Scout Movement's 'Home from Home' with Nature

Nestling in the woods, shaded by huge giant tall trees seemingly touching the clouds, sometimes disturbed by the stealing robber-like apes that come in gangs to take away the food and anything they suspect could be eaten, this quiet place, no doubt, bestows tranquility on any visitor.

Lee Dasanayake Scouts Camp is a popular, widely used 'home' for Scouts from schools islandwide, as well as in the Scouting world, and hence, it should be preserved as another National Heritage for the use of future generations.

A pole erected like a tree at the entrance to this Camp is a unique symbol (the only one of its kind in Sri Lanka) shows how tribal men in Africa, loved trees and considered them as immortal as gods. Thus, they even carved decaying trees with various types of figures.

Lee Dasanayake Scouts Training Centre set in about 25 acres of virgin forest in the Gampaha District, 40km from Colombo, and only 3km from the Mirigama Railway Station on the Warakapola Road, is an ideal site for Scout Training Activities.

A new session hall has been built to accommodate 100 participants who could use audio and visual aids. The 3 cabins built apart on small hilltops nestling in the woods, provide accommodation to 15 instructors.

Surrounded by villages Purana Mirigama, Thawalampitiya and Pal Madadeniya, this picturesque site is a 3-minute bus journey from Mirigama. It is said that, earlier it was about 40 acres in extent, which has now reduced to 25 acres, as villagers have encroached on the land, endangering the diverse wildlife such as wild cat, jungle fowl, parrots, ash coloured cormorants etc.

Giant creepers called ‘puswel’ of which truits are shaped and used as voguls by Scouts, make swings by hanging from tall trees.

It is also home for migrant birdssuch as Redi Hora and Sivuru Hora. Rare kinds of trees such as Walla Patta, Wal Del, Atamba, Bim Kohomba, Radaliya, Wal Biling Kumbuk Durian, Nawa, Panu Kebella, Sivuru Wediya and Gal Karanda also could be seen here.

Asst District Commissioner (Training) Negombo District Scouts Association H. Senarath Lal Wickremasinghe- Wood Badge holder and veteran Scout Leader who has been in the Scouts movement for over 30 years, says, “Lee Dasanayake Scouts Camp at Mirigama is like home for any Scout. I too received my training here many years ago. Then, this place did not have much facilities, like today. I still remember how we went down to fetch water in buckets from a spring well, during our training . Only this building I am now standing against, was there at that time. This natural environment is actually an ideal place for any Scout to go through his/her training. Hence, this should be preserved by all of us." K.L. Richard Walter Perera.