5 Jun, 2011
World Environment Day (WED) is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. WED is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.
The John Keells Group Hotels and Resorts too were actively involved in numerous events to commemorate World Environment Day which fell on 5th June 2011. As a part of its initiatives to commemorate WED, the staff of Bentota Beach Hotel (BBH) planted 100 Screw Pine plants along the Bentota Beach and presented a video documentary to the audience on Green initiatives carried out by BBH, while Chaaya Village, along with the assistance of Nature Trail, conducted an awareness programme for children of the Galapitagala School in Palugaswewa. Commemorating WED, Chaaya Citadel conducted a tree planting campaign, a root bowling initiative and a river bank clean-up campaign. Cinnamon Lodge Habarana conducted an awareness program on Organic Farming and chemical-free food preparation for housewives of associates, women from the Habarana Ladies’ Association, female staff of the Resort and lady officers of the Community Health Development association under the Health Ministry as their contribution to WED. Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo commemorated WED with an initiative titled Earth Song Program for students and teachers of three neighborhood schools. The Hotel also held a tree planting campaign with the participation of the principals of two of the neighborhood schools, students, O.I.C Environmental Department, and the Hotel’s General Manager.
As its contribution to WED, Chaaya Lagoon Hakuraa Huraa organized an awareness programme, with the participation of 37 school children and three teachers of the Meemu Atoll Educational Centre, and also held a tree-planting campaign for the children of the Resort’s staff. The Resort also organized a clean-up campaign at the Kaakahuraa Island followed by a tree planting campaign with the participation of in-house guests. Chaaya Reef Ellaidhoo commemorated WED with a tree-planting intiative on the Hagnameedhoo Island to minimize sea erosion by planting 50 banyan and 20 palm trees. A bag made out of cotton, to minimize the usage of polythene in their day to day work, was also introduced on this day. WED was commemorated by Chaaya Island Dhonveli with the Resort involving 30 students studying in the near-by island Huraa to help contribute positively to the environment by planting 12 sour sap plants. An awareness programme on the global theme of WED 2011 – Forests: Nature at your Service – was also held for the Resort’s staff.