Two centuries ago, the island that is now Sri Lanka was considered an earthly paradise, the stunningly beautiful home to hundreds of now endangered species. Progress has destroyed all but a few scattered remnants of the virgin rain forests that once sheltered these creatures and covered one-quarter of the island nation.

Rohan Pethiyagoda, a biomedical engineer by training, is waging a personal crusade to save the remainder of his nation’s rich natural heritage through a programme of education, publishing and the recovery of blighted land. To accomplish this, he founded the Wildlife Heritage Trust of Sri Lanka.