Meditation Training
A professional meditation trainer and mentor, guiding individuals and groups toward mindfulness, calm, and inner clarity.
Mentor · Researcher · Counsellor · Environmentalist
Nayana Pradeep Daundasekara
Meditation Mentor · Researcher & Author · Counsellor · Environmental Educator
Guiding people toward mindfulness, growth, and a deeper respect for nature — through meditation, research, counselling, and environmental education.
- Meditation
- Research
- Counselling
- Environment
Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka
Highlights · WCS 2026
Highlights from the First World Congress on Snakes
The inaugural First World Congress on Snakes (WCS 2026) brought herpetologists, researchers, and conservationists from around the world to Kandy, Sri Lanka. Nayana served on the congress’s Scientific Committee, and launched his book Snakes of Sri Lanka — Hidden Beauties of a Biodiversity Hotspot, co-authored with Kapila Dissanayake, during the congress.
- Role
- Scientific Committee Member
- Book launch
- Snakes of Sri Lanka
- Where & when
- Kandy, Sri Lanka · 1–4 October 2026
Who I am
About
B.Sc. (Agri. Sp.) · M.Sc. (Plant Protection Technology) · PGDE — University of Peradeniya
Nayana Pradeep Daundasekara is a Sri Lankan educator, researcher, and mentor from Nawalapitiya whose work spans four connected disciplines: meditation training, research and publishing, counselling, and environmental awareness.
He holds a Special Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, and a Master of Science in Plant Protection Technology from the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. He currently serves as a national-level resource person attached to the Department of Education, Central Province, Sri Lanka.
His herpetological work began in childhood through the Youth Exploration Society of Sri Lanka (YES) and the Amphibia and Reptile Research Organization of Sri Lanka (ARROS). A member of the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group of Sri Lanka, he has published over 50 research papers on herpetology and served as a resource person in the Global Red List Assessment for the Amphibians and Reptiles of Sri Lanka.
Alongside this scientific work, he is a professional meditation trainer and counsellor — guiding students and communities toward mindfulness, focus, and personal growth — and continues to research and publish across educational and environmental fields.
- 50+
- Herpetology research papers published
- 11
- Books authored / co-authored
- 4
- Connected disciplines of practice
- IUCN SSC
- Amphibian Specialist Group (Sri Lanka) member
Featured · Conference
Scientific Committee Member — World Congress on Snakes 2026
Nayana is proud to serve on the Scientific Committee of the inaugural First World Congress on Snakes (WCS 2026), Sri Lanka — Snakes, Science, Species Survival & Sri Lanka.
Kandy, Sri Lanka · 1–4 October 2026
My practice
What I Do
Four connected disciplines — inner growth, knowledge, guidance, and care for the natural world.
Research & Publishing
A researcher and author documenting Sri Lanka’s natural heritage, with published books and ongoing scientific work.
Counselling & Mentoring
Mentoring students and individuals in attitude development, personal growth, and positive life skills.
Environmental Awareness
Leading environmental awareness programmes that connect communities with nature and conservation.
Mindfulness
Meditation Programs
Mindfulness and meditation sessions conducted for school communities across Sri Lanka — guiding students and teachers toward calm, focus, and wellbeing.
September 29, 2026
Vipassana Meditation Program for 1,500 Students at the University of Peradeniya
Indoor Stadium, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
A Vipassana (insight) meditation program for 1,500 students, held at the University of Peradeniya Indoor Stadium.
View photos & detailsMay 26, 2026
Mindfulness Meditation Program for Grade 12 Students of Dharmaraja College
University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
A guided mindfulness meditation session for the Grade 12 students of Dharmaraja College, held at the University of Peradeniya.
View photos & detailsMay 12, 2026
Mindfulness Meditation Program at Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle
Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle
A mindfulness meditation program for the students of Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle.
View photos & detailsGuidance
Counselling Programs
Counselling and attitude-development sessions for students, teachers, and principals — building confidence, resilience, and positive life skills.
