1. Culture
Enrichment
Yoga and gentle
exercise
Spiritual enhancement
Authentic
Ayurveda
Corporate Social
Responsibility (environmental
sustainability and community
development)
Why Barberyn Beach Ayurveda Resort deserves to win the National Green Award
CEO statement
To be recognized at the highest levels of the country as being amongst the top best (good if
we have a number) in protecting and nurturing the environment is an honour and a privilege that we
aspire to with humility. The Green Award application has provided us with a checklist to assess
ourselves critically with a view to affecting improvement. And this is what we have done throughout
2012 where all of our staff has been motivated by the prospect of doing better than in 2011, when
we received the Bronze award.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) lies at the core of the Barberyn philosophy and our
value system first practiced by our founders with the establishment of Barberyn Reef Hotel,
Beruwela, forty-four years ago, long before CSR became a present day phenomenon for
organizations and corporations the world over. Our founders taught us that we don’t need to have
enough in order to give back.
For us, corporate social responsibility comprises the twin concepts of community
development and environmental sustainability. Our way of life, based on the principles of Ayurveda,
teaches that the elements of the universe and the elements within the human being are one. Our
philosophy lends itself to preserving the bio diversity and nurturing the precious natural resources of
the planet. For example our “helping the planet” green initiative, which rests on the principled
values of raising awareness so that our planet may be better looked after, has grown organically
from our own convictions as well as from the increasing awareness of our staff.
Barberyn Philosophy:
We feel that Barberyn Beach Ayurvedic Resort should be granted the National Green Award for the
following reasons:
As we embarked on the journey to create our second property, Barberyn Beach Ayurvedic Resort in
the year 2000, we worked with architect Turner Wickremasinghe and landscape artist Laki

2. Senanayake. We pooled our resources and experience to create a unique space where the terrain
was left undisturbed, where mobility access was ensured, where our rich heritage of local
craftsmanship was allowed to blossom, and where our guests could experience the healing that
comes from within. Ten years later, the trees have matured, the buildings have mellowed, the green
initiatives have flourished, and the Sahana Foundation provides the institutional framework for the
community development initiatives. Barberyn Beach stands testimony to the spirit of Sri Lanka
entrepreneurship, craftsmanship and environmental sustainability. This is the first reason why we
deserve to win the National Green award.
Guest comment
A thousand blessings for the mind that created and brought to fruition this wonderful
peaceful and life enhancing environment. What a gift! And thank you to the gentle and kind
Barberyn staff who have made it a reality. I am going home replenished and purified.
James Crawford, New Zealand
The second reason why we should win the National Green award is our achievement in making our
extended family, our staff, not only aware of the importance of being kind, generous and friendly to
the environment, but also in practicing “green”. In a pay-it-forward manner we are delighted to
note that “practicing green” has now trickled down to staff members’ families, extended families
and indeed the surrounding communities. Practicing green is carried out in many ways by our
employees from being engaged in cooking natural vegetarian foods to practicing the holistic
Ayurveda therapies and feeling empowered to take initiative on behalf of resolving problems for our
guests. Most exemplary however would be how our staffs treat one another as well as our guests.
This maybe assessed by our repeat guest percentage, which was 25 percent in 2011.
Specific initiatives
Specific measures towards environmental sustainability have already been identified in the
application. So we would like to share with you what we think is so special about the Barberyn Beach
green approach.
a) Energy saving measures and results:
Major energy consuming areas of hotels include lighting, air conditioning, cooking etc. Air
conditioning accounts for 50% of total energy consumption in a hotel. * All public areas at BBAR
have natural ventilation and only 10 out of the 60 rooms are air-conditioned. Since commencement
of operations many other energy saving measures were introduced. Staff members believe in and
have ownership of these measures; they explain them where required, and are well received by our
guests. In fact, our guests even take off their shoes before entering the public areas thereby
reducing the need for constant use of floor polishers and vacuum cleaners. The constant and
innovative striving towards implementing day-to-day energy saving initiatives is the third reason
why BBAR should win the National Green Award.
*Greening Sri Lanka hotels

3. Energy saving measurements taken at Barberyn
• Use of natural ventilation
• Use of natural lighting
• Solar water heating
• Use of CFL bulbs
• Bio gas unit to produce gas and fertilizer
• Use of fresh locally grown food and resulting absence of cold rooms
• Use of sun light to dry clothes
• Use of coconut shells for ironing purposes
• Notices of energy saving methods are displayed in the guest rooms and in staff quarters.
• Guests care of floors through removal of shoes on entering public areas thereby by reducing
need to polish floors.
The most tangible benefit from the energy saving initiatives is the electricity cost of the hotel, which
(including the Ayurveda health centre at full occupancy) varies from Rs 400,000.00 to Rs 450,000.00
per month.
b) Conserving and nurturing the bio diversity of BBAR
The conservation of the bio diversity of BABR commenced with the design of the resort, leaving the
terrain undisturbed, and capturing the healing energies that the lush green eco system and natural
sunlight brings “into” each and every room. Environmental protection at BBAR goes far beyond the
daily routine of the resort operations. Creative green initiatives take time to develop, and require
persistence and commitment to ensure tangible results. The project undertaken by BBAR in
partnership with Ruhuna University on conserving and preserving the bio diversity of the resort land
has brought rich dividends and is the fourth reason why we deserve to win the National.

