The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society’s monthly lecture will be held at the Cinema Hall, BMICH, today (May 14), at 6 pm which will focus on Wildlife photography. This month’s lecture is delivered by Mendis Wickremesinghe, a photographer known for his photography and extensive knowledge of the subject.
Wickremesinghe is an advisor and consultant to several international and local conservation bodies and initiatives, notably, the Committee to the Central Highland Natural World Heritage Site UNESCO (Ministry of Environment), the Species Survival Commission groups of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN/SSC) and many others. He has published the book - “Repertoire: A pictorial gateway to Sri Lanka’s nature,” where his photographs have been acclaimed internationally, one even adorning the back cover of the March 2017 issue of the National Geographic Magazine.
The lecture is bilingual and would appeal not only to adults who appreciate wildlife, and wish to learn more on how to photograph and conserve them, but also children, for whom the magical imagery on show will open their eye to the wondrous world of wildlife
Wickremesinghe is the founder and President of the Herpetological Foundation of Sri Lanka. Overcome by an unusual childhood passion for snakes, and inspired by the magical diversity of his motherland, he has spent over two decades of his life exploring the forests of Sri Lanka. To date, he has discovered 24 new species of gecko, skink, snake, and amphibian, while several more of his discoveries await taxonomic description. Three of these species were thought extinct and his re-discovery of them, in the Sri Pada massif, is perhaps his greatest contribution to global conservation.