DNHG Monthly Lectures, A list of upcoming and past lectures held by the Dubai Natural History Group

MONTHLY LECTURES

The DNHG holds monthly lectures on the first Monday of each month. Doors open from 7.30pm with the programme starting promptly at 8pm, followed by a short Q&A. Lectures are free and open to all visitors and non-members.

Note: many of our monthly lectures have option to attend via online webinars; with access starting from 7:45pm and talks commencing promptly at 8pm.

Monthly lectures have included topics as diverse as traditional pearling, desert adaptations of mammals and reptiles, falcons, mapmaking, astronomy, coral reefs, parasites, stone arrowheads, seashells and introductions to the natural history of the Musandam peninsula and the exotic Dhofar region of Oman.

Occasional lectures have taken us farther afield, to Antarctica, New Guinea, Spitsbergen and South Africa. Lecturers include locally-based experts, both amateur and professional, as well as visiting researchers.

For further information and to confirm lecture times and dates please contact; Vice-Chairman Valerie Chalmers on 050 830 5018 or email: [email protected]

Lectures are held at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. Please click on the button for a location map.

Recordings of talks that have been authorised for publication are available on DNHG's YouTube Channel:
youtube.com/@DNHG_Lectures

Location Map (pdf)
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Location Map

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UPCOMING LECTURE(S) : 2024-2025

DNHG Lectures are open to both DNHG members & general admission from public.
Kindly note that DNHG monthly talks typically take place on first Monday of each month (see announced calendar of events). Our monthly lectures are typically conducted in "hybrid" format: with lectures given both in-person at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management and broadcast live online (via Zoom) to those who are unable to attend in-person.

The season of DNHG once-monthly lectures typically commence each year in September, and then continue each month through to June the following year.

Monday, 9 December 2024
Members Nights (multiple speakers)

Lecture shall be delivered in Hybrid Mode.
You are welcome to attend in-person or via online webinar

For in-person attendance: See map above for location of the lecture theatre
For online web-stream: web link using Zoom
(wait-room shall be used until lecture's scheduled start time of 8pm; kindly join before 8pm)

Reminder: there is no cost to attend monthly DNHG Lectures

Topic: Museums & Exhibitions - Behind the Scenes

Speaker: Hazelle Page

Hazelle has worked in the cultural heritage sector since graduating in archaeological conservation from Cardiff in1980.
Her work has included treating freshly excavated finds, a huge variety of museum objects, conservation surveys and delivering care of collection training for many museums in the north and east Midlands of England. From this Hazelle taught conservation at Lincoln University before joining the team at Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.
In 2006 she arrived in Sharjah to advise and train museum staff for six months… and fortunately for us she never left...

Topic: Arthropods: Basic Identification - A Personal Journey

Speaker: Kartik Balasubramaniam

Kartik, a cyber security consultant based in Dubai since March 2024, and has been passionate about natural history and citizen science since childhood.
During the pandemic, he began documenting butterflies, moths, and odonates across India, and now extends his work to UAE and Oman.
His presentation will cover arthropod identification techniques, featuring case studies that make butterfly, moth, and odonate identification accessible to novice naturalists.

Topic: A close look at some rare UAE Butterflies

Speaker: Khalid Rafeek

Khalid is an engineer from Kerala. Like many naturalists, his initial interest was in birds, but he gradually turned to butterflies and other insects. He has been loosely involved with the UAE natural history groups since the 1990s, when he worked in Abu Dhabi.
Returning to Dubai after an interval of several years at his farm in Kerala, he renewed his interest in UAE wildlife and now spends most of his free time outdoors, often camping overnight.
In the post-Covid era he has monitored the seasonality, behaviour and breeding of several species of rare butterflies and dragonflies that were previously only poorly known.

Monday, 20 January 2025
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
The Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project: Celebrating 20 years of sea turtle rehabilitation

Lecture by: Barbara Lang-Lenton

Lecture shall be delivered in Hybrid Mode.
You are welcome to attend in-person or via online webinar
Reminder: there is no cost to attend monthly DNHG Lectures

Abstract:
In coordination with the Wildlife Protection Office, Jumeirah established the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) in 2004. The project is multifaceted, aiming to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured and sick sea turtles found in the UAE; educate local children, citizens, and international guests about sea turtle biology and the global plight of the sea turtle; measure the success of rehabilitation efforts; and conduct research through satellite tracking to monitor turtle movements across the region and beyond.

To date, the DTRP – the first initiative of its kind in the region – has successfully treated and returned 2,177 sick and injured sea turtles back into the Arabian Gulf, with annual rescue figures averaging over 100 animals. A total of 87 turtles have been released with satellite trackers. This initiative is supported by Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory.

About the Speaker:

Barbara Lang-Lenton is the Director of Aquarium at Jumeirah Group’s flagship Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, a role she took on in June 2021. Her responsibilities include overseeing aquarium management of the extensive facilities at the iconic hotel, as well as taking the lead on all activities at the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Programme. She guides the team in the process of tending to the rescued sick and injured animals and ensuring a seamless rehabilitation process right up to their release back into the wild. She was also part of the initial DTRP founding team. She is also part of Jumeirah Sustainability Committee and Subject Matter Expert in Biodiversity and Environmental Management for Dubai Holding.
As an environmental and sustainability professional, Barbara holds extensive knowledge and practical experience in environmental planning and impact assessment, terrestrial and marine ecology, sustainability, development of environmental policies, stakeholder consultation, government liaisons and research. The past 18 years in the UAE have seen Barbara help deliver large-scale master planning projects and key flagship developments in the most sustainable manner, while working for both public and private sectors in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Academic & Professional Accreditations include:

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Postgraduate Diploma in Parasitology
Masters in Zoology from the Faculty of Biology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain.
Estidama Pearl Qualified Professional (PCRS, PBRS, PVRS).
PADI Master SCUBA Diver Trainer.

PREVIOUS LECTURES

Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
From a tiny 1.7 hectare Dubai Zoo to a 119 hectare
Dubai Safa Park - an incredible journey

Lecture by: Dr Reza Khan

Abstract:

Today’s topic covers the zoo’s journey from 1967 to 2017, the beginning of the first Arab zoo in Dubai. It was built on an area of 1.7 hectares or 5 acres of sandy barren land in Jumeirah in May 1967. Dubai Zoo was built on the philosophy followed by the western zoos of the 1950s, when all zoos had prevalence of bricks, building blocks and iron bars for housing wild animals.
As the first zoo in the Arabian Peninsula and the only one in Dubai vis-à-vis the UAE, it was not only open to the public for viewing exhibited animals, but also the only centre to receive the confiscated wild animals from all over the country. Thus, animals were forced to live under cramped conditions due to space constraints. As the zoo’s Management Head, I was always keen to have a state-of-the-art modern zoo, a visual barrier free one.
After several preliminary designs and master plan development projects and, with the blessings of HH the Ruler of Dubai, the Municipality embarked on the completely new Dubai Safari Park project in May 2012. It was completed in 2017, accommodating most of the animals and manpower of Dubai Zoo. Its doors opened to the public in December 2017, thus closing the door of the old Dubai Zoo forever in November 2017.

About the speaker:

Dr Reza Khan obtained his MSc in Zoology from Dhaka University in 1970 and his Doctorate degree in Zoology-Ornithology from Bombay University in 1977. For ten years he taught zoology-wildlife biology at Dhaka University and subsequently left the teaching profession to join Al Ain Zoo as its curator of birds and primates.
Dr Khan moved to Dubai Zoo in June 1989 and was Management Head almost until its closure on 5th November 2017. For 41 years he has conducted extensive field research on the wildlife of the UAE and, for many years in Bangladesh and India. In addition to managing Dubai Zoo, his research in his home country and in the UAE resulted in many publications in international wildlife journals and books.
Dr Reza has four books to his name on the flora and fauna of the UAE and over a dozen books in Bengali and English on Bangladesh. On 2nd October 2024, Dr Khan retired from Dubai Safari Park as its principal Wildlife Specialist.

