March 2 - 7 is Blue Week in Abu Dhabi, a week-long celebration of our marine environment and the UAE's seafaring heritage, organised by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and associated with Abu Dhabi hosting the World Ocean Summit on Saadiyat Island from March 5-7, 2019.  Keeping with the theme of Blue Week, join us for this informative talk about the traditional Hadrah fishery in Abu Dhabi Emirate, delivered by Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi Fisheries Scientist Shamsa Al Hameli.  This talk is generously sponsored and hosted by Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Abu Dhabi.  Date: Tuesday March 5th, 2019. Membership sign up available from 7pm, lecture begins at 7:30pm Venue: Emerald C Meeting Room, Saadiyat Rotana Hotel About the talk: In the Arabian Gulf, fisheries is often defined as artisanal, mainly because of the traditional practices that are still in use today by fishers. The most common artisanal fishing gears used in the region can be divided into four main groups: traps, line and hook, fishing nets, and spear. Each of these gears can be set up in a number of ways, resulting in different fishing techniques. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hadrah traps are utilized exclusively in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, where the optimum shallow intertidal areas for the Hadrah trap to be effective is mostly found. Although Hadrah traps are one of the oldest fishing method used in the region, there is little information available about this traditional fishery. The objectives of this study were to investigate spatial and temporal patterns in species composition, distribution and biomass across the four Hadrah sites.  About the speaker:  Shamsa Al Hameli is Assistant Scientist, Fisheries at the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and a Masters student at UAE university.  Her research interests are shark and rays conservation ecology, fisheries science, and sustainable marine resource use. She is passionate about the protection of the marine environment, launching with her sister Maitha, the voluntary Abu Dhabi Marine Conservation Group.  Please register for your free ticket through the link.  All ENHG lectures are free and open to the public, membership sign up and in-kind sponsorship helps the group maintain its activities. The support of committee volunteers, corporate members and individual members is greatly appreciated and vital to sustaining the ENHG.

In lieu of our Feb 26th Lecture and due to venue availability, our 2nd lecture in February will take place on Wednesday, February 27th at 7pm at Manarat Al Saadiyat  About the Talk : Manart Al Saadiyat Art Studio artist in residence, Jeanne Blissett-Robertson, explains her process in producing a piece of work inspired by the unique nature of Abu Dhabi’s corals and their relation to manmade development. Art installation The Border is Porous is a response to the emirate’s growing skyscraper environment and how it impacts nature’s own super-builders, the reef corals off Abu Dhabi’s Gulf coast. The installation explores the microscopic detail of the coral’s substructure in reaction to the fast-changing developments of our manmade environment on land. The title reflects on the multi-faceted ways in which science, nature and human understanding merge together. About the Speaker: Blissett-Robertson, 25, a sculptor and multimedia artist from the UK, was inspired by research being carried out at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) into the Gulf’s reefs and the environmental pressures the corals face due to climate change, global warming and human activity.  Timing : Membership and Sign up available from 7pm, lecture begins at 7:30pm. Participants can visit the free exhibition before or after the lecture. Venue: Art Studio, Manarat Al Saadiyat This ENHG talk is generously hosted by Manarat Al Saadiyat   

The Inter-Emirates Weekend 2019, which will be hosted by the Dubai Natural History Group, will be from Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd February 2019. Please contact Valerie Chalmers for any questions : Valerie.Chalmers@gmail.com   List of Field trips for IEW 2019 Friday 22nd February Full day trip - Introduction to Hajar Mountain Geology   Friday morning 1. Wasit Wetland Centre  walk around wetland reserve/birdwatching and visit to the Centre 2. Scuba Dive on the MV Dara 3. Visit to Tel Abraq Archaeological Site   Friday afternoon 4.Mleiha Archaeological Centre  plus visits to archaeological sites and tombs 5.Visit to Sharjah Desert Park Lecture on Reptiles of UAE 6.Visit to Islamic Garden 7.Visit to Arabia's Wildlife Centre 8. Ajman Museum 9.Ajman Fish Market and Abra Trip   Saturday 23rd  Full day Trip - Hajar Mountain Nature Walk   Saturday Morning 1.Early Morning Desert Walk 2. Al Hefaiya Conservation Centre 2. Kalba Birds of Prey Centre. 3. Muweilah Archaeological Site visit + Sharjah Archaeological Museum 4. Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club - introduction to scuba diving 5.Sharjah Souq Visit 6.Sharjah Hisn + Heritage Village + Al Naboodah House   Saturday Afternoon 7. Ajman Fish Market + Abra trip + Lunch 8. Ajman Museum Visit   Please note that you can still make your hotel reservations and can do so now by sending emails to:   For Rooms bookings  - res.centrosharjah@rotana.com and halima.hamdare@rotana.com  until 31st January and Food & Beverage/Gala dinner bookings - events.centroshj@rotana.com The gala dinner booking date has now been extended until 7th February.