April 30, 2026
Principals’ Workshop on Strategic Planning for Student Development — Kandy Education Zone
Kandy Education Zone, Sri Lanka
Invited speaker at a workshop for school principals on strategic planning to keep G.C.E. A/L students engaged in school and nurture a balanced, capable generation for the nation.
View photos & details
July 2025
Counselling Workshop for A/L Students and Parents at Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle
Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle
A counselling workshop for G.C.E. A/L students and their parents at Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, Kegalle.
View photos & details
2023
Counselling Workshop for O/L Students at Dharmaraja College Auditorium
Dharmaraja College Auditorium, Kandy
A counselling workshop for O/L students of Mahamaya, Viharamahadevi, Gothami, and Swarnamali Balika Vidyalaya, organised by the Zonal Education Office, Kandy.
View photos & detailsConservation
Environmental Programs
Field studies, forest explorations, and awareness programs that connect students, teachers, and education officials with Sri Lanka’s natural heritage.
February 9, 2026
Environmental Field Trip to Salgala Forest Reserve — Ambagamuwa Primary College
Salgala Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka
A field study excursion for the Environmental Conservation Society of Ambagamuwa Primary College to the Salgala Forest Reserve.
View photos & details
30 September – 1 October 2025
Environmental Workshop for Zonal Environment Directors — Climate Change Centre, Rilagala
Centre for Climate Change, Rilagala
A residential environmental workshop for zonal-level environment directors, held at the Centre for Climate Change in Rilagala, with field study at the Rilagala Conservation Forest.
View photos & details
September 15, 2025
Field Exploration Workshop at Salgala Forest Reserve — Vidulipura Maha Vidyalaya
Salgala Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka
A field exploration workshop at the Salgala Forest Reserve for the Exploration & Research Society of Vidulipura Maha Vidyalaya.
View photos & detailsTeaching & training
Academic Workshops
Subject workshops and orientation programs for A/L students and their teachers — from biosystems technology to agricultural science.
10 August 2026
Provincial-Level G.C.E. A/L Agricultural Science Workshop
Dharmaraja College Auditorium, Kandy
A provincial-level educational workshop supporting G.C.E. Advanced Level Agricultural Science students, conducted before a large student audience at the Dharmaraja College auditorium.
View photos & details
17 July 2025
G.C.E. A/L Student Orientation Workshop — Ambagamuwa Central College
Ambagamuwa Central College, Sri Lanka
An orientation and guidance workshop for G.C.E. Advanced Level students of Ambagamuwa Central College and their parents, helping them begin the A/L years with direction and purpose.
View photos & details
16 July 2025
G.C.E. A/L Student Orientation Workshop — Poramadulla Central College
Poramadulla Central College, Sri Lanka
An orientation workshop for G.C.E. Advanced Level students of Poramadulla Central College, helping students approach their next stage of education with direction and purpose.
View photos & detailsSelected works
Publications & Books
Books and research spanning herpetology, agricultural science, and aquaculture — including the multi-volume Annotated Bibliographies and Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Sri Lanka, co-authored with Dr. Anslem de Silva and Suranjan Karunarathna.
2021
Testudines and Crocodilians — An Annotated Bibliography and a Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Sri Lanka, Vol. 1
A. de Silva, N. P. Daundasekara & S. Karunarathna
2022
Amphibians of Sri Lanka — An Annotated Bibliography and a Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Sri Lanka, Vol. 2
A. de Silva, N. P. Daundasekara & S. Karunarathna
ISBN: 978-624-98484-2-9
2026
Snakes of Sri Lanka — Hidden Beauties of a Biodiversity Hotspot
Nayana Pradeep Daundasekara & Kapila Dissanayake
2026
Snakes of South Asia — Discovering Hidden Diversity; Conserving a Changing Legacy
Ed. I. Das, A. de Silva, K.D.B. Ukuwela, N.D. Rathnayake & S. Karunarathna · WCS 2026 & ARROS · Nayana co-authored the chapter “Snake Fauna of Sri Lanka” (pp. 155–173)
Aquatic Life Resources & Aquaculture (ජලජ ජීව සම්පත් හා ජලජීවී වගාව) — Part I
Champika Nishanthi Perera & Nayana Pradeep Daundasekara
ISBN: 978-624-98484-3-6
2022
Agricultural Science — Model Unit Q&A Compilation (කෘෂි විද්යාව ආදර්ශ ඒකක ප්රශ්නෝත්තර සංග්රහය), G.C.E. A/L Grade 13
Nayana Pradeep Daundasekara (B.Sc., M.Sc.)
