Hi! My name is Lianne Zonnebeld, and I’ve been a volunteer virtual assistant with Trunks & Leaves for the past year. In addition to my work with elephants, I’ve been conducting field research on primates in Sri Lanka since January 2024, gaining valuable insight into wildlife behaviour and conservation challenges. Working with these two iconic species has deepened my passion for conservation. In June 2024, I had the unforgettable opportunity to visit the Udawalawe Elephant Research Project (UWERP) which Trunks & Leaves sponsors. Over three days, I witnessed the challenges and triumphs of protecting elephants and fostering human-wildlife coexistence. Here’s a glimpse into what I experienced during this eye-opening journey.
Figure 1: Me and part of the UWERP team (Left to right Kumara, Sameera, me & Aruna).Continue reading →
So-called human-elephant conflict has been a recurring issue in Sri Lanka for years. With no viable and permanent solution, different organizations and groups come up with their own plan and methods of dealing with this dilemma. Some, of course, favor humanity at the cost of the wildlife.
With farmers constantly suffering from crop raids and elephants being subjected to agonizing forms of repellents, Trunks & Leaves dedicated our energy and resources to finding a suitable solution to this issue. Our aim is to achieve peaceful coexistence between people and elephants by developing sustainable agricultural models that are compatible with elephants and, at the same time, securing the livelihoods of farmers. We believe that the solution to this is to understand the problem from both angles: the elephants and the farmers.
A few months ago, we partnered with HDDeS Pvt Ltd, one of the largest exporters of spices, essences and floral extracts in Sri Lanka, to test if incense sticks can deter elephants. This project has been set back due to the pandemic but is still ongoing. But we are now exploring ways to develop alternate sources of income for farmers who lose crops to elephants.
The climate and landscape of the Udawalawe region are fertile for plants like lemongrass, and the value of this plant has increased due to the commercial importance of aromatic oil. This is a product HDDeS needs, and research shows that it is not preferred by elephants. Thus, Trunks & Leaves and HDDeS Pvt. Ltd are interested in trying lemongrass as a supplementary crop to provide additional income which can hopefully offset losses from elephants.
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is an aromatic and tall sedge that grows in many parts of tropical and sub-tropical Southeast Asia and Africa.
Maximus 