Isuru Nakandala (8) is Google’s ‘Worlds Youngest Research Environmentalist’
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Eight-year-old Isuru Arunoda Nakandala of St. Mary’s College, Veyangoda, has shot to fame over the past week, when he came 1st in a competition hosted by Google, titled, “Worlds Youngest Research Environmentalist.”
Last year’s competition was won by a 9-year-old American girl.
Isuru Nakandala’s award winning article was of 6 chapters containing 6,500-words, titled, “Horagolla National Park and the beauty of the animals we meet there,” which he wrote in Sinhala and had his father translate it into English.
His father, Harsha Udaya Kumara Nakandala said his son had researched for over two years, before compiling the publication.
According to Mr. Nakandala, Isuru possesses an immense love for the environment and for the fauna that thrive in it.
Mr. Nakandala hopes to migrate in the near future, stating that local facilities are inadequate to cater to meet his son’s aspirations. He related issues he faced with various publication agencies which reportedly said they would not publish a book written by anyone under 18.
Isuru hopes his publication would be distributed free of charge to schools, so that other students may have the opportunity to learn what he has learned.
Mr. Nakandala said that he has borne the costs of the publicity campaigns and research endeavours which were essential for bringing Isuru such exposure.
He laments for similarly brilliant children whose parents are unable to bear the costs of such an endeavour.
Isuru hopes to be an Animal Scientist in the future, while also being keen to become a pilot when he grows up.
Currently he enjoys drawing and has shown a talent for it. In addition, he participates in Athletics at his school and is a fan of Martial Arts.
Mr Nakandala is a Lecturer in Business Management and Marketing, while Isuru’s mother works is an Ayurvedic Physician, which has greatly influenced his love for the environment .
