Seetawaka Botanical Garden

Seetawaka Botanical Garden
Type	Botanical garden
Location	Ilukovita, Avissawella
Coordinates	6°57′11″N 80°13′06″E / 6.95306°N 80.21833°E / 6.95306; 80.21833 (Seetawaka Botanical Garden)Coordinates: 6°57′11″N 80°13′06″E / 6.95306°N 80.21833°E / 6.95306; 80.21833 (Seetawaka Botanical Garden)
Area	Colombo
Created	2014
Operated by	Commission of Land, Sri Lanka
Status	Open all year

Seetawaka Botanical Garden, or Seethawaka Wet Zone Botanical Garden, is one of the five botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. The other four are Peradeniya Botanical Garden, Henarathgoda Botanical Garden, Hakgala Botanical Garden and Mirijjawila Botanical Garden. It is the most recently constructed botanical garden in Sri Lanka.^[1] The garden was opened to the public in late October 2014.^[2]

Wildlife of Sri Lanka
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Flora and Fauna Birds of Sri Lanka (Endemics) Mammals of Sri Lanka (Endemics) Amphibians of Sri Lanka Reptiles of Sri Lanka Freshwater fish of Sri Lanka Introduced fish of Sri Lanka Cartilage fish of Sri Lanka Commercial fish of Sri Lanka Butterflies of Sri Lanka Moths of Sri Lanka Bees of Sri Lanka Odonates of Sri Lanka Aphids of Sri Lanka Ants of Sri Lanka Freshwater crabs of Sri Lanka Non-marine molluscs of Sri Lanka Tarantulas of Sri Lanka Scorpions of Sri Lanka Trees of Sri Lanka
Gardens Zoological gardens Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Dehiwala Zoo Pinnawala Open Zoo Botanical gardens Hakgala Botanical Garden Henarathgoda Botanical Garden Mirijjawila Botanical Garden Peradeniya Botanic Gardens Seetawaka Botanical Garden
Organizations Authorities Department of Forest Conservation Department of Wildlife Conservation Civil societies Field Ornithology Group
Related topics Deforestation · Ecoregions Tourism

Location and climate

Seetawaka Botanical Garden is situated on the Puwakpitiya-Thummodara main road, at Illukowita, adjacent to the Indikada Mukalana Forest Reserve at Avissawella.^[3] The 32 ha (79 acres) garden has a cool temperate climate.

A beautiful stream flows through the garden, which sustains the existence of various wet zone plants. The tree cover is made up of large Terminalia arjuna trees.

History

The garden was established in 20th century as a plantation for Rubber and Tea, which was owned by a garden known as "Pannaagula". But most of the land area was abandoned on that time, which was overtaken by Land Renew Commission. The construction of the Botanical garden commenced on 2008. The total land area of the garden is 105 acres (42 ha).^[4]

Aims

The garden mainly serves as a research area for different universities around the country. It is also used as a conservation area for threatened and vulnerable endemic plant species in the Sinharaja Rain Forest region. Improving export floriculture, ex-situ conservation of wet lowland plants, and bamboo cultivation are also promote in the garden.^[5]

References

↑ "End October opening for Seethawaka Botanical Garden". Retrieved 2014-09-06.
↑ http://www.botanicgardens.gov.lk/Awissawella/
↑ https://www.google.lk/maps/dir//Seethawaka+botanical+garden/data=!4m5!4m4!1m0!1m2!1m1!1s0x3ae3ac11ba10554f:0x7a9aff673731a301?sa=X&ei=Rv4UVYK_OIKyuASCwYLIDg&ved=0CIIBEPUXMA8
↑ http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.lk/cab/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16&Itemid=49&lang=en&dID=5419
↑ http://www.slbc.lk/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest-news/14792-the-wet-land-botanical-garden-of-seethawaka-will-be-vested-with-the-people-next-year

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