Dr Khan's books relating to the UAE:

Pictorial Guide to the Birds of Dubai
Indigenous trees of the UAE
Wild Cats of the UAE
Dubai Zoo Guidebook

Available in both Arabic & English

Awards received:

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Award for Natural History in 2001
Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation by Bangladesh Government in 2010
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Channel I- Prokriti o Jibon Foundation Bangladesh- 2011
Lifetime Achievement Award for Wildlife Conservation in Bangladesh by the Daily Star, Dhaka. 2016
Lifetime Achievement Award for Biodiversity Conservation in Bangladesh by Taru Pallab and City Bank, Dhaka 2022
Banga Academy Honorary Fellowship in 2023. Dhaka, Bangladesh

Monday, 21 October 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Dwarf bees, Honey bees, and honey:
A journey of beekeeping in the United Arab Emirates
Lecture by: Zahira Nedjraoui & Dr Giulio Russo

Message of Apology:
Our sincere apologies to those who joined via Zoom: there was a misconfiguration that resulted in the wrong screen being displayed during the second lecture.

Abstract:
Home to the Dwarf Asian bee (Apis florea) that many of us have seen at least once, the UAE has a thriving population of Honey bees (Apis mellifera), but what is the reality of beekeeping in this country? Where are all the beehives? And is it not too hot for domestic bees to be here? The hosts will cover these questions as well as provide an introduction
into the multi-sensorial analysis of honey.

About the Speakers:
Zahira Nedjraoui is a senior construction manager at Dubai Holding with advanced degrees in architecture & project management from New York University.

In her 20-year career, she has made notable contributions to high-profile international construction projects. However, Zahira's passion for the environment finds its expression through her pioneering work in Beekeeping. She founded the first and only beekeepers' association in the UAE, a non-profit organisation that focuses on education in sustainable beekeeping. Her outreach initiatives, which include school programmes, beekeeping courses and public workshops, have touched the lives of thousands of adults and children.
Zahira’s focus is on promoting sustainable beekeeping in arid regions, advocating for the use of native, resilient natural resources to support biodiversity and ecological balance. Her influence extends into policy and strategy, as demonstrated through her consultancy role for the "Universal Expo 2020 Dubai"; where she was instrumental in crafting their bee conservation strategy. Zahira's advocacy does not stop at local borders; she is actively involved in global efforts, such as representing Dubai and the UAE in the bid to host the prestigious Apimondia Congress 2027 and hosting the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers (IMYB) in December 2024, in Dubai.

Dr. Giulio Russo graduated from the Veterinary Medicine in 1997 at the University of Parma (Italy) with a dissertation about European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and their synanthropic behaviour.

His career is focused on three fields, i.e. raptors, cats & dogs and exotic animals. However, bees and other insects were his subjects of interest from his high school days as an Agriculture Technician. In Italy, Giulio worked in a wildlife rehabilitation centre and a private practice. In 2005, he moved to the UAE where he was employed in a falcon breeding centre, a private practice, a VIP falcon hospital-cum-training facility and at the Environment & Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah.
Throughout these years bees have been a key subject of interest and professional development. He has been a member of the Italian Veterinary Chamber (FNOVI) since 1997, of SIVAE (the Italian Association of Veterinarians for Exotic Animals) and AAV (Association of Avian Veterinarians) since 1999 and, of EAAV (European Association of Avian Veterinarians) since 2014. Here in the UAE, he managed to turn theory into practice and get in touch with the peculiar and so well-hidden world of beekeeping in extreme weather conditions.
He is not only interested in bees and their biology, but also in their products - honey, wax, pollen, royal jelly, propolis - and their safety for human consumption, in the so-called One Health perspective.

Monday, 23 September 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Whales and dolphins conservation in the UAE – a decade of efforts from public sightings to the OceanX Expedition
Lecture by: Dr Ada Natoli

Recording of Lecture:
Made available with kind permission of Dr Ada Natoli (see embedded video at foot of this entry, else view on DNHG's YouTube channel)

Abstract:
Dr Ada Natoli from Zayed University and founder of the UAE Dolphin Project Initiative will share some fascinating information on these species and the results of over a decade of citizen science data, dedicated coastal surveys, and the recent offshore survey conducted on board of OceanXplorer.

Join us in a “deep dive” into the world of the little-known whales, dolphins and porpoises of the UAE and find out how you can also contribute to the conservation efforts towards the protection of these charismatic species so crucial to the marine ecosystem.

The UAE Dolphin Project is an initiative that runs under Zayed University aiming to gather scientific information to support the conservation of cetaceans. OceanX is a non-profit initiative dedicated to marine conservation that utilises cutting edge technology on board the OceanXplorer, the most advanced marine research vessel.

Photo of Rib vessel with divers and captain, dolphins, and a larger yacht in background

Biography of Speaker:

Dr Ada is a molecular ecologist specialized in conservation genetics of endangered species.
Currently assistant professor at the College of Natural and Health Science at Zayed University (UAE) with a PhD from Durham University, UK on the Molecular Ecology of bottlenose and common dolphins.
30 years of experience in research on whales and dolphins that spans from field surveys to population genetic analysis.
She is the founder and director of the UAE Dolphin Project Initiative aimed to gather scientific information on the cetacean population in UAE and the Gulf using different techniques (citizen sciences, boat-based surveys, acoustic surveys, stranding data, stomach content analysis, genetics) to gather scientific data that can support the formulation of effective conservation measures for the protection of these endangered marine species.
Ada is a member of the IUCN Cetacean Specialist List, the Cetacean Specialist Group Red List Authority, the Committee of Scientific Advisor, Society of Marine Mammalogy, and long-term participant at the International Whaling Commission.

Recording of lecture made available with kind permission of Dr Ada Natoli:

Monday, 2 June 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Astronomy in the UAE: A Journey Through Time and Space
Lecture by Khadijah Ahmad and Sheeraz Awan

Recording of DAG's lecture has been posted to DNHG's YouTube Channel, with kind permission from Khadijah Ahmad (see embedded video below, or click on the above link)

Abstract:
Embark on a captivating exploration of astronomy in the UAE with Khadijah Ahmad and Sheeraz Awan. From ancient celestial observations to cutting-edge space endeavors, we uncover the UAE's rich astronomical heritage and modern advancements.

Join us as we delve into the intriguing history and significant contributions of the UAE to the realm of astronomy. Through engaging narratives and captivating visuals, we showcase the nation's role in shaping our understanding of the cosmos.

Biography of Speakers:

Sheeraz Nazeer Ahmad Awan
General Manager – Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG)

Sheeraz joined Dubai Astronomy Group in 2014 and has been an integral part of the organization ever since. Coming from a training and education industry, Sheeraz played a key role in the development and leading of Dubai Astronomy Group products and workshops.

Since then Dubai Astronomy Group has launched several projects such as astronomy camps, Crash Course Astronomy workshops and has hosted regular stargazing parties and Astro Tourism programs.Currently, along with his team, they have established the Al Thuraya Astronomy Center inside Mushrif Park, and work very closely with the government on several other public projects.

He is renowned in the field of astronomy in the region for his lectures and stargazing activities, his participation in local and regional conferences, and his support of astronomy projects.
Khadijah Hasan Ahmad, Operations
Manager at the Dubai Astronomy Group (DAG)

Khadijah joined DAG in 2016, and has been instrumental in shaping the organization's success. With a background in media, marketing, and event management, she has overseen various events and initiatives.
She has orchestrated numerous successful events and media campaigns, showcasing DAG's commitment to astronomical exploration. Khadijah's strategic vision and managerial prowess have not only ensured the seamless execution of events but also led to strategic partnerships and lucrative deals, driving DAG's growth.
As a passionate advocate for astronomy, Khadijah also serves as a spokesperson for DAG, representing the organization in interviews and collaborations. Her dedication to excellence continues to propel DAG forward, inspiring a new generation of astronomy enthusiastslocally and internationally.

