News
The butterflies are dying out
View(s):‘Dumbara Mithuro’ an environmental group, has pointed out that many species of butterflies are under threat from an invasive weed which had begun covering flower plants and weeds on which the butterflies thrive.
Story and Pix by Indika Aruna Kumara.
The plant commonly known as ‘Gini thana’ or ‘Ali maanaa’ according to the group, was growing over flower plants preventing them from flowering, leaving butterflies nothing to feed on
The group recently held awareness programmes to make school-goers and the general public aware of the problem.
The group said the use of pesticides was also responsible for the declining butterfly population which played an important role in maintaining ecological balance.
It added government had no programme to tackle the situation
The organisers demonstrated methods participants should implement which would create a conducive climate to help increase the butterfly population.
If action is not initiated quickly both the butterfly and the beautiful flower plant may vanish
Butterflies and flowers –two sides of the same coin
A volunteer demonstrates how to remove the invasive plant without harming the flower plants
’ Beauty and the beast’ A spider captures a butterfly
If the problem of invasive plants are not tackled, the beauty of the Dumbara Valley may be a thing of the past