LANDSCAPE AND GREEN ENVIRONMENT

The University of Vavuniya is situated in Pamapimadu, Vavuniya. The university owns one hundred and sixty (160 ac) of land area with the forest pocket (25 Acres) and two minor tanks (Saalampaikulam and Velan Kulam). Salampaikulam is situated between the university residential area and the academic area. It helps to maximize the biodiversity of flora and fauna and makes the premise environmental friendly. The university premise consists of more than 2500 trees (65 species) except the forest pocket. It helps to embrace the nature, celebrate the seasons with the beauty and involve the students and staffs in their studies and hobbies (projects, photography, bird watching etc.). Vavuniya is located in the dry zone area. We have summer/dry (Mar – Aug) and winter/rainy (Sept – Feb) seasons. June is the driest month and December is the wettest month. Landscaping is a creative and deeply satisfying experience. It is important to add landscape features with the basic landscape principles. A garden or a land can be made more attractively by altering the existing design, adding ornamental features and planting trees and shrubs. Indoor and outdoor landscape gardening helps to involve the staffs and students in recreational activities. Landscape and Green Environment committee is formed in order to plan, design and develop the landscape and gardening activities with the proposed theme; “The Arboretum University” (The 1st ever arboretum university in Sri Lanka) and to develop the Strategic and Action Plan for the proposed landscape activities in time phases. Currently, we propose new landscape activities to develop the masterplan with the inclusion of additional garden and landscape features. Staffs, students and visitors can visit and enjoy the gardening and landscape features. It helps to make the University of Vavuniya as a tourist spot to develop the tourism.

Proposed landscape activities are;

• Inclusion of ‘Unique plant’ concept to different areas
• Establishment of a herbal garden (for teaching, learning and research purposes)
• Establishment of a cacti & succulent plant house
• Establishment of a “Garden for Blinds” (1st ever garden for blinds in Sri Lanka)
• Establishment of a Nature Trail in the forest patch (for education and eco-tourism purposes)
• Building ‘iconic’ hard landscape features at 3-4 locations

• • To be an iconic place among the universities of Sri Lanka and in Vavuniya in aesthetic and functional aspects

AND

• To exceed the plant species to make the land greenery and environment friendly with the landscape designs, installation and maintenance