Recording of DAG's lecture shared with kind permission from Khadijah Ahmad:

A video was shown during lecture yet the background sound was not recorded with DNHG lecture.
Below are links to the short videos (with sound) shared by DAG speakers:

From Earth to Multiverse (included in lecture presentation)
Emirates Mars Mission

Monday, 6 May 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Our impact on Climate Change
Lecture by Donna Glasper

Recording of Donna Glasper's talk has been posted to DNHG's YouTube Channel, with kind permission from Donna Glasper (see embedded video below, or click on the above link)

Abstract:
Climate change is a complex problem that affects everyone. However one that we need to improve understanding worldwide and grasp the impact our own personal contributions make.
Let’s accelerate our understanding of the challenge climate change poses. Discuss what adaptions we can make to reduce our impact and to then share the knowledge you posses with others to reach a social tipping point.

Biography of Speaker:

Donna Glasper is a dynamic marketing professional renowned for her unwavering commitment to sustainability and reversing climate change. As the Co-Founder of HeroGo, the UAE's pioneering grocery subscription service, Donna spearheads a movement against food waste by delivering wonky rejected fruit & veggies to doorsteps, revolutionizing the way people think about consumption.
Over two decades of leadership in the Hospitality sector, Donna has left an indelible mark, having built and grown some of the world's most iconic brands, including Hilton and Emirates. Her strategic vision and innovative approach have consistently driven growth and transformation.
Driven by her passion for climate change advocacy, Donna has expanded her impact by launching a marketing consultancy. She is dedicated to supporting impact-driven SMEs and founders on their growth trajectory, leveraging her expertise to drive meaningful change. Additionally, Donna serves as a qualified climate change facilitator for NGO Climate Fresk, further solidifying her status as a thought leader in sustainability and marketing.

Monday, 22 April 2024 << CANCELLED
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
A Social View of Socotra Island
Lecture by Dr. Natasa Slak Valek

Note: this talk was originally scheduled for Monday 22 April 2024 - yet was delayed due to anticipated poor weather conditions in UAE (on 22 April). Alas, again there has been predicted rainfall, and therefore the meeting on 22 April has been cancelled.

Abstract:

Presenting Social Science of Socotra Island. With focus on people indigenous to Socotra, Socotri cultures, heritage and also offers contributions from business, tourism, linguistic, communication, and anthropology.
Considerable academic focus has been given to the natural science of Socotra’s endemic species, biodiversity, and nature in general, social scientific research of the island is very limited. Her book and the talk address the gap between what we know about Socotra social science and how much we still don’t know and needs further research.

Biography of Speaker:
Academic responsibilities include:

Associate Professor in the department of Management at Zayed University in Khalifa City - Abu Dhabi.
Teaching in areas of Management & Business Leadership
Research activities in Tourism Management, Destination Marketing, Sustainability, Gentrification

A Social View of Socotra Island
People, Culture, Heritage
Published 2023

For more information, see
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-99-4358-6

Monday, 4 March 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
A Celebration of the Natural History of the Emirates
Lecture by Dr. John Burt

Recording of Dr John's talk has been posted to DNHG's YouTube Channel, with kind permission from Dr. John Burt (see embedded video below, or click on the above link)

Abstract:
In this lecture Dr. John A. Burt will introduce A Natural History of the Emirates that was recently published by Springer. This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the unique environmental setting of this young nation, and surveys the major ecosystems and the marine and terrestrial organisms occurring across the UAE.

For many people, thoughts of the United Arab Emirates conjure images of ultramodern skyscrapers and rolling sand dunes. However, the Emirates are a rich mosaic of ecosystems and habitats that support surprisingly diverse communities of organisms, and there is growing awareness of the importance of these previously underappreciated natural assets.

The presentation will include

insights on the evolution of the natural history field in the UAE and the genesis of this book
delve into aspects of the physical environment that serve as the stage on which life plays out in our shared nation
brief overview of the book contents, providing the audience with a 'sneak peek' of the amazing breadth and depth of coverage that is available in this fully open-access resource.

Hard-copies of the book will be available for purchase after the event. His book is also available at all Magrudy's bookstores in the UAE.

Biography of Speaker:
Academic responsibilities include:

Associate Professor of Biology and Head of Environmental Studies
Co-Director of the Mubadala Arabian Center for Climate and Environmental Science, New York University, Abu Dhabi

Dr. John A. Burt is a marine biologist at New York University Abu Dhabi. He utilizes the Arabian Gulf, the world's warmest sea, as a 'natural laboratory' to study marine organisms' adaptation to extreme environmental conditions. This research offers insights into the potential effects of future climate change on tropical marine ecosystems.

Burt's work, encompassing corals, reef fishes, mangroves, and seagrasses, spans genomics, molecular ecology, physiology, and ecosystem processes
Published over 130 scholarly articles and book chapters describing the marine environment and ecosystems of the Arabian region. His efforts not only advance scientific understanding but also inform policy, management, and conservation in the region.
Burt holds leadership roles in marine conservation organizations, including the Mideast Coral Reef Society and the International Coral Reef Society. In the UAE, he contributes to the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Sciences and leads a research cluster for the Climate Change Research Network under the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
Recognized for his contributions, Burt received the 2017 "Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Nahayan Award" from the Emirates Natural History Group, and the 2022 "Faculty Research Award" at NYUAD.
As a registered biologist, he consults for regional governments and industries. Burt has long championed for improved understanding and awareness of the amazing environment, ecosystems and organisms of the UAE, and was the editor of the book A Natural History of the Emirates (Springer, 2023), which is fully open-access and freely available online.

This book has been published as PDF with open access:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375185664_A_Natural_History_of_the_Emirates

Note: Open Access allows both text and image content to be readily re-used. Kindly provide attribution in any re-use situations such that the original source is recognised in derived work. Thank you.

Monday, 19 February 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
The impact of Plants (native & non-native) on both the Wildlife & the Environment
Lecture by Ahmed Almansoori

(note: this lecture was rescheduled date due to heavy local rainfall on 12 Feb. and police advising avoidance of unnecessary travel)

Recording of Ahmed's talk has been posted to DNHG's YouTube Channel, with kind permission from Ahmed Almansoori
(see embedded video below, or click on the above link)

Abstract:
Sharing his findings & observations about plants, both native and non-native, and their role related to both wildlife and environmental impacts.

Biography of Speaker:

Ahmed Almansoori is an Emirati who, from a very young age, displayed a great passion for the world of fauna and flora.
Growing up in Dubai he turned his passion into a hobby and focused on observing and researching the crucial role that plants play in the urban landscapes from providing food and shelter to wildlife to reducing the effects of “heat islands”.
Ahmed broadened and continues to broaden his knowledge and expertise through his curiosity and passion for research by reading, experimenting. growing seedlings and meticulously documenting his findings.

Ahmed has recently published a book in Arabic called “Botany in the Arabian peninsula” of his findings.

For more information, see: https://austinmacauley.ae/books/gardening-arabian-peninsula

Photo of book cover “Botany in the Arabian peninsula”, published in Arabic.

Monday, 8 January 2024
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Project REEFrame - Building Coral Reefs to increase Biodiversity
Lecture by Darryl Owen

Recording of Darryl's talk has been posted to DNHG's YouTube Channel, with kind permission from Darryl Owen.
(see embedded video below, or click on the above link)

Abstract:
This presentation describes a multi-year science based project to protect and extend our local coral reef ecosystem.

Project REEFrame is a community project that brings corporate sponsors, community volunteers and our marine conservation experts together to protect, grow and extend the UAE coral reef ecosystems.

- Based in Dibba Al Fujairah, Project REEFrame is a UAE based community programme that brings the public, corporates, schools, universities and the government together to protect and extend our coral reef ecosystems.
- Coral is under serious threat worldwide from rising sea temperatures and acidification, pollution and sedimentation, scientists estimate that if we do not act now, we could lose up to 90% of our coral by 2050.
- Coral reefs are the nurseries of the ocean, without them we could lose 25-35% of all marine species – to put that into perspective, it’s roughly the same biodiversity found in the Amazonian rain forest.

For more information, see:
facebook.com/people/Freestyle-Divers/100063664086274/

Monday, 11 December 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
The Plight of the Mongolian Wild Horse: Reintroducing and Rewilding the Takhi
by Katie Zimmerman

Recording of Katie's talk has been posted to DNHG's YouTube Channel, with kind permission from Katie
(see embedded video below, or click on the above link)

Takhi (pronounced ta-key), Mongolia’s wild horses.

Biography of Speaker:

Katie Zimmerman is a Senior Biologist with Dubai Holding’s The Green Planet where she manages the flora and fauna collections.
She has conducted environmental research across four continents including field work in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest and the steppes of Mongolia.
Her work focuses on the intersectionality of environmental research and behavioral- conservation science. Her multi-national research on diversity and equity in environmental industries has been published in American professional journals.

Monday, 6 November 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Forty Seven Years Landscaping in the the United Arab Emirates by Liz Maley Craig

Recording of talk has been posted to DNHG's YouTube Channel

Biography of Speaker
Liz Maley Craig hails from New Zealand and has been in Dubai since 1977.

Elizabeth Maley-Craig is a horticulturist who studied at Merrist Wood in England and specialised in landscaping, irrigation and propagation. While in London, she was the Chief Propagation officer of the Royal Parks.
Liz started Plantorama on her arrival in Dubai and has been landscaping ever since. She has written two books. One being 'Gardening in the Gulf' which she co-authored with Shirley Kay. She also worked with Channel 33 on a TV show called 'Gardening in the Gulf'. She authored a second book called Indoor & Balcony Plants.
Liz also ran a plant nursery called The Lansdscape Centre on Beach Road until she was obliged to move to Garhoud, where many members of our community will remember a flourishing area of nurseries. Liz has been an excellent source of information on plants on our field trips for many years and was a participant in the 2010 Socotra trip.
She has also led some wonderful trips into wadis.

Monday, 9 October 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Homebound Dreams: A Tale of a Boy's Love for Home and Kite-Flying
- by Mohammed Khaled Al Joohi

Lecture Recording:
Recording has been posted on DNHG's YouTube Channel
(opens new window; our sincere apologies for the poor sound quality of the recording)

Biography of Speaker

Mohammed Al Joohi is an Emirati who was born in the suburbs of Abu Dhabi in the early nineties. He has witnessed the transformation of the city and how it has changed peoples’ life for the better.
Since a very young age, Mohammed used to make and fly kites in the desert of Abu Dhabi. In this talk, he is going to share few memorable snapshots from his life from a cultural perspective and how his family has evolved over the years alongside the beautiful city of Abu Dhabi.

Monday, 18 September 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic: The history of animal collections, where it all started and where we are currently and what the future holds for zoo/animal collections - by Jinesh Shah

Abstract:
Talk about the history of animal collections: from Roman era through to the modern day. The history of how we used to keep animals to how we are keeping animals now will be explained and what the future holds for animal collections.
This talk will be primarily focused on land-based animals like carnivores, primates, birds, reptiles and inverts in of area of the animal kingdom. Marine animals such as cetaceans shall also be discussed. The anti-zoo movement and the welfare considerations will also be discussed.

For animal collections the term "zoo" is not the only word that can be used because there are wildlife parks, rehabilitation centres, and sanctuaries.
Before the 1800s and before the 19th century, there was no such term as a zoo. Animal collections were called menageries.

What makes a good Zoo nowadays? What can we consider as good to within the Zoo community and how does one obtain accreditation from governing bodies such as BIAZA British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums), EAZA(European Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and AZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and how these accreditations have helped to elevate animal welfare and conservation education.

The pet trade and the legal side of keeping animals in captivity will be covered and also which animals are illegal to keep and how the illegal wildlife trade in animals impacts legal animal collections.

Biography of Speaker

Jinesh Shah has worked in the zoo industry/ conservation field for the past 20 years, starting as a volunteer in a wildlife rehabilitation centre in South Africa back in 2003 to my current position as Curator of Primates and Carnivores at Al Ain Zoo. Jinesh has spent his career working around the world in different animal institutes/collections as well as a range of conservation projects. He has a diploma in conservation as well as a BSc in Zoology and Animal management.
In 2014 Jinesh co-founded Freshwater Life Projects, a UK-registered charity focusing on conserving and restoring freshwater ecosystems.
In 2019 Jinesh was hired as a Crisis manager at Borth Wildlife Kingdom, Wales dubbed by the media as Britain's worst zoo to improve animal welfare standards and resolve the violations in their zoo license inspection report. My goal has always been to improve animal welfare standards in captivity, giving the animals under my care the best life possible.

Monday, 5 June 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic: Representation of "Arabs" in Levantine and Mesopotamian Art and Texts in Antiquity

Lecture Recording:
Recording has been posted on DNHG's YouTube Channel
(opens new window; our sincere apologies for the poor sound quality of the recording)

Abstract:

The Arabs were no latecomers in the Levant and Mesopotamia's intertwined histories. The first mention of them under the appears in the Kurkh Stela, in Shalmanezer III's 841 BCE account of the battle of Qarqar on the Orontes, when the Assyrian advance to the Mediterranean was halted (briefly) by all coalition of Central and South Syrian and Levantine kings, from Hamath to Judah.
Sometimes in direct conflict with Assyria, at other times coopted by Mesopotamian powers, Arabs, often ruled by queens and priestesses, appear to have either been gradually integrated into the Assyrian provincial power structure, at others times ruthlessly exterminated when directly threatening imperial interests.
Gradual Arab infiltration into the Levant appears to have taken place for two reasons: camel domestication and the inception of the trans-Arabian trade on the one hand, and a gradual vacuum in the settled regions North and West of the steppes and deserts on the other, at a time when Assyria crushed every Late Hittite and Aramaean state of Syria after 744 BCE.

This presentation attempts to expose what can be known of the early Arabs "out of Arabia" in the eyes of their main beholder, the Assyrian. To do so beyond the tropes, beyond the Mesopotamo-centric world views of order and chaos promoted by Assur, and beyond the stereotypical visions of "the other" as described in kings' annals and on Assyrian paintings and carved slabs.

Biography of Speaker:

Martin Makinson is a French and Australian archaeologist currently working for the Department of Antiquities and Archaeology of the Emirate of Ras al-Khaima. He has studied at both University College London and at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Martin holds two masters and is currently preparing a PhD on "Territories, Cultures, Empires: The Assyrian presence on the Syrian Upper Euphrates, from the Late Bronze Age to the fall of Harran 610 BCE". Martin Makinson has excavated extensively in Syria (in particular at Tell Shioukh Fawqani and Tell Ahmar), in Jordan, Lebanon (he is one of core staff members in charge of publication at Kfarabida, an Early Bronze Age site near Byblos, and has excavated at Sidon), in Iraq (Eridu), Turkey (Zincirli) and in Saudi Arabia and the Sudan.
He has lived for long periods in the region, in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, Lebanon and Libya.

The left side photo below was taken in 2013 in Dumat-Al-Jamal, NW Saudi Arabia

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Monday, 8 May 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic: The fauna of parasitic arthropods in the UAE by Dr. Rolf Schuster

Abstract:

It is estimated that the number of arthropod species vary between 1.1 and 5 Mio and account for more than 80 % of known living animal species. As parasites causing skin lesions, blood loss and being vectors and/or intermediate hosts (for malaria, sleeping sickness, Lyme disease, tick meningoencephalitis and others) many arthropods are of medical and veterinary significance. Other arthropods belong to pests or are venomous. Arthropods also can cause parasite delirium.
Due to the extreme hot climate the spectrum of parasitic arthropods in the UAE is limited but changes in the habitat and introduction of new hosts may increase their significance in the future.

Biography of Speaker:

Graduated as veterinarian from Moscow Veterinary Academy
12 years’ lecturer at the Parasitological Institute of Humboldt-University of Berlin
10 years’ senior lecturer and professor at the Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine of the Free University of Berlin
Research stays in tropical and subtropical Africa and Mongolia
Head of the parasitology department of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, since 2002.

Monday, 15 May 2023
Note: this was an online only (Zoom) repeat of Agniezska's April lecture.
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
From the archaeologist’s diary: Mes Aynak (Afghanistan) – a forgotten city of the Silk Road by
Agniezska Dolatowska

Lecture Recording:
Recording has been posted on DNHG's YouTube Channel
(opens new window)

Monday, 17 April 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
From the archaeologist’s diary: Mes Aynak (Afghanistan) – a forgotten city of the Silk Road by
Agniezska Dolatowska

Abstract:

About 40 km southeast of Kabul, there is a large hill under which the second-largest copper deposit in the world is located. This enormous and relatively easily accessible treasure has tempted people for centuries. It seems that the first traces of metal mining may have come from the Late Bronze Age. However, the extraordinary economic potential of this place was fully exploited between the 1st and 7th centuries AD. During this period, a vast city functioned around the hill as part of the Buddhist Gandhara controlled by the Kushan empire. The city was a cultural meeting point between east and west.
In the years 2011-2015, Agnieszka worked in Mes Aynak as one of the archaeologists of the international team with the aim of discovering the secrets of this extraordinary place. These 4 years she spent at one of the most spectacular archaeological sites were an unforgettable professional and life experience. Some of these experiences will be part of the fabric of her lecture.

Biography of Speaker

Agnieszka is an archaeologist from Poland who has been working in Jazirat Al Hamrah Heritage Village (RAK) since 2016 as part of a project to revitalize the site.
She probably moved several tons of soil from one place to another during her many excavations.

Monday, 6 March 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic: Cool Camels and community

Abstract:

What once was just a hobby, is now a full time business. The first camel riding school in the country is now two years old. It is a project led by Linda Krockenberger, who is on a mission to reshape perceptions around camels and facilitate adventures with a positive human-animal connection at its core.
Linda will take us on an unconventional journey showcasing how the ancient animal still fits into our lives in 2023, while connecting cultures and building a community.

Biography

Linda, 31, came to the UAE for a career in hospitality, and has worked for some of the big bed bunkers like the Atlantis, and Theme Park Destinations, with more than 1 million visitors a year.
After discovering the desert with her Jeep, she was looking for a more slow and quiet mode of transportation, and participated in a 650km camel trek with the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center. This was a life changing experience which led Linda to explore the world of camels more, eventually opening a riding center in 2021.

Monday, 6 February 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
"The cultural, physiological and psychological aspects of ultra-running through the Sahara Desert"
Speaker: Harry George

Recording of Talk: (yet to be published on DNHG's YouTube channel)

Abstract:

Be careful what you read! Browsing an in-flight magazine many years ago about a world-famous ultra-marathon called the Marathon des Sables that takes place in Morocco left Harry intrigued by what it would take to complete something so audacious.
Having subsequently been infected with the running bug, Harry has now completed several ultra-marathons with the intention of entering the Marathon des Sables in April 2023. Join Harry from a comfortable seat to delve into the mind of an ultra runner. Discover what it takes to wake up at 0300 to put your running shoes on, to run during the Middle Eastern summer, how to continually run for over 14 hours with an 8-kilogram backpack and, learn about the changes and adaptations that the body undergoes to sustain long periods of stressful endurance. Most importantly you will also discover the 'why'!!
Images and stories from a recently completed race in the Sahara desert in Morocco will also be shared.

Biography of Speaker:

Harry George is currently working as the Environmental Services Manager at Fugro, a geo-data acquisition company. Harry’s primary responsibilities include the thorough study of the marine environment surrounding the Arabian Peninsula to support private and governmental energy and infrastructure developers obtain regulatory approval to commence project development.
When Harry is not working, he enjoys cooking Italian cuisine and participates in outdoor adventures such as running ultra-marathons across deserts to burn off the aforementioned calorie intake.

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Monday, 16 January 2023
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
"An Unstable Equilibrium at Dubai Creek"
by Todd Reisz

Abstract: When looking out over Dubai Creek and its choreography of the surviving abras, one might easily believe that the barnacled edges frame the city’s “natural harbor.” In reality, the waterway was once the city’s most daring piece of design and infrastructure. With references to his recent book Showpiece City: How Architecture Made Dubai, architect and writer Todd Reisz will consider the biography of a waterway often referred to as the “heart of Dubai.”

Podcast:
https://www.jadaliyya.com/Details/42649

Biography of Speaker:

Todd Reisz is an architect and writer. His book Showpiece City: How Architecture Made Dubai (Stanford University Press, 2020) explores architecture’s packaging to sell Dubai on a global stage.
Todd has also co-edited and co-authored Building Sharjah with Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi (Birkhäuser, 2021). The photo-essay Off Centre / On Stage: Dubai Scenes from the 1970s (Khatt, 2021) was published in 2021 on the occasion of an exhibition at Jameel Arts Centre, Dubai.
Todd has taught architecture and urban design at Yale University and Harvard University. He lives in Amsterdam.

Below photograph: Travelers steered by abra boatmen across Dubai Creek, May 1960. Detail from photograph taken by John R. Harris during his second visit to Dubai. Courtesy John R. Harris Library.

Wednesday, 7 December 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
"All about flies - Diptera, their life histories, and families found in the UAE"
by Dr. Brigitte Howarth

Abstract:
This presentation will highlight some of the interesting life histories, culminating in a discussion of the families found in the UAE.

The insect order named 'Diptera', or flies, derives its Latin order name from the adult stage of the organism that, unlike many other winged insects, has two (di-) wings (ptera).
While most encounters with flies in our daily lives may be with a handful of species, this group of organism is the second most diverse order, only surpassed by beetles. This means there are thousands of species of flies of all shapes and sizes with a range of different and fascinating life histories.

Biography of Speaker:

Currently director of Institutional Effectiveness at the American University in Dubai, Dr. Brigitte Howarth is responsible for overseeing the university’s institutional effectiveness initiatives.
She provides leadership in developing the institutional research, planning, assessment, and accreditation protocols for the university and serves as the liaison with national and international accrediting bodies.
By training Brigitte is an ecologist with extensive experience in desert ecology and an active research agenda in ecology, entomology, environmental history, and conservation. Her first degree was in Applied Ecology, and her Ph.D. in ecological entomology. Her hobbies echo her research interests with a passion for all forms of life, and what they require to survive.
Brigitte is Chair of the Al Ain Chapter of the Emirates Natural History Group, Al Ain. She joined the ENHG shortly after arriving in the UAE in 1998 where she has served in many different capacities over the years.
In addition to her current tenure as chair, she is also the curator and custodian of the ENHG's entomological collection. Contributors to the collection date back to the origins of the ENHG, including many specimen collected by the founder of the ENHG, Bish Brown.

Monday, 14 November 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic: Special private showing the film “Songs of the Water Spirits”.

Location: Emirates Academy of Hospitality

Attendees must be seated by 7:30pm
Event Start Time 7:40 pm
Note: this is earlier that usual start time of 8pm

An award-winning environmental film produced by Allegria Films and directed by Nicolo Bongiorno. To contact Nicolo Bongiorno and ask questions about the documentary he can be contacted n the following email - [email protected].

Film addresses the issue of global climate change, with a special focus on the Ladakh region of northern India.
Featured at Expo 2020.
Brief live (remote) interview with the director will take place before we show the film.

Note: This film-showing event is in-person only. There shall be no remote attendance for this talk via Zoom.

Private screening of the film “Songs of the Water Spirits” which is an award-winning environmental film produced by Allegria Films and directed by Nicolo Bongiorno. The film addresses the issue of global climate change, with a special focus on the Ladakh region of northern India. This film was featured at Dubai Expo 2020.

Monday, 17 October 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic: Canine Conservationists by Angie Raab

Abstract: Angie Raab will talk about her travels, embedded with ranger units in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mali where the first seeds were planted to work with K9s in the field of conservation.

Poaching is a worldwide problem - wether its the UAE, Africa, Asia, USA.
Angie will touch on something positive at the end: how the dog's nose can help track live animals and scat - and to use this skill to help monitor, observe and learn about species.
Once a small team, she started up a grassroots non profit, which supported different projects and was fortunate to be able to help and train with units in Kruger National Park and Kwa- ZuluNatal.
Angie will talk about her work with the African Parks K9 unit in Odzala, Kokoua National Park, the hardships of training dogs in the rain forest in hot as well as humid but also extremely wild environments with no high tech equipment.
Loneliness that does come with the job in general. Mistakes that are made at times. The importance of the bond between dog and handler is very important.
Angie will also discuss why we should look into utilizing a dog’s nose a lot more at airports, ports and borders to save what’s left of our wildlife worldwide. Unfortunately the illegal trade in wildlife products is on the rise, now more than ever.

Biography of Speaker :
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience & the passion, to reach for the stars, to change the world.” – Harriett Tubman

A helicopter pilot turned storyteller, turned conservation photographer, turned dog handler - that is Angie Raab in a nutshell.
Angie followed her passion of Africa and all things wild by packing up her camera, getting on an airplane and experiencing what everyone warned her about. Africa does get into your blood and once it has, it does not let go of you anymore.
She stayed on this stunning continent to go after her dream of being the change she wished to see in this world and do her little bit by using her camera to tell stories- stories of bravery, passion and wonder, stories of the people on the ground, protecting some of the world’s last truly wild places.
Over the years she not only embedded with ranger units all over the continent but also founded a small non profit, partnering with a zoo in Germany, to support the boots on the ground where needed (from rhino dehornings to K9 training and breeding projects, rewilding some of our endangered species), until she became one of them.
During the onslaught of Covid-19, Angie started training as a multipurpose dog handler and ended up in the field of rhino protection and detection dog training to curb wildlife trafficking.
Up until today Angie has been continuously supporting conservation through consulting reserves and other entities in the field as well as building K9 units more often than not venturing out of her comfort zone, whether its in the rain forests of Congo, Expo 2020 in UAE or Southern Africa, where her heart belongs. whether it is the bush, the desert or the ocean.
Angie have been working for African Parks Network and with Chengeta Wildlife, Boots on the Ground, Global Conservation Force, Wesley Visser- Scent Imprint Dogs, Gaven Holden Smith- Tracking & Conservation K9, Clinton Cillier's Tactical K9 Africa, Project Rhino K9, Sibuya Game Reserve, Dinokeng Game Reserve to name a few.

For more information, see:

https://www.intothewylde.net
https://youtu.be/sR4qdFpBHPM

Monday, 26 September 2022

Lecture Speaker & Topic - My Evolution as Filmmaker to a Naturalist

Abstract: Yusuf Thakur is a filmmaker based in the United Arab Emirates. Yusuf is a qualified Filmmaker, with a degree in Film Direction, he has been producing Wildlife/Nature Documentaries for the last twenty years. He heads Visual Effect & Productions – VFX. He will be sharing journey as a filmmaker to a naturalist with us and share some of of his works and experiences with us during his presentation.

Biography of Speaker :
As wildlife filmmaker, Yusuf Thakur brings to his work a rare passion for the environment and wildlife. The international awards received for the films made on the wildlife of the region have brought into focus its natural beauty. The sensitivity, patience and complete knowledge of the technical aspects of filmmaking, stems from a passion to appreciate and preserve the planet’s riches. After working for a decade, he started VFX and by continually reinvesting in people and equipment, VFX has grown while maintaining the original philosophy – “the best people, the best equipment.”

(VFX) Visual Effects & Productions is a 19 year old company based in Dubai.

Till date Yusuf has produced over 50 short and long form Wildlife/Nature documentaries, which he has shot, edited, and directed.

He has to his credit the following Wildlife Film awards:

International Wildlife Film Festival, U.S.A (Merit Award for Biological Info)
Jackson Hole Film Festival, U.S.A ( Finalist )
Charleston International Film Festival, U.S.A. ( Finalist )
Earthvision , Japan( Finalist )

Multiple Award Nomination at Broadcast Pro for over 10 Years since 2010

Yusuf has been filming wildlife in the Middle East since 1993, since 2003 on HD, and in 4Kfrom 2008 on the Redone and thus has one of the most extensive wildlife footage libraries, both topside and underwater, in the region.
Subjects covered our both topside and underwater, including but not limited to birds (practically all the breeding species of the Gulf), in habitats from mangroves, deserts, mountains, and islands.
It is extremely difficult for us to get funding for any of our work here.

Below is a short list of some of our films, these have been produced with limited budgets but the quality of work we feel is on par with best.

Raising A Family-Sooty Falcon
Jewel of the Mangroves
Endangered Dugong
Home of the Legendary Mermaid
Tracking Mermaid
Bloodbath
Kilimanjaro’s Elephants
Raising A Family - Kestrel

Below please find the links to most of the films presented, during Yusuf Thakur's talk

Monday, 20 June 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
From Earth to Mars: Parallels between neighbouring planets

Abstract:

While Earth is rich with water and teeming with life, Mars may seem like a cold, stagnant rock in comparison. But rocks record history, and closer inspection of Mars’ surface tell stories of dramatic lava flows and dried-up seas.
Although Mars might not have erupting volcanoes and surface oceans today, the planet is still geologically active. With wind blowing across its surface, “Marsquakes” shaking the ground, and seasonal storms, Mars is a dynamic desert full of its own beauty.
Many elements of the Martian landscape remind us of our home. Through fields of sand dunes, dry cracked ground, and imposing extinct volcanoes, Mars paints some familiar pictures. Indeed, one of the best ways to study our neighbouring planet from afar is to get up close to environments on Earth. Through terrestrial analogue studies, we’re better able to study the past, and the present, states of Mars through a modern lens.

Biography of Speaker :

Elise Harrinton is a research associate at the Space and Planetary Science Centre at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi. She holds an MSc in Geology from Western University, Canada for her research in radar satellite remote sensing.
Her research has taken her across the inner solar system, studying mountains on Venus, salt domes on Earth, an impact basin on the far side of the Moon, ancient lakes on Mars, and minerals in rare meteorites.
She has also worked with astronauts, supporting training programs at the European Space Agency. Outside of work, she enjoys engaging in public outreach, travelling, and trying new foods.

Monday, 16 May 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic - Our Oceans: Balancing the beauty and the benefits

Abstract: Kathleen Swalling's talk will cover topics concerning the safe keeping of the ocean surrounding the UAE, safe activities around turtles, waste disposal, safe snorkeling, reporting of exotic species and citizen science.

Biography of Speaker : Kathleen Swalling is the Maritime Law and Strategy Advisor Managing Director of Nature Based Solutions LLC

Kathleen Swalling is the Maritime Law and Strategy Advisor Managing Director of Nature Based Solutions LLC. She began her career as a fisheries and environmental prosecutor for the Attorney-General’s Department in South Australia in 1990. She undertook several key roles to shape the management of Australia’s ocean resources including advising the Federal Government on their Oceans Policy and Regional Marine Planning at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security and as Senior Legal Advisor to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Kathleen Swalling advises governments, private sector, universities, and NGOs. Her clients include: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, National Centre for Environmental Compliance, KAUST university, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, Hatfields Group (Indonesia) and Minderoo Foundation.
Recently, Kathleen completed an extensive review of the international and national legal framework governing Saudi Arabia and its ability to balance development with preservation of the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea marine and coastal environment. Prior to this she conducted a review of the governance and regulatory framework for fisheries in the UAE, KSA and Oman. Kathleen specialises in developing world first or new programs relating to oceans, marine protected areas, islands, climate change and energy in complex multiple jurisdiction environments.
She considers herself a global citizen. She holds Australian and British citizenship and UAE residency. Since 2009 she has lived between Europe and the Middle East and prior to this she lived in Australia and New Zealand. She is fluent in English and has intermediate capability in French. Kathleen is a sailor and scientific diver and has created award winning documentaries about the Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe Island, working with French and German television. She also held the position as the Chair and Co-President for Filmmakers for Conservation.

Sunday, 3 April 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic
Snow Leopards: the ambassadors of the Mountains of Central & South Asia by Dr. Koustubh Sharma

Lecture Recording:
Recording has been posted on DNHG's YouTube Channel
(opens new window)

Biography of Speaker : Dr Koustubh Sharma

Dr. Koustubh Sharma has been involved in active research and conservation since 2001. He has been working with the Snow Leopard Trust, Seattle, USA since 2007, and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Conservation Policy and Partnerships. Since 2014, he also serves as the International Coordinator of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystems Protection Program (GSLEP) whose secretariat is based in Bishkek.
At the GSLEP Program, Koustubh works with a small team with support from international organizations to coordinate this unique alliance that brings together governments of the 12 snow leopard range countries, Non-Government Organizations and Conservationists. At the Snow Leopard Trust, he assists in implementing research, conservation, training and building collaborations across several countries.
Dr. Koustubh obtained a PhD in Wildlife Zoology from the University of Mumbai in 2006 after pursuing his Masters in Physics in 2001. His conducted the first detailed study of the rare four-horned antelope while working with Bombay Natural History Society in Central India for his PhD.
Koustubh’s academic interests lie in population ecology, conservation biology, policy, data visualization, and technology for conservation. He has so far authored about 40 scientific publications and has presented his work in nearly the same number of international conferences.

Sunday, 6 March 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic
The Palaeolithic record of the Central Region in Sharjah

Author and Presenter:
Dr. Knut Bretzke, University of Tübingen (Germany)

Abstract:
In this presentation Dr Bretzke will summarise my ongoing research on the Stone Age of Southeast Arabia. He will focus on the field work conducted within the joint project between the Sharjah Archaeology Authority and the University of Tübingen in the Central Region of Sharjah. This presentation will provide an overview of the sites and assemblages that under ongoing investigation for the past decade and will briefly discuss paleo-environmental factors that are thought to have influenced human occupation of Southeast Arabia in early prehistoric periods.

Biography of Speaker: Dr. Knut Bretzke
Dr. Knut Bretzke is an archaeologist with expertise in the Stone Age of Southwest Asia. He earned his PhD from the University of Tübingen in Germany with a dissertation about the Palaeolithic in Western Syria. After he gained first experience in Sharjah as team member of Prof. Hans-Peter Uerpmann between 2005 and 2010, Dr. Knut Bretzke became the head of the German Archaeological Mission to Sharjah in 2012. Since then, he conducted several fieldwork projects in collaboration with the Sharjah Archaeology Authority and international and interdisciplinary teams. The main goals of Dr. Bretzke’s research in southern Arabia are the filling of gaps in the Palaeolithic record and a better understanding of the evolution of the human-environment relationship in arid regions.

Sunday, 6 February 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic
UAE during WW2: incidents and accidents by Ali Iqbal

Talk's Synopsis:
Ali Iqbal will be speaking about Air & Maritime accidents and incidents that occurred during WW2 in this region, including the Luigi Galvani submarine incident. During WW2 there were incidents involving German U-boats and Japanese submarines too.

Kindly note that DNHG monthly talks continue to take place on first Sunday of month.
Due to ongoing C19 pandemic our monthly lectures continue to be delivered on-line only.

Biography of Speaker : Ali Iqbal

Ali Iqbal is a 38 year old independent researcher and Dubai resident of 33 years. With a passion for the History of the UAE, over the past few years he has carried out extensive research that has led to some fascinating discoveries of the history of the second world war and the region.
Through this research he has been able to identify and publish previously forgotten stories behind crashed aircraft, lost crew members and sunken submarines among other things.
His research has been published in several UAE publication such as The National Newspaper, Academic Journal: Tribulus and books. He has held presentations for The British Embassy in Dubai, The Sharjah Museums Authority among other establishments.

"My research is ongoing and I am continuing to discover more and more to contribute to the fascinating history of this beautiful country. In addition to my passion for history, I like to spend my time outdoors, either fishing off the coast of Dubai or horse riding in the desert." - Ali Iqbal

The National newspaper article:
The untold story of an Italian Second World War submarine sunk off the UAE coast

Follow the speaker on Twitter: @Chipkalis
Email:[email protected]

Additional information related to this talk:

Sunday, 9 January 2022
Lecture Speaker & Topic
Tiger Conservation: The Art of the Possible by Dr Sanjay Gubbi

Lecture Recording:
Recording has been posted on DNHG's YouTube Channel

Biography of Speaker : Dr Sanjay Gubbi

Dr Sanjay Gubbi is a leading wildlife biologist and conservationist from southern India with very notable contributions to the preservation of wildlife. Gubbi bridges a strong understanding of the socio-economic and political aspects of conservation with its scientific bases. With over 35 peer-reviewed scientific publications he relentlessly works with the Government, political leaders, social and religious leaders, local communities, media personnel and others to bring about crucial changes for wildlife conservation.
He writes extensively both in English and Kannada and is especially keen on popularising wildlife conservation in local languages. His latest book Leopard Diaries: The Rosette in India is based on his extensive work on leopards. His other books include Second Nature: Saving Tiger Landscapes in the Twenty-First Century, Land of the Honey Badger, Shaalege Banda Chirate Matthu Ithara Kathegalu, Vanyajeevigala Jaadu Hididu, and Vanyajeevigala Ramyaloka.
Gubbi was awarded the prestigious Whitley Award aka Green Oscar in 2017, The Co-existence Award in 2019, Carl Zeiss Conservation Award in 2011 and many others. He received the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship in 2020.

Additional information

The Whitley Award 2017 bestowed upon Sanjay Gubbi -- brief video narrated by Sir David Attenborough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzgzlqJH18 (3min video on YouTube)
Sanjay's author profile https://www.conservationindia.org/author/sanjaygubbi

6+7 December 2021
Topic: A Celebration of the Natural History of the Emirates

Not just one lecture! Instead, we shall be celebrating UAE's 50th Anniversary with a series of lectures (over a couple of days) as part of National Day celebration of UAE natural history. This shall be delivered in partnership with NYU-AD.
Special thanks to John Burt - Associate Professor of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology & Water Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi.

Talk Synopsis
The Emirates contain far more than the glittering skyscrapers and rolling sand dunes that we commonly see in the media. Our young nation is made up of a rich mosaic of habitats and ecosystems that support surprisingly diverse communities of organisms. See agenda below.

A Celebration of the Natural History of the Emirates is a 2-evening online event that will provide an overview of the unique environmental setting of the UAE, and will survey the major ecosystems and organisms that occur across our land and seascapes.
Using a combination of short 10 minute ‘flash talks’ and discussion panels, the event seeks to engage the public in a renewed appreciation for the Emirates’ natural history as we celebrate the UAE’s 50th anniversary.

Timings: 18:00 to 20:30 each evening
Format: Online Zoom Webinar
Registration: Online registration via NYU-AD Events page : link

This series of talks shall replace the DNHG December Lecture that would have taken place on first Sunday of month.

Sunday, 7 November 2021
Lecture Speaker & Topic
Dr Dave Aplin shall present an illustrated talk titled "Surviving - ingenious strategies without legs"

Talk Synopsis
The inability to relocate when the going gets tough could be seen as a major disadvantage. Plants tackle this by adopting ingenious strategies to survive. This presentation investigates this fascinating subject with focus on the UAE's native flora.

Webinar Registration: Registration has closed.
FYI: This talk received the most public guest attendees of any lecture so far this year!