ISBN: 978-624-98484-1-2
2000
Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) Report — Amphibians & Selected Reptiles of Sri Lanka
Ed. A. de Silva, S. Molur & S. Walker · Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Sri Lanka
In the media
Daily Mirror · 20 October 2026
Kandy hosts First World Congress on Snakes
A feature on the First World Congress on Snakes in Kandy, which brought together over 300 foreign delegates from 42 countries — noting the launch of Snakes of Sri Lanka by Nayana P. Daundasekara and Kapila Dissanayake among the eight new herpetological publications released at the opening.
Ada (අද) newspaper · 20 August 2024
ඇත්තටම සමනලුන් ශ්රීපාදේ යනවද?
“Do butterflies really migrate to Sri Pada?”
A full-page feature in the Ada national newspaper on our research team’s butterfly-migration fieldwork on the Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) trail, documenting the mass movement of butterflies long celebrated in Sri Lankan tradition.
The Island · 15 December 2022
Three veteran herpetologists to launch book on Amphibians of Sri Lanka today
News coverage of the launch of Amphibians of Sri Lanka — Volume 2 of the Annotated Bibliography and Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Sri Lanka, by Anslem de Silva, Nayana Pradeep Daundasekara and Suranjan Karunarathna.
Research
Research Papers
Peer-reviewed papers and research communications on Sri Lanka’s amphibians, reptiles and butterflies — from field surveys of the mid-country wet zone to the role of frogs and lizards in natural pest control of paddy fields. Open any paper to read it here in full.
2026SnakesTaxonomy
Rediscovery and redescription of Aspidura deraniyagalae Gans & Fetcho, 1982 (Reptilia: Colubridae) after 44 years with conservation measures for the Aspidura genus
A. Aththanagoda, B. Ranasinghe, R. Jayasundara, O. Fernando, D. Hettiarachchi, M. Madawala, N. Daundasekara, K. Weerakkodi, A. de Silva & S. Karunarathna
A Critically Endangered rough-sided snake known only from 13 specimens collected in 1982 is rediscovered at its Namunukula type locality and at new sites in Galagama and Haagala, with the first expanded descriptions of both sexes and urgent conservation measures for the genus.
2026SnakesReview
Snake fauna of Sri Lanka: historical perspectives, current knowledge, and future directions
Anslem de Silva, Kanishka D.B. Ukuwela, Nimal D. Rathnayake, Anusha Aththanagoda, Nayana Daundasekara & Suranjan Karunarathna
A review of how knowledge of Sri Lanka’s snakes has grown from early natural history to modern taxonomy, molecular phylogenetics and snakebite medicine — covering biogeography, ecology, an endemism of over 50%, and the threats and research priorities ahead.
2024ButterfliesDistribution
Range expansion of Clouded Silverline butterfly (Cigaritis nubilus) in Sri Lanka
P.K. Dissanayake, H.H.C.U. Herath, K.G.S.N. Vajirasena, D.M.N.P. Daundasekara & B.C. Wijamunige
Three new locations for this rare endemic butterfly, far outside its historically known northern range — including the first record above 500 m and the southernmost sighting ever documented.