Dear Friends   In collaboration with the Emirates Natural History Group (ENHG), we have arranged COMPLIMENTARY ENTRY for you and your families to visit Louvre Abu Dhabi’s main galleries and the ‘Roads of Arabia: Archeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia’ exhibition, which is currently on show at the museum.   *********************************   As a brief introduction, the ENHG is the oldest non-governmental organisation dealing with environmental topics in the UAE, providing an active and progressive forum for experts and enthusiasts alike. The main aim of the ENHG is to encourage and assist members and other interested individuals in the study and appreciation of the natural history and archaeology of Abu Dhabi, the UAE, the Middle East and the world at large.   The group organises twice-monthly free lectures from experts in a wide range of fields. These are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month and are open to both members and non-members of the ENHG. Members also have access to a regular programme of day and overnight field trips, usually led by experts, to areas of interest throughout the UAE. These excursions are not only a great way to meet like-minded people, but occasionally you’ll visit places not accessible to the public. Past trips have included a mountain climb, mangrove tour, a family weekend at an archaeological centre and bird watching.    To find out more, please visit https://enhgauh.tidyhq.com/   To find out more about our exciting Inter-Emirates Weekend and field trips (21-23 Feb), please visit https://enhgauh.tidyhq.com/public/schedule/events/22347-inter-emirates-weekend-save-the-date   *********************************   To access the Louvre Abu Dhabi exhibition and explore the fascinating story of the Arabian Peninsula, you will have to book your tickets on the ENHG website to confirm your attendance and be at the Museum’s Groups Reception on the Lower Ground Floor between 2pm-2.30pm on Saturday, 9th February 2019 because we will enter as a group.  Afterwards you are free to walk around the museum at your leisure.  Please look for the person holding a sign “ENHG group”.   Kindly arrive between the specified time because latecomers may have to pay for their own museum entry ticket once the group has already entered the museum.   NOTE: Children under 13 years normally have free entry anyway but please include them when you register because we need to confirm the total group number with the museum.   AS COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS ARE LIMITED AND ARE ONLY FOR SELECT GROUPS, PLEASE DO NOT SHARE THIS MESSAGE OR THE EVENT LINK TO THE ENHG WEBSITE WITH OTHERS.   We look forward to seeing you at Louvre Abu Dhabi!

ENHG Lecture:  Hawksbill turtles in UAE, when Genetics meets conservation Hosted by Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas Room : Emerald B Meeting Room  Tuesday, Feb 5th, 7:30pm (Membership sign up, Tea & Coffee available from 7:00pm) We welcome all ENHG members and friends back with our first lecture of 2019 !  About the speaker: Dr. Ada Natoli  is a molecular ecologist with primary interest in utilizing genetics markers to investigate population structure and the evolutionary mechanisms that shape populations in order to support conservation of species. She has a broad background covering plant genetics, chemistry, microbiology and general ecology and graduated in Biology from the University of Milan, Italy, after completing a two years research project on gene mapping on maize, and afterwards worked as researcher at the University of Piacenza on Sorgum genetics. Ada's particular interest in the marine environment brought her to spent a number of years conducting field research on several projects monitoring the cetacean population in the Mediterranean Sea and Canary Islands for Tethys Research Institute. Dr. Natoli obtained her PhD from the University of Durham, UK, which focused on the molecular ecology of bottlenose and common dolphins, comparing on a worldwide scale their population structure to clarifying their taxonomy and evolution, and analysing in Mediterranean, Black Sea and South Africa their fine scale population structure to help the formulation of conservation measures for their protection. She is a member of the IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group and involved in the conservation of cetaceans in the ACCOBAMS area. Dr. Natoli  is also involved in the International Whaling Commission, Small Cetacean Sub-committee, where she is currently coordinating the reassessment of the taxonomy of bottlenose dolphin worldwide.  Her scientific work is published in peer review journals. When Dr, Natoli  moved to the UAE, she joined UAE University where she directed a research project on the population structure of UAE hawksbill turtles in collaboration with EMEG and University of East Anglia, UK. She founded the UAE Dolphin Project initiative (www.uaedolphinproject.org) that is currently focused on gathering scientific information on dolphins in UAE through dedicated research surveys and citizen science, to support the formulation of conservation measures. In 2016 she joined Zayed University as Adjunct Assistant Professor where she currently teaches Biology. ​ About the talk : All marine turtles are globally threatened. We will talk about turtles in general, their status world wide and current conservation concerns at global level. We then focus on the hawksbill turtle in the Gulf and in UAE waters, review current knowledge and explore what latest genetic studies can tell us about this species in our waters and how these findings help supporting conservation measures All ENHG lectures are free and open to the public. Please do register online so that we can get an idea of attendance.  Hosting and catering of this talk is being generously sponsored by Saadiyat Rotana Resort and Villas, Saadiyat Island   

Dear Friends   ENHG has arranged COMPLIMENTARY ENTRY for our members and their families to visit Louvre Abu Dhabi’s main galleries and the ‘Roads of Arabia: Archeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia’ exhibition, which is currently on show at the museum.   To access the Louvre Abu Dhabi exhibition and explore the fascinating story of the Arabian Peninsula, you will have to book your tickets on the ENHG website to confirm your attendance and be at the Museum's Group Reception on the Lower Ground Floor between 2pm-2.30pm on Friday, 1st February 2019 because we will enter as a group.  Afterwards you may walk around the museum at your leisure.  Please look for the person holding a sign “ENHG group”.   Kindly arrive between the specified time because latecomers may have to pay for their own museum entry ticket once the group has already entered the museum.   NOTE: Children under 13 years normally have free entry anyway but please include them when you register because we need to confirm the total group number with the museum.  

Dear Friends In collaboration with the Emirates Natural History Group (ENHG), we have arranged COMPLIMENTARY ENTRY for you and your families to visit Louvre Abu Dhabi’s main galleries and the ‘Roads of Arabia: Archeological Treasures of Saudi Arabia’ exhibition, which is currently on show at the museum.   *********************************   As a brief introduction, the ENHG is the oldest non-governmental organisation dealing with environmental topics in the UAE, providing an active and progressive forum for experts and enthusiasts alike. The main aim of the ENHG is to encourage and assist members and other interested individuals in the study and appreciation of the natural history and archaeology of Abu Dhabi, the UAE, the Middle East and the world at large.   The group organises twice-monthly free lectures from experts in a wide range of fields. These are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month and are open to both members and non-members of the ENHG. Members also have access to a regular programme of day and overnight field trips, usually led by experts, to areas of interest throughout the UAE. These excursions are not only a great way to meet like-minded people, but occasionally you’ll visit places not accessible to the public. Past trips have included a mountain climb, mangrove tour, a family weekend at an archaeological centre and bird watching.    To find out more, please visit https://enhgauh.tidyhq.com/   *********************************   To access the Louvre Abu Dhabi exhibition and explore the fascinating story of the Arabian Peninsula, you will have to book your tickets on the ENHG website to confirm your attendance and be at the Museum’s Group Reception on the Lower Ground Floor between 2pm-2.30pm on Friday, 25th January 2019 because we will enter as a group.  Afterwards you are free to walk around the museum at your leisure.  Please look for the person holding a sign “ENHG group”.   Kindly arrive between the specified time because latecomers may have to pay for their own museum entry ticket once the group has already entered the museum.   NOTE: Children under 13 years normally have free entry anyway but please include them when you register because we need to confirm the total group number with the museum.   We look forward to seeing you there!

