Postcard #1: A Personal Journey Becomes Something Much Greater
January 21, 2005 | Washington, DC USA and Colombo, Sri Lanka
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Sanjayan recently answered questions about his journey to Sri Lanka to assess the impact of the tsunami on the environment and people.
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On December 26, a tsunami of cataclysmic proportions crashed into the coasts of a dozen nations around the Indian Ocean.
Like many Americans, I immediately wanted to do something. Although I have been continuously surprised at the generosity of Americans towards a far away place of little direct consequence to their daily lives, perhaps I felt the urge to help a little bit stronger.
Sri Lanka is where I was born.
The tsunami hit on the day of my birthday.
Three weeks after the disaster, it seemed that the press had run out of adjectives to describe the pain and loss of life. Casualty totals were still being tallied.
I wondered what I could do. Then, I got a call from Ravi Corea, a friend, who runs a small conservation organization called the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society. He had been asked by the government of Sri Lanka to help carry out a rapid environmental assessment of the tsunami impact on key national parks in Sri Lanka. Further, the government wanted to know the extent of the damage to the infrastructure of the park and what the options were for long term recovery. All the information gathered so far about the tsunami’s impact was anecdotal and sometimes fantastical – the Sri Lanka Wildlife Department and local non-governmental organizations needed something scientifically credible and systematic.
“Can you help?” Ravi asked.
This was a chance to do something I actually knew how to do. And, going back to Sri Lanka, I for once would be a “local”. There was also a part of me, the scientist in me I suppose, who wanted to throw the curtains back a bit and find out what actually had happened, to document and learn from an event that blessedly and in all probability was once in a lifetime. To ensure that the long term effects on nature and the people who depend on it was not forgotten once the air drops of aid had stopped.
A week later I was in the office of our CEO, Steve McCormick. I told him that I wanted a three week vacation and go volunteer in Sri Lanka.
Steve’s response was simple. "Go” he said, “but go on behalf of The Conservancy and assist in any way consistent with our mission.”
Of course this trip wouldn’t have happened if not for the many people back in the U.S. who, without fail, offered help and the stepped up and delivered. From our donors to the nature.org staff, from communications to science, virtually everyone who heard about this effort immediately made it a priority and worked with passion and teamwork to prepare us and send us off.
All the next week, as preparations for our departure took on a frenzy, friends and colleagues said to me, “Oh, you must be so excited”. In truth, the question was not one I could answer because the enormity of what we were preparing for seemed distant and had not sunk in. I focused on what I had to get done, with lists and more lists, and ignored why I was doing it.
I didn't have a moment to think until I was on the plane to Sri Lanka. Just ten days after the call from Ravi, three of us from The Conservancy, Tim Boucher, Mark Godfrey, and I are scattered somewhere between seats 18J and 32C on board a Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus 340 about to land into Colombo. With us is a crew from NPR/National Geographic's Radio Expeditions, who have come to cover the assessment. Beneath us in the cargo hold is a mountain of gear – everything from Leica Laser Rangefinders to duct tape.
It's dark when the plane touches down in Colombo. The air is hot, maybe 85 degrees, and lightning from thunderheads light up the tarmac. Exhausted, excited, we walk into the arrival hall. A young woman in an immaculate green sari is holding a sign. It says “Dr. Sanjayan – Tsunami Assessment”.
Now, it hits me.
For more information:
- In The News: Tsunami relief that will last
Denver Post, March 4, 2005
As M.A. Sanjayan, lead scientist for The Nature Conservancy, surveyed the environmental toll from the Dec. 26 tsunami, he saw that although the destruction had been uneven, it wasn't necessarily random.
- In The News: Nature Bounces Back on Sri Lanka's Coast
NPR Morning Edition, February 24, 2005
In a two-part series of reports for the NPR/National Geographic co-production Radio Expeditions, Elizabeth Arnold journeys to the island nation of Sri Lanka with one of the first teams to assess the environmental aftermath.
- Press Release: First Environmental Survey of Tsunami Damage Shows Sri Lankan Coasts and Forests Hurt but Rebounding
The tsunami has left Sri Lanka's marine areas dangerously clogged with debris that could cause long-term damage to coral reefs and marine species, but scientists say there are many signs of hope: trees are regenerating, wildlife is returning to damaged areas, and coral reefs are largely intact.
- In The News: Sea and jungle life bounce back from the tsunami's battering
The Independent (London), February 16, 2005
The first assessment of the damage to wildlife caused by the Asian tsunami found nature has been surprisingly resilient to the effects of the giant waves.
- Press Release: Tsunami Leaves Behind Human Devastation and Environmental Damage that May Take Decades to Recover
As aid arrives to countries hit by the tsunami to provide much-needed food, shelter and medicine for the survivors, scientists are beginning to focus on the longer-term environmental damage that will affect the livelihoods of fishermen and coastal communities for years to come.
- Donate: Support The Nature Conservancy's ongoing efforts in the Asia-Pacific region
Your gift today will enable our science-based conservation of coral reefs, rainforests and other threatened areas throughout the region.
- Our Partner: Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS)
The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society is the first organization to be established outside Sri Lanka for the sole purpose of helping to conserve and preserve the dwindling biodiversity of Sri Lanka.
- Statement from Nature Conservancy President Steve McCormick on the Tsunami Disaster and Relief Efforts
The world has begun the New Year facing the ravages of one of the most severe natural disasters in history.
- Relief Organizations Working in the Disaster Area
A list of non-governmental organizations working throughout the disaster area from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
- Aid Groups Accepting Donations for Victims
A list of ways to donate from CNN.
