Review of the publication 'Sinharaja' A book that converts science into a story that nudges readers to visit Sinharaja

The legendary Sinharaja rainforest is one of the last remaining vestiges of widespread lowland rainforests that pay homage to an exceptionally concentrated biome consisting of endemic and threatened species.

- 

The Sinharaja covers unforgiving mountainous terrain of Rakwana hills in the South-Western region of the country and is under constant study in a quest to discover its mysteries. As it is a treasury of biological wealth, the entire region was declared a National Heritage Wilderness Area in 1988 which was subsequently recognized by the UNESCO as the first natural world heritage site in Sri Lanka.

The historical roots of Sinharaja stretches back to the colonial era when the occupying Dutch mapped the Sinharaja region and traced the rivers Gin and Kalu in 1789. The first comprehensive documentation of flora was recorded by George Henry Thwates in the year 1850. The renowned explorer and naturalist Vincent Legge incorporated his findings of Sinharaja into his book 'The History of Birds of Ceylon' which to date, is considered as one of the most comprehensive studies on Sri Lankan bird life. It has also been recorded that the renowned botanists Fredric Lewis and Henry Trimen had also conducted botanical expeditions in Sinharaja.

The Sinharaja is a treasure of endemic biodiversity and the hydrology of the country and plays a pivotal role in the enriching the hydrology of Kalu and Gin rivers. The vegetation is inclusive of trees, shrubs, herbs, lianas and seedlings. A magnificent array of the invertebrate phylum of Sinharaja is dominated by numerous species of insects that play a substantial role in maintaining the complexity of the forest. It is a stunning display of numerous species of dragonflies, butterflies, freshwater crabs, bugs and beetles that inhabit the forest from its green carpeted floor to the leafy canopy.