The Botanical Society (BOTSOC) is an active student body which is present within the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo. It is one of the oldest student societies in the Faculty, having been established in the 1960s’.

The main objective of the society is to promote awareness and interest in the botanical sciences, improving and enhancing the development of skills of its members, while providing opportunities for the members to engage in community service. The Botanical Society embodies the spirit and commitment of the students of the University of Colombo, with the belief that the talents and resources of our members can be put to good use for the betterment of our university and society. The society has been participating actively, conducting various workshops and community service projects since its initiation.

Each year a ‘Plant Sale’ is organized where many different varieties of plants are sold. This popular event is well attended by staff and students of all Faculties of the University. Society members propagate many of the plants themselves and play an active role educating the potential buyers on plant growth and maintenance.

Under the project ‘Intellectia’, a series of annual community service projects focused on empowering and educating different student bodies are conducted annually. Past projects have provided donations to renovate school buildings, gift packs to the students, and conducted series of seminars. For the year 2019, an awareness program was conducted on plastic usage in Sri Lanka, the harmful impacts of plastic on the environment and alternatives to plastic followed by the distribution of eco-friendly alternatives to plastic to all the undergraduates of Faculty of Science, University of Colombo.

Various workshops and guest lectures have been conducted over the years to enhance the knowledge and skills of the university students and the members of society. Past workshops have been conducted on topics such as Bonsai, Bioinformatics, epigenetics and plant identification. In addition, the society has also been involved in tree planting projects in locations such as the Viharamahadevi Park.

The annual trip organized by the society is eagerly looked forward to by the members. The trip usually involves visiting places with scenic natural beauty. Every year something new and exciting is added to the trip and this provides an opportunity for students and staff members to mingle with each other outside of academics.

All students of University of Colombo are welcome to join the Botanical Society!

Link to the official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/botsoc.uoc
E-mail: botsocpts@gmail.com