Abu Dhabi: A group of environmentalists are hoping to raise awareness about the UAE’s unique natural history through their community group, which organises regular camping trips and lectures to shed light on the subject.
Originally founded in 1977, the Emirates Natural History Group (ENHG) was set up by expatriates who wanted to record and share their findings on the natural bounty of the UAE, which include types of animal species they encountered, and different types of bird migrations.
“This is definitely a great community group for people who are interested in learning and discovering the UAE’s natural history because there is so much out there to explore,” said Arabella Willing, a marine biologist and chair of the ENHG’s committee.
“I would say that the UAE’s environment is quite underappreciated for what it has to offer. Environmentally speaking, the UAE is a very hot place and so the creatures that live here are really fascinating and unique because they are able to survive and adapt in such extreme conditions. The corals in the sea, for example, are able to survive at temperatures that are not possible for corals around the world, and so that makes them very unique,” she added.
Willing explained that members who join the group are invited to take part in camping trips in the UAE.
“There are many different kinds of camping trips, some will last for around four to five days in the desert, while another can just be for the afternoon on a boat — for bird watching; We try to always have some experts on the camping trips as well so that the members who do come along can learn something from the experience,” she said.
“As well as the camping trips, we hold two lectures every month that are led by experts discussing a range of topics related to the environment of the UAE and the region. Some of these talks have been on the archaeology and fossil records of the UAE, things that many people might not be aware about,” she added.
The community-led group is also involved in supporting research projects, according to Willing.
“The group awards grants for research that is being done about the natural environment in the region. One initiative that we have supported was to help with providing satellite tags for a whale shark project. Another one was something as simple as giving binoculars to help with a dolphin survey that is being carried out,” she said.
Willing also said that having a group that aims to raise awareness and education on the environment helps with an even bigger and more important cause — environmental protection.
“Having members of the community contributing their efforts and knowledge about the environment is obviously beneficial. It’s kind of like citizen science, which is something we need. The more people from society you can get involved then the better because it can work towards protecting our environment,” she said.
How to sign up?
Members of the public can become a member and get all information on future events and lectures from the ENHG’s main website: http://abudhabi.enhg.org
