Team Pera’s moss solution wins accolades
View(s):By Kaveesha Fernando
While many grapple with the challenges of climate change, four students from the University of Peradeniya have turned to an unconventional solution – moss. Their invention, Moss BioFilter Panels, recently won the Sri Lanka Prize at the Student Society for Climate Change Awareness (SSCC) program (South Asia Region).
Selected from among 100 teams across the country, the project uses moss as a natural air purifier. The students discovered that a 4×4 Moss BioFilter Panel has the same absorption capacity as a mature tree, making it a low-cost, sustainable, and efficient method to improve urban air quality.
The SSCC initiative, supported by the U.S. Department of State, Seeds of Peace, and Beyond the Classroom, is designed to empower South Asian university students to develop climate action projects with real-world impact. The competition unfolds in multiple phases, beginning with an online course on climate change, followed by idea pitching. In the next stage, students develop a prototype and conduct quantitative research to validate their concept. Finally, they present their project in person to judges, who visit universities to evaluate the finalists and select the best team.
A chance to undergo a two-week fellowship at Vanderbilt University, USA
Their efforts have earned them a two-week fellowship at Vanderbilt University, USA, from February 14 to 28, where they will participate in discussions on climate policy, sustainability, and innovation.
Priyanjala Omali Alliyadda, a final-year undergraduate in Environmental and Industrial Sciences and an alumna of Girls’ High School, Kandy, recalls the journey of developing their idea. Explaining that it took time to find a viable solution she explains that the process was incredibly rewarding. “I learned so many new skills, and my favourite part was working as a team and brainstorming ideas together,” she says.
Beyond research, the team recognised that awareness is key to climate action. They conducted educational sessions for school students, introducing them to the effects of climate change and the importance of sustainable solutions. Sahan Prathibha Wijethunga, a final-year Physics undergraduate and past pupil of Dhammissara National College, Nattandiya, believes their work fills a crucial gap in education. “Most school students don’t know what climate change is or what they can do about it,” he explains. Gagani Senanayake, a third-year undergraduate in Zoology, Molecular Biology, and Biotechnology and an alumna of Visakha Vidyalaya, says that the learning did not go only one way. “It wasn’t just the students who learned—I learned so much in the process as well,” she says.
For some team members, the project has shaped their future ambitions. Asel Pandigama, a final-year undergraduate in Environmental and Industrial Sciences and former student of S. Thomas’ College, Bandarawela, has been inspired to establish a non-profit dedicated to combating climate change. He hopes their work will encourage more people—especially students—to connect with their surroundings.
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