TIME: 5:00pm – 7:00pm, 15th December 2018 VENUE: The Beach House Lawn, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi   ABOUT THE EVENT: An event ideal for families, Dr Michele Ziolkowski will give a short introduction and then read her children's book 'The Boy who knew the Mountains.' The book will simultaneously be projected onto the wall as she reads from it. Set in a small mountain village in Fujairah the book combines elements of UAE history, heritage and a message of the acceptance and understanding for people with special needs. After the book reading Michele will present a selection of archaeological artefacts, which tie in to the story and life in the UAE in the past. There will be a Q&A session and an opportunity to buy the book which is available in Arabic and English. ABOUT THE SPEAKER:  Dr Michele Ziolkowski has a background in art, design, photography and archaeology. She attained a Doctoral degree from the University of Sydney, Australia, in Near Eastern Archaeology in 2002. Michele first visited the U.A.E. in 1993 as an undergraduate student to work on an archaeological excavation. Many field seasons followed, working in the Emirates of Sharjah, Dubai, Fujairah and in the Sultanate of Oman. Michele has experience teaching at university level and presenting papers at international conferences. She has authored and edited numerous academic publications on the archaeology, history and heritage of the Emirates. Michele has also received grants and awards for her work including the Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohammed al-Nahyan award (Emirates Natural History Group) in 2006 and a Sharjah Book Award for the best children’s book (English) in 2017. Married to an Emirati, Michele and her husband have a son, Suhail. They currently live in Abu Dhabi. TICKETS: This is free event, but there is limited space, so please register for a ticket to avoid disappointment.

  Dhow and Camping Trip to Daymaniyat Islands in Oman from 13/14 to 15 December 2018   Following the great interest for the November trip to Damaniyat island, DNHG has obtained an additional date for this weekend trip to Oman: dhow trip to the natural reserve of Daymaniyat Islands with an overnight camping and two days of snorkeling and exploring this archipelago with rich marine and bird life.   We have managed to secure the dhow and all necessary permits for the weekend 14/15 December for an exclusive camping trip on Daymaniyat islands, a natural reserve with restricted access: the islands are closed to visitors in summer months to allow for undisturbed breeding of birds and marine life.   Trip details:   Thursday, 13 December: You will leave Dubai at your convenience (we will not drive in convoy) to reach the meeting location in Oman by Thursday evening, possibly before 5 pm (to set the camp before dark). Alternatively, you can stay in a hotel of your choice or join later in the evening/morning, as long as you are at the meeting point for the boat pick up latest at 8 am on Friday morning. Exact location will be communicated additionally. Please consider 4-5 hrs drive (+ border time) from Dubai to the meeting point.   You will need to get the Omani visa, either at the border or preferably on line (https://evisa.rop.gov.om/). You will obviously need your passport, valid Omani car insurance with orange card and all necessary documents in case you drive rented or leased car. Costs: exit UAE 35 AED, visa for Oman 5 OMR/50 AED. 4WD car will not be needed.   Friday, 14 December: Morning pick up for dhow trip to Daymaniyat Islands. Stops will depend on weather but we should make 2 stops: Kharaba Island and Police Post Island. Both are perfect for snorkeling. Light lunch (vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizzas) will be served on boat. After a BBQ dinner we will camp overnight on the beach of Kharaba Island.   Saturday 15 December: Breakfast will be provided on the boat. We will use the morning for further exploring and snorkeling. Light lunch will be served on the boat (vegetarian pasta, tuna salad, bread, water melon). Water and ice will be provided throughout the cruise. Please feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks. After lunch we will return to the port and drive back to Dubai.   Estimated cost of the dhow trip and permits:   Minimum 20 pax: 600 AED per pax Minimum 25 pax: 550 AED per pax Minimum 30 pax: 500 AED per pax   Above includes: 2 day dhow trip with crew All necessary permits/fees for Daymaniyat and camping Catering as per the above program (2 x lunch, evening BBQ, breakfast) Water and ice   What to bring: your own tent, sleeping gear, snorkeling and beach gear, toiletries, snacks, drinks… Detailed list will be sent to participants.   Maximum number of participants is 35. Dhow has open deck, shaded area and toilet facilities. Please see the photos below.   Important: The above itinerary can change depending on weather If the trip is cancelled due to bad weather/rough sea the payments will be refunded. If already in Oman we will organize an alternative trip (visit to nearby Al Sawadi islands and/or forts of Barka, Nakhal, Ar Rustaq). To secure the dhow and permits, 500 AED prepayment will be collected The space will be assigned on first paid basis. Only participants with fully prepaid Daymaniyat boat trip will be considered as signed up - no waiting list. Children count as adults. If less than 20 payments are collected by November 15, the boat trip will be cancelled Prepayments are not refundable in case of cancellations, no shows or late arrival to the port. This is an exclusively snorkeling trip; we will only stop at the beaches & depths suitable for snorkeling (no diving).   If interested, please contact Sonja at lavson@gmail.com   More about Daymaniyat Islands below:     Daymaniyat Islands   The nine, tiny, uninhabited islands lie about 11 miles off the Batinah Coast offer some of the best snorkeling in the Gulf of Oman. Coral reefs cover up to 70% of the sites with more than a hundred different species of soft and hard coral. Marine life is abundant with prolific numbers of colorful reef fish, stingrays, occasional turtles, leopard sharks and on rare occasions a whale shark. With the vast variety of sea life and coral close to the surface, snorkeling is a particularly rewarding experience.   The islands have been protected as a nature reserve since 1996 and provide an important nesting site for hawksbill and green turtles, as well as a wide range of migratory birds including the increasingly rare sooty falcon (which can also be found in the Sawadi Islands), one of the few migratory raptors which nests and breeds in the region.   Given their protected status, access to the Daymaniyats is restricted, and visitors are not allowed on the islands from the beginning of May until the end of October. In winter months the visits are allowed upon obtaining prior permit.        