2024ButterfliesMigration
Tracking the migration of Albatross butterflies (Appias sp.) in Sri Lanka
P.K. Dissanayake, R. Gamage, R.W.D.L. Kumara, N. Weerasinghe, D.M.N.P. Daundasekara, H.S.B. Wijesinghe & S.K. Gunatilake
Island-wide observations at 60 locations during the 2023 inter-monsoon traced the Lesser and Common Albatross migrating mainly northwest, likely from Kumana towards Wilpattu, rather than towards Adam’s Peak as traditionally believed.
2012SnakesEcology
Color variations, sexual dimorphism, and population structure of Aspidura trachyprocta (Serpentes: Colubridae) in an anthropogenic habitat in Sri Lanka
Kanishka D.B. Ukuwela & Nayana P.K. Dawundasekara
A study of 42 live rough-sided snakes from farmland in the Central Hills recorded seven dorsal and ventral colour patterns, found males have relatively longer tails and more keeled scales near the vent, and a female-to-male ratio of 1 : 2.33.
2009AmphibiansDiversity survey
A survey on the amphibians of Ambagamuwa, a tropical wet mid-land area in Sri Lanka
D.M. Nayana Pradeep Kumara & Kanishka D.B. Ukuwela
Surveys of gardens, forests, paddy fields and tea plantations in 2003 and 2007 recorded 19 amphibian species — 11 endemic and 9 on the IUCN Red List — including two frogs of the genus Philautus new to science.
National education
Curriculum Development Contributions
Contributions to Sri Lanka’s national G.C.E. Advanced Level curriculum and teacher’s guides, developed through the National Institute of Education for the Technology and Agriculture subject streams.
Introduced in 2017
Biosystems Technology — Grade 12
G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination
Curriculum & Teacher’s Guide Resource Contributor
National Institute of Education, Sri Lanka
Introduced in 2018
Agricultural Science — Grade 13
G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination
Curriculum & Teacher’s Guide Resource Contributor
National Institute of Education, Sri Lanka
From the field
Nature & Gallery
A window into the environmental side of Nayana’s work — his own nature photographs, including snakes of Sri Lanka from his forthcoming book of the same name.
Behind the research
A Lifetime Research Library
Behind Nayana’s books and research stands a personal reference library built over decades — a room lined floor to ceiling with a vast collection of volumes, glass-fronted cabinets, and bound archives of journals. It is the quiet engine of his scholarship — and it does not stay closed.
- Herpetology & natural history
- Agriculture & environment
- Buddhism & meditation
- Rare & out-of-print titles
- Bound journal archives
Open to others
A shared resource, not a private collection
The library is open to fellow researchers, undergraduates, and schoolchildren alike. Visiting scientists and postgraduate students consult it for herpetological literature, old survey reports, and rare regional titles that are difficult to find in university collections — many of them long out of print.
School groups and university classes are welcomed in for guided visits, where students handle historical volumes, work through field guides and bound journals, and see for themselves how a piece of research is actually built. For many, it is a first encounter with primary literature.
Researchers & academics
Access to decades of herpetological, agricultural, and environmental literature, including rare and out-of-print references and bound journal archives.
University students
A working reference collection for undergraduate and postgraduate projects, dissertations, and literature reviews — with guidance on where to look.
School students
Guided group visits that introduce young students to books, field guides, and the habit of research long before university.
Visits are arranged on request for study groups, school parties, and individual researchers.
Roles & memberships
Roles & Affiliations
Committee roles, memberships, and collaborations.
Scientific Committee Member
First World Congress on Snakes 2026 (WCS 2026)
Kandy, Sri Lanka · 1–4 October 2026
Member
IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (Sri Lanka)
Research collaborator
Herpetofauna of Sri Lanka series
With Dr. Anslem de Silva & Suranjan Karunarathna
Get in touch
Contact
For meditation programmes, counselling and mentoring, research collaborations, talks, or environmental initiatives, please get in touch.
nayanabst@gmail.com
Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka