Taxidermy training for teachers held

The Environmental Research and Wildlife Development Agency, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Educational Zone, held a three-day training course on taxidermy for teachers of biology in government schools.

It was held at the agency's Taxidermy Unit, in Al Maqta from October 6-8. Thirty-two teachers from girls' and boys' schools in took part in the course, which is one of a series aimed at training teachers to update their information and skills on environmental issues.

Abdul Hafeez Aziz, a senior taxidermist at the unit, presented the programme, covering different techniques, including preserving, skinning, drying, mounting, sanding, polishing, painting and fixing.

The teachers were divided into three working groups and were taught about the tools used in taxidermy, how to prepare materials to preserve samples, and how to make cases to mount and preserve insects. A model of a preserved hammour fish was made during the course.

According to the agency the unit was developed to play an important role as an educational and awareness tool and to set up a Natural History Museum in the future.

The museum can serve as an interactive centre to raise awareness among students, teachers and other groups on wildlife issues.

"This will be done by putting all types of specimens – birds, mammals, fishes, insects and other wildlife species of local and foreign origin – on display, providing taxidermy services to other organisations, and holding workshops on taxidermy for teachers enabling them to produce their own specimens as teaching aids for their school labs," the agency statement said.