Tribune News Network
Al THAKIRA
More than 175 volunteer families and children took part in an initiative to clean up one of Qatar’s most valued natural and historical heritage sites – the mangrove forests on the Purple Island (Bin Ghanim Island) in Al Thakira.
Fatma Hassan, event/school coordinator at A Flower Each Spring (FES) and programme coordinator of Friends of Nature (FON), said: "This is A Flower Each Spring’s 2nd beach clean-up event. We had the American Girl Scouts camped at our site; the girls were very eager and the families were very committed. We thank our co-host AquaSports for accommodating the rest of the participants who attended the beach clean-up and give the event an AquaSports twist. It’s wonderful to see people with a common goal come together and celebrate what they have achieved.”
The commendable environmental event was organised by Doha Environmental Actions Project (DEAP) and FON, and hosted at two different campsites -- one side of the Purple Island by AquaSports, Qatar’s leading watersports and nature tourism company, and the opposite side of the island by FES, a program publicising local flora and other environmental aspects for community awareness since 1999. The event was also supported by Baladiya.
Mohamed El-Azab, operations & branding manager of AquaSports, said: "The beach cleanup was an amazing hard work. The mangrove forests of Al Thakira around Purple Island are a protected natural site and home to a wide variety of wild birds and sea life including flamingos, herons and the endangered grey mangrove. Grey mangroves are hugely important to habitat preservation for many animals; they are also very susceptible to pollution and changes to local conditions.”
Purple Island is also a location of significant historical interest. The name Purple Island is derived from the dye produced in ancient times from the shells of a local mollusk. This purple dye was much prized by royalty and the wealthy across the region and as far as the Roman Empire.
Jose Saucedo, director of DEAP, said: "Purple Island is an incredible beautiful place in Qatar that is home to many species of birds and marine life. We are grateful to A Flower Each Spring, Friends of Nature and Aquasports, as well as to the American Girl Scouts, and all the incredible volunteers for supporting our efforts. It takes a village to #keeepqatarclean.”
Over 1,000kgs of dangerous and polluting refuse was collected including old tires, plastic bags, fishing lines and sharp metal objects during the clean-up. At the end of the day, Baladiya removed all the collected garbage for safe disposal.
Al THAKIRA
More than 175 volunteer families and children took part in an initiative to clean up one of Qatar’s most valued natural and historical heritage sites – the mangrove forests on the Purple Island (Bin Ghanim Island) in Al Thakira.
Fatma Hassan, event/school coordinator at A Flower Each Spring (FES) and programme coordinator of Friends of Nature (FON), said: "This is A Flower Each Spring’s 2nd beach clean-up event. We had the American Girl Scouts camped at our site; the girls were very eager and the families were very committed. We thank our co-host AquaSports for accommodating the rest of the participants who attended the beach clean-up and give the event an AquaSports twist. It’s wonderful to see people with a common goal come together and celebrate what they have achieved.”
The commendable environmental event was organised by Doha Environmental Actions Project (DEAP) and FON, and hosted at two different campsites -- one side of the Purple Island by AquaSports, Qatar’s leading watersports and nature tourism company, and the opposite side of the island by FES, a program publicising local flora and other environmental aspects for community awareness since 1999. The event was also supported by Baladiya.
Mohamed El-Azab, operations & branding manager of AquaSports, said: "The beach cleanup was an amazing hard work. The mangrove forests of Al Thakira around Purple Island are a protected natural site and home to a wide variety of wild birds and sea life including flamingos, herons and the endangered grey mangrove. Grey mangroves are hugely important to habitat preservation for many animals; they are also very susceptible to pollution and changes to local conditions.”
Purple Island is also a location of significant historical interest. The name Purple Island is derived from the dye produced in ancient times from the shells of a local mollusk. This purple dye was much prized by royalty and the wealthy across the region and as far as the Roman Empire.
Jose Saucedo, director of DEAP, said: "Purple Island is an incredible beautiful place in Qatar that is home to many species of birds and marine life. We are grateful to A Flower Each Spring, Friends of Nature and Aquasports, as well as to the American Girl Scouts, and all the incredible volunteers for supporting our efforts. It takes a village to #keeepqatarclean.”
Over 1,000kgs of dangerous and polluting refuse was collected including old tires, plastic bags, fishing lines and sharp metal objects during the clean-up. At the end of the day, Baladiya removed all the collected garbage for safe disposal.