Starting out at the National Aquatic Resources Agency as a research assistant, engaged in cetaceans and the nesting behaviour of marine turtles, Lester has been leading birding and wildlife tours in Sri Lanka and India since 2001.
A fanatical birder and naturalist, Lester has authored and co-authored many articles and several papers as well.
As well as a naturalist, he is a very talented artist and for over three decades has produced more than a dozen painting solo exhibitions in Sri Lanka and collective exhibitions in the UK and France.
Passionate about his ornithological tours, they have taken him to most of India and the Andaman Islands for over two decades. His birding fanaticism has also seen him swooping to Thailand, Taiwan, and Kenya’s Masai Mara.
A member of the Rarities and Records Committee of the Ceylon Bird Club, his wildlife sound recording collection of Sri Lanka and Indian bird sounds, alone, exceeds 450 recordings of rare and not so common bird species. The collection dates back to 1990.
Lester has a special interest in the ornithological past of Sri Lanka and is currently researching this fascinating avian history.
His list of activities concerning the environment is admirable and includes being on the expert panel for the IUCN red list 2007, 2012, National Red List, working on sea (pelagic) birds and their migration patterns, etc. They are highly pelagic in behaviour and intense work necessitating long-term monitoring as well as setting up a group for the monitoring of pelagic birds, and studies educating the young and other enthusiasts via social media platforms and community programs.