golden Buddha at the foot of the hill, to the colourful repainting of cave frescoes in the 19th century and stone statues of ancient kings.
Pilgrims still throng to the site to give offerings of food and lotus flowers or burn incense at the foot of the sacred Bo tree, though troops of toque monkeys appear to steal much of the fruit.
A more relaxed religious experience is nearby at the Arankele forest hermitage which does no feature in many guidebooks and is therefore deserted except for a few remaining monks.
A raised “meditation walkway” leads you through the jungle to the ruins of a sixth century monastery. Along the way are some of the trees Popham is trying to protect and the peaceful grandeur they lend to the area makes you realize why he writes about the “soulful magnetism” of trees that “deal out serenity and buoy us up”
A more secular inspiration for Popham is the ancient city of Sigiriya and the oldest surviving landscape garden in Asia. The 5th century royal gardens that lead up to the ancient ruins on the bare rock are evidence of an early appreciation of nature and the paintings of nubile young maidens in the caves on the strenuous climb up hint at a vibrant lost culture.
Sri Lankans are rightly proud of this area they call the “cultural triangle” and thousands of tourists flock here every year.
Unfortunately the Dambulla Arboretum, which has been run by Ruk Raks since 2005, tends to be left off the tourist trail despite offering a refreshing interlude to touring world heritage sites.
The Arboretum is on the road between Dambulla and the Kandalama Hotel designed by famous Sri Lankan
architect Geoffrey Bawa. A visit costs just 250 rupees or – £1
compared to 1,000 rupees charge for the temples nearby and it is possible to see the mud cottage
where Popham lived for 10 years as well as the Bawa-designed house he later moved to and which
now serves as a visitors centre.
Ruk Rakaganno need more people to visit not only to plough money into the project but to sell indigenous trees and therefore contribute to re-forestation elsewhere. My job this week will be to get in contact with travel guides to see if they will include the latest details on the arboretum in their new editions.
Last week I managed to get two articles in Sri Lankan newspapers, the Daily Mirror and The Island for International Womens’ Day about Ruk Raks home gardening project which aims to “ empower women” through giving them a way to grow food for their family and even make money.
Meanwhile I am slowly learning the correct ways of the country. My colleagues tell me hot tea is better than cool water for keeping cool and curry is better than marmite sandwiches at lunchtime. It seems illogical but they are certainly coping with the heat better than me.
It has been pointed out to me that Sri Lankan toilets are far more environmentally friendly and hygienic that the British and their loo roll. And by the way, three-wheeler taxis are tuktuks not tut-tuts as previously written – perhaps as a consequence of being serially ripped off over the fare.
Louise Gray is communication advisor to Ruk Rakaganno.
Article originally published in the Telegraph.co.uk, March 12, 2008http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthcomment/3335838/An-old-Etonian-saves-the-day.html