### 📈 Female Entrepreneurship Drives Forest Conservation Shift

WNPS PLANT, in collaboration with the Dutch Otter Fonds and the Lanka Environment Fund (LEF), has launched a groundbreaking initiative to empower female entrepreneurs through forest plant nurseries. The project addresses a critical bottleneck in Sri Lanka’s reforestation efforts—the shortage of native montane plants. • Economic Empowerment: 5 female entrepreneurs from Ginigathhena, Welimada, Bandarawela, Nawalapitiya, and Ratnapura have been selected to own and manage nurseries. The initiative provides startup funding, intensive training, and a guaranteed buy-back safety net for their output. • Conservation Impact: The nurseries will supply essential native and endemic species required to create connected forest corridors in the southwestern quarter of the island. This "community-bridge" model ensures that restoration is locally led and sustainable. • Sector Focus: • Environmental Restoration: Targets high-demand, slow-growing native species for large-scale reforestation. • Micro-Entrepreneurship: Transitions rural women from daily labor to business leadership, providing financial independence and uplifting families. • Private Sector Engagement: Leverages donor funding (Otter Fonds and LEF) to fill gaps where traditional nurseries have struggled. • Strategic Shift: Moving beyond mere tree planting, the program integrates livelihood enhancement as a core pillar of conservation, transforming local residents into long-term custodians of the ecosystem. _Based on news data from Jan 07, 2026._ --- Would you like me to track the expansion of these forest corridors or find more details on current LEF funding opportunities for SMEs?