Photography Studio invites you to an Open Talk at Manarat Al Saadiyat.  This talk will be presented by Al Sa’ad Al Minhaly, during which she will discuss “The Image in NatGeo World”.   Al Minhaly is an Emirati media personality with 17 years of experience in journalism.  She is the current Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Al Arabiya magazine.   She previously worked as Deputy Editor of Al Ittihad newspaper, and has released several books including The World as a Woman, An Eye on Events and Stories in 2004.  Al Minhaly was awarded the Tarim Omran Tarim Award for best column in 2004 and is a founding member of the Journalists Association.  She is also a member of the Emirates Writers Union, and a member of the Geographers Association.   The talk is free to attend but please RSVP to:- https://natgeo.app.rsvpify.com/

TIME:  Membership signup from 7:00pm, lecture from 7:30pm   VENUE:  NYU Abu Dhabi, building A3, lecture room 001. Click here for a google maps and here for a campus map https://nyuad.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyuad/news/documents/campus-map-with-directions.pdf    LECTURE SUMMARY: This talk will focus on the importance of researching and monitoring one of Abu Dhabi’s unique marine habitats; the grey mangroves (Avicennia marina), which are the only dominant species found in Abu Dhabi Emirate. When compared to tropical and subtropical countries, mangroves are understudied in this region. Therefore, this talk first present what mangroves are, what are their values, and the threats they are facing from human impacts and climate change. Further, present programs established to monitor mangroves from field surveys and satellite images using GIS and remote sensing techniques. Then, present the different ways to developing adaptation measures, restoration and conservation efforts for mangroves. Finally, present the gaps in mangroves ecology, marine science, and the importance of involving ‘citizen scientist’ as a conservation tool.   ABOUT THE SPEAKER:  Amna Al Mansoori is an Emirati, from Abu Dhabi. She has a background in Environmental studies and graduated first in her Masters program (Ms degree on Environment Dynamics of Territories and Societies, Dissertation research on monitoring mangroves in the UAE) from the Department of Geography and Environment, at the Paris-Sorbonne University. Amna is currently working as an Assistant Scientist for Marine Habitats at the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, assessing and monitoring the marine environment to develop conservation management plans and policies for Abu Dhabi Emirate, mainly focusing on critical habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds.  She is currently looking to pursue her PhD in marine habitats ecology and biodiversity conservation.  

Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with the Sooty Falcon Movie Come celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and attend a special screening of the film documentary “The Migrant - Sooty Falcons in Oman”  on Tuesday 9 October 2018, at 7.00pm, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Auditorium, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. The film documents the efforts in Oman to study and protect this long-range migratory bird. Sooty Falcons are filmed during the breeding season in their habitat on breathtaking islands in the Sea of Oman. The juvenile falcons are followed along their migration route, crossing the Al Hajar mountains and the Rub Al Khali desert in Oman, resting in the Horn of Africa, and finally reaching Madagascar, the Sooty Falcons’ non-breeding season destination. A member of the Omani research team, Mr Waheed Abdullah Al Fazari, Head of Wildlife Division, Office for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman, will introduce the film. A special audience discussion will follow the screening with Waheed and Shahid Bashir Khan, Scientist-Avifauna, Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.  The Sooty Falcon Movie won the best documentary movie category at the Muscat International Film Festival (2018). The Emirates Natural History Group, the Convention on Migratory Species Office – Abu Dhabi and CinemaSpace present the film, in partnership with the Office for Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, Sultanate of Oman, and in cooperation with Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and Manarat Al Saadiyat.   Image : Copyright by INTEWO - World Habitat Society GmbH