4. Stage one: Scientific documenting of the flora and fauna of the 15 acre land.
Results:
-Zonal plan for future expansion.
- Nature trail – medicinal plants and spice garden
Guest lectures on endemic plants and herbs by the university professors.
Stage two: Growing trees and shrubs that attract birds and butterflies
Results: Increase in bird population from 45 to 53
Stage three: documenting the birds
Results:
Bird watch programme with resident guests
Booklet on Birds at Barberyn Beach
Enthusiastic guests wanting to return
Flyer attached
c) Comprehensive database of medicinal plants of Sri Lanka.
BBAR in collaboration with Ruhuna University is developing the first online database of medicinal
plants in Sri Lanka. This work is being meticulously carried out under the guidance of Dr. Jayatissa,
Professor of Botany at the university. The database information will include the botanical names of
the plants in English and Sinhalese, the botanical description, the edible parts, and the Ayurveda
usage. The information available up til now was sketchy and photographs, particularly of the plant in
fruit or in bloom, were missing. The current project photographs the plant in its natural habitat and
also photographs it in bloom. The web site will assist Ayurveda students and physicians, as well as
the general public, to identify medicinal plants and recognize the value of these plants that would
otherwise go unnoticed, and encourage them to grow these plants in home gardens thus
contributing to the conservation and use of these precious medicinal plants. This is the fifth reason
why we deserve the National Green Award. (Can we mention the website name or will this be on
the BBAR website?)

5. Progress:
1200 plants have been identified and captured in the database and uploaded to the web site.
202 plants have been finalized with all fields and images taken by the team (the flowering images
being what leads to correct identification of the plant)
The Ayurveda usage of a further 262 have been included and, to date, the professor has completed
the taxonomy of a further 700 plants which is being updated on the website.
Our Ayurveda physicians utilize this information as they advise guests on the value of the essential
and unique vegetarian meal plans at the resort.
(flyer attached)
Concluding remarks
As with our parents, the founders of Barberyn, we are deeply engaged in the operation of
the resorts. Barberyn Beach Ayurveda Resort, established at a time when investor confidence was
low, has been a profitable venture from the first year of operation. Guests from 52 countries visited
Barberyn last year, and they have been delighted at the way we have integrated green initiatives
into the hotel operations. BBAR won the Sri Lanka tourism award for the best Ayurveda host hotel
for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011, and was inducted to the “Hall of Fame” in 2012. The resorts
provide us with the opportunity to engage with a wide cross section of people. They broaden our
horizons and deepen our understanding of environmental issues. In turn we are able to influence
others. The initiative to apply for the Green award came from the third generation of our family, our
children, who are being groomed to take over from us. They perhaps understand the importance of
green growth, even more than us. I write this essay on their behalf, and this is why we would like to
win the National Green Award.

6. Progress:
1200 plants have been identified and captured in the database and uploaded to the web site.
202 plants have been finalized with all fields and images taken by the team (the flowering images
being what leads to correct identification of the plant)
The Ayurveda usage of a further 262 have been included and, to date, the professor has completed
the taxonomy of a further 700 plants which is being updated on the website.
Our Ayurveda physicians utilize this information as they advise guests on the value of the essential
and unique vegetarian meal plans at the resort.
(flyer attached)
Concluding remarks
As with our parents, the founders of Barberyn, we are deeply engaged in the operation of
the resorts. Barberyn Beach Ayurveda Resort, established at a time when investor confidence was
low, has been a profitable venture from the first year of operation. Guests from 52 countries visited
Barberyn last year, and they have been delighted at the way we have integrated green initiatives
into the hotel operations. BBAR won the Sri Lanka tourism award for the best Ayurveda host hotel
for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011, and was inducted to the “Hall of Fame” in 2012. The resorts
provide us with the opportunity to engage with a wide cross section of people. They broaden our
horizons and deepen our understanding of environmental issues. In turn we are able to influence
others. The initiative to apply for the Green award came from the third generation of our family, our
children, who are being groomed to take over from us. They perhaps understand the importance of
green growth, even more than us. I write this essay on their behalf, and this is why we would like to
win the National Green Award.