Sustainability Report 2010 - Finlays

Business Unit performance
4.1 Tea estates – Kenya and Sri Lanka
Biodiversity and
the community
Sri Lanka enjoys a diverse range
of flora and fauna within the
different geographical patterns
across the country.
As part of work towards sustainability,
our estates are engaged in implementing
Rainforest Alliance certification, which
includes the ecosystem and wildlife
conservation. We have commissioned
independent experts to identify flora
and fauna on our estates and we have
begun educating the wider community
on the importance of preservation
and protection.
Many of our estates have existing areas
of forestry and border some of the
reserved forest areas. These include
the main virgin forest of Sinharaja
bordering the Rakwana group of
estates, and mountain forests close
to Nuwara’Eliya bordering Park and
Court Lodge, which also borders
Piduruthalaga Mountain, the tallest
mountain in Sri Lanka.
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In harmony with
the community
We are now developing a conservation
programme in which the findings of
our identification project will inform
our management of the land. We are
also creating awareness and positive
activity amongst the community.
We have pioneered work through the
recently established Gemidiriya, which
operates as a village development
society with membership drawn from
both the estate and village society.
This is a significant step towards
shared responsibilities, since it is one
of the first projects on which estate
and village have worked in harmony.
The company and the community now
come together on a variety of common
issues such as water provision, waste
management and protection and
enhancement of the environment.
Gemidiriya will play an increasingly
important part in the continued
protection of biodiversity in our regions.
Biodiversity in the
Passara Region
About 11 % of the recorded flora
species (20 plants) in the study area
are endemic. Out of 182 recorded
plant species, 6 plant species
including two endemic species
are listed as Nationally Vulnerable
(VU) and 1 plant species listed as
Nationally Endangered (EN).
Biodiversity in the
Demodera Region
A total number of 143 plant species
including 14 endemic and two
nationally threatened plant species
were recorded during the field survey
within the study area. The majority
of the plant species recorded are tree
species (69) followed by herbaceous
species (31), climbers (26), shrubs (16)
and epiphytes (1). Further, about 33 %
of the recoded flora species are exotic
to the country and about 57 % of the
recorded floras are natives. The balance
are not native.
A total number of 76 faunal species
(42 Birds, 17 Butterflies, 5 Dragonflies,
5 Reptiles, 6 Mammals and 1 Amphibians)
including 8 endemics, 1 proposed
endemic and 3 nationally threatened
species were recorded.
We have conducted
scientific surveys to identify
the flora and fauna across
Passara region, Halli’ella
region and Nuwara’Eliya.
Finlays Sustainability Report 2010