Nature lessons: JESS kids at Wadi Wurayah

Fujairah: An excursion to Wadi Wurayah, an ancient source of mountain water in the UAE, turned out to be a revelation for grade school students on how litter left behind by visitors is spoiling the environment.

On Tuesday, many of the students of Dubai's Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) held little toads in their fingers for the first time and were fascinated by seeing reptiles and aquatic invertebrates in the wadi's environment.

While feasting their eyes on rare species of orchids, they were also wary of encountering the carpet viper, adding a touch of danger to their otherwise safe adventure. The wadi racer is, however, a harmless water snake that they need not worry about.

“I was so shocked to see fruit juice cans and water bottles strewn around the wadi amidst the sparkling clear water that gurgles through the pebbled surface,'' observed Mark Bennett, a Grade Four student.

Linda Callaghan said she had picked up 11 discarded potato chips packs from the approach to the wadi. “Blackened portions of the dry bed with bone fragments are evidence that meat was cooked over fires lit here,'' she said.

“I came here prepared to see fish and insects and mountain goats but was not prepared to see all this litter in the wadi,'' said Chloe Elliott.

For Sandra Crossman, what is remarkable is the graffiti on the rocks.

“I learn from my Arabic guide Mouz Sawaf that different groups of visitors have left their signatures on the rocks and mentioned the places from where they have come,'' she said.

A little frightened by the droning bees in the meandering course of the wadi, the students were quick to realise that the habitat of these winged creatures had been disturbed. Mouz, an official of the Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS), said local residents come during winter and summer to collect honey from combs hidden in rock crevices and ledges.

“It will be exciting to see these honey gatherers in action,'' exclaimed Jane Shaw adding, “I wonder how they protect themselves from bee sting.''

Emma Smart, an EWS volunteer, said: “There are lots of learning opportunities for these eight and nine-year-olds at the wadi including the rubbish and graffiti.''

Concerned over the growing problems of litter and vandalism, Marat Khaled Shuriqe, a Fujairah Municipality official, said professional rangers will escort visitors in future to educate them on the local habitat and ensure the wadi is preserved.