COLOMBO — In 2012, Sri Lanka’s National Red List delivered a grim verdict on endemic Pini- Beraliya, the towering dipterocarp Doona ovalifolia (syn. Shorea ovalifolia) tree by categorizing it as “extinct in the wild.” For decades, the species was known mainly from a single cultivated specimen in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya in central Sri Lanka. That solitary tree, rising above the landscaped grounds, became a living relic of a vanished rainforest giant, a symbol of both loss and the faint hope that somewhere, perhaps, the species still survived.
The first clue that Pini-Beraliya might still exist in the wild surfaced unexpectedly via a Facebook post. In May 2018, a member of the Facebook group “Medicinal Plant Identification” posted about the tree, requesting the group’s hundred thousand members to report any sightings. Within hours, Lasith Prageeth from Ayagama in Ratnapura district responded, “We have this tree in our village.”
At first, the group’s administrators were cautious. Several related dipterocarp species occur in Sri Lanka, and misidentifications are common, so they requested photographs from Prageeth. When he uploaded images of the leaves, botanists quickly recognized it as a member of the Beraliya family. Still, confirmation required more than leaves.
How rediscovery happened
Curious and excited, group administrator Bhathiya Gopallawa suspected it might be just a small Beraliya sapling. But to his amazement, Prageeth revealed it was a fully grown tree, nearly 15 meters (50 feet) tall. Gopallawa, joined by field botanist Himesh Dilruwan Jayasinghe, visited the site. Based on vegetative features, they felt reasonably confident it was indeed Pini-Beraliya, though one key piece of evidence was still missing: the flowers.
In plant identification, flowers are often the final proof. Floral structures are far more diagnostic than leaves, so without blossoms, a positive identification remained elusive, Gopallawa said.
Nearly a year later, Prageeth phoned with the long-awaited news: The tree was in bloom. Gopallawa and Jayasinghe rushed to Ayagama to observe the flowers to gather specimens. With no easy way to access the canopy, someone had to climb the tree. Prageeth himself volunteered, scaling the trunk with the ease of a village climber. The flowers confirmed it. Pini -Beraliya has still survived in the wild, overturning its “extinct in the wild” status.
Survived in the wild
“As village boys, we always explored the nearby forests. My father was a practitioner of traditional medicine in the village, so I also grew up learning with some plant knowledge, especially those having medicinal properties,” Prageeth told Mongabay. Though he now works in gem mining, Prageeth continues his passion for plant identification and has helped discover other rare species in the area. Botanist Gopallawa describes him as a true citizen scientist, bridging traditional knowledge and modern science.
Following this rediscovery in the Ayagama area, two more wild populations were found, one in Western province and another in North Western province. “Pini-Beraliya favors water banks, and it’s no coincidence that all three known populations are near streams or rivers,” explained Amila Perera, biodiversity project coordinator at Dilmah Conservation.
Recognizing the urgency of safeguarding these fragile populations, Dilmah Conservation launched a recovery initiative. The organization, known for its environmental work alongside its tea brand, also established the Endane nature corridor to reconnect Sinharaja with nearby fragmented forest patches. As part of this, a specialized nursery was set up to propagate rare rainforest species. According to Perera, more than 250 Pini-Beraliya saplings have already been raised at this plant nursery.
Boosting wild populations
To boost wild populations, Perera and his team began planting saplings at suitable sites near existing trees. One memorable effort took place at a small village school close to the very first rediscovered Pini-Beraliya tree in Ayagama. Students of this school were given the opportunity to plant saplings within the school premises. “The children were thrilled to learn that such a rare and important tree grows nearby,” Perera recalled. The students now water and care for the saplings themselves, nurturing a living connection between conservation and education.
The principal of the school, Padukka-vidanalage Dhammika, said: “We have fewer than a hundred students, from grade 1 to 11. Some may see us as underprivileged because we lack modern facilities. But these children live amidst nature’s treasures, and being part of this conservation effort gives them pride.”
Protecting Pini-Beraliya is about more than saving one species, as dipterocarps like Pini-Beraliya are ecological keystones in Sri Lanka’s lowland rainforests, said Nalaka Geekiyanage, a plant functional ecologist of Rajarata University who supports the biodiversity corridor project.
Ecological integrity
Standing tall and forming part of the upper canopy, they shape the forest microclimate, casting a dappled shade that maintains the moist understory, and their root systems stabilize streambanks and help reduce erosion. Their flowers and resins sustain complex food webs of insects, birds and mammals, Geekiyanage said.
The disappearance of such giants disrupts entire ecosystems, he added, stressing that restoring Pini-Beraliya is not just about saving a single tree but about protecting the ecological integrity of the wet zone forests.
A structured recovery plan of Pini-Beraliya is now emerging, with community engagement at its core. Village nurseries are receiving stipends, training and basic equipment to grow native seedlings, including Pini-Beraliya. Micro-grants support stream restoration projects that integrate tree planting, linking ecological recovery with local livelihoods, Geekiyanage noted. Most inspiringly, children remain the most enthusiastic participants. Many have “adopted” individual saplings, naming them and proudly showing visitors the progress of their trees.
The rediscovery of Pini-Beraliya, first through a chance Facebook post also demonstrates the power of citizen science, traditional knowledge and community-driven conservation. From being a lone survivor found only at the Peradeniya botanic gardens, the species now has a real chance of reclaiming its place in Sri Lanka’s rainforests. And with villagers, students, scientists and conservationists all working together, the story of Pini-Beraliya is being rewritten, not as one of extinction, but of resilience and renewal.
Banner image: The study of flowers is crucial for definitive plant identification. In this case, botanists had to wait for the tree to bloom before confirming it as Pini-Beraliya (Doona ovalifolia). Image courtesy of Amila Perera.