Recording of talk: shared on DNHG's YouTube channel
(opens new window; also see links below this section of biography for additional information)

Biography of Speaker : Dr Dave Aplin

Dave began his love of plants at the age of ten, growing and exhibiting dahlias. Despite leaving school before his 16th birthday, he achieved a National Certificate in horticulture, First Class degree in botany and a PhD in plant ecology.
His entire career has spanned both horticulture and botany and included: developing and featuring in the BBC's Victorian Flower Garden series; Curator of the National Botanic Garden of Belgium; consultant at the Royal Botanic Garden Jordan; and Senior Executive of Sharjah Botanic Garden, that sadly failed to break ground. He was also Acting Director of Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium.
Dave is happiest with his hands in soil, telling people about plants and seeing plants in their native environments. He was fortunate to extend the range of a few UAE species during his time in the country. He now lives in West Dorset, UK, where he developed a bespoke soil testing company (www.soilvalues.com) during the pandemic, but always has an eye open for opportunities.

Additional information
https://www.soilvalues.com/post/uae-botany

Recording of talk - shared with permission of Dr Dave Aplin

Sunday, 10 October 2021
Lecture Speaker & Topic
Kleopatra Alamantariotou & Eirini Matsouki shall present an illustrated talk Biomimicry: How nature inspires design

Recording of talk: shared on DNHG's YouTube channel
(opens new window)

Talk Synopsis
How mimicking the shapes and mechanisms that already exist in nature, and replicating them in the built environment can provide innovative solutions. Solutions ranging from product design such as Velcro, to sustainable solutions, and to iconic designs such as the Burj Khalifa. Learn about how nature manages waste and how it can inform a model for a circular economy.

Biography of Speaker : Kleopatra Alamantariotou:

Kleopatra Alamantariotou is Founder and CEO of Biomimicry Greece Research and Innovation Center, with active affiliate members spanning 22 countries (via Singularity University). In 2021, Kleopatra founded the Biomimicry for Humanity, a movement for a better world.
Since 2016 she has been a global leader of NASA space in collaboration with ‘Open NASA’ innovation center. In 2017 the European Space agency accepted her for training in space. Kelopatra is a co-founder of the Greek New Space Society.
She studied Midwifery in Athens Greece, and received MSc Midwifery from Middlesex University in 2007. Completed a further Master's degree from City University London in Health Informatics in 2008.
Member of the National Management Committee of European programs (COST EU - Brussels European Cooperation in Science and Technology) for more than 8 years. Received has received many scholarships and prizes, including HULT prize Greece 2nd winner 2015, Ecopolis prize 2017. She actively participates in educational programmes at Bocconi University Milan Italy, Trinity College Dublin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of MGG.
Prior roles as Chief Executive of health Innovation and quality improvement of Larisa University Hospital in Greece, and as health professional at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital in London, and also at the American Hospital in Dubai.

Biography of Speaker : Eirini Matsouki

Eirini Matsouki is a qualified architect and an award-winning industry professional with extensive technical experience in sustainability. Her world-class expertise, from developing suitable sustainability strategies, to incorporating these strategies into projects and achieving target results, was a catalyst for her winning the UK Building Magazine’s award as one of the "Top 50 Sustainability Stars 2015".
Eirini is a partner in Ranseur Consulting, a Dubai based consultancy providing exceptional advisory services in relation to Construction & Real Estate.
Sample completed projects that are internationally renowned for their excellence in sustainability and environmental design: London 2012 Olympic's Legacy Facilities in London, KAIA Airport in Jeddah, the Cultural Centre in Athens (first LEED Platinum in Greece), the Mobility Pavilion and the Metro Extension in Dubai.
Eirini has been volunteering with schools. She passionately mentors children at schools in London and in Dubai. She is a guest lecturer at University College London and with the Heriot Watt University in Dubai. She is often invited to speak at conferences or to serve as expert panelist.

Additional information

Playful use of energy sources www.weforum.org/videos/23930-this-playground-uses-algae-to-clean-the-air
BBC World Service (podcast): "30 Animals that made us smarter" https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttw7

Sunday, 12 September 2021
Lecture Speaker & Topic:
Dr. Kay Van Damme - "Biodiversity richness and conservation challenges in the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen)"

Recording of talk: shared on DNHG's YouTube channel
(also see embedded link below this section of biography + additional information)

Biography

Dr. Kay Van Damme is a Belgian freshwater zoologist affiliated with Ghent University (Flanders, Belgium) and Mendel University (Czech Republic), active in biological/biodiversity research and nature conservation in predominantly (sub)tropical areas and with a long experience in the Arabian Peninsula. He has been involved in scientific research and biodiversity conservation in the Socotra Archipelago UNESCO World Heritage Site (Yemen) since 1999, a place which he has visited nearly every year since. He is the Chairperson of the Friends of Socotra Association, in addition to being a member of the IUCN WCPA, and co-coordinator of the ongoing Frankincense Tree (Boswellia) conservation and replantation project on Socotra, working closely with local communities in Socotra.
Co-author of over 80 academic publications, and he coordinated the scientific aspects of awareness campaigns (connect2socotra, on the importance of biodiversity in Socotra and the challenges, in cooperation with UNESCO), large projects (scientific coordinator of Phase 1 of the UNEP-GEF project in Socotra) and books about the Natural History of Socotra. His scientific background is linked to taxonomy and systematics of freshwater zooplankton (cladocerans, including important model systems) and in extension he has investigated freshwater environments in Socotra, discovering and describing a range of new species.
Ongoing work is focused on general nature conservation and awareness, freshwater biodiversity, and on replantation and research of the endangered endemic trees in Socotra that are crucial to local communities. His work is on the crossroads between cutting-edge science, international collaborations and biodiversity conservation, in order to bridge basic science and protection of nature closer together.

Additional information

Recording of talk - shared with permission from Dr Kay van Damme

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Sunday, 6 June 2021
Lecture Title: Al Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre and other EPAA Conservation projects on the East Coast

Biography: Christian Wilson

Operations Manager of the Hefaiyah Mountain Conservation Centre in Kalba,
Professional Gamekeeper, FGASA Field Guide and Conservationist.

Sunday, 2 May 2021
Lecture Title - "The Giant, the Damsel and the Slender Scotch Burnet"
This talk will introduce the audience to a select sampling of the wonderful natural history of the Isle of Mull, one of Scotland’s larger inner Hebridean islands. It will connect Mull to the north of Ireland using Tertiary geology before concentrating on just one of a small, eclective cluster of flashy burnet moths whose UK distributions are concentrated on the north west coast of Scotland.

Biography of Speaker: Oscar Campbell

Oscar began birdwatching from a bicycle on the shores of Lough Neagh, Ireland at age 10. He still does so on visits back home but nowadays birding involves pounding sites in and around Abu Dhabi and (Covid-permitting) further afield across the UAE and (well) beyond. Although birds were (and still are) his primary interest, he also knows a little bit about bugs and flora, especially in the UK, where he lived until moving to the UAE in August 2006. Prior to this, he lived in Scotland for six years, where as part of an MSc, he spent six weeks on the Isle of Mull studying the ecology of a rare burnet moth. Currently, he teaches Chemistry at a school in Abu Dhabi, although he tries to keep this a strictly a part-time hobby compared to his ornithological career…
Oscar has been Chairman of the Emirates Bird Records Committee since September 2010. He is a regular contributor to various ornithological publications and has been working with Gary Feulner, Binish Roobas and others for some years on a new butterfly guide to the UAE, to be published in 2021. He enjoys taking photographs and making sound-recordings of birds and he has large collections of both archived online. As well as wild places, books on science and history and strenuous exercise, he also enjoys rock music at a rather louder volume than his wife generally is prepared to accept.

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Sunday, 11 April 2021
(Was originally scheduled for 4 April but due to holidays has been rescheduled to later date)
Lecture Title - “Saving our Species program: a governmental conservation initiative to secure the future of New South Wales biodiversity; cases from the Hunter Central Coast region”

Biography - Christophe Tourenq

Christophe has enjoyed over 25 years of experience in the successful delivery of environmental conservation and management projects spanning across Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia, in challenging social and natural environments.
During his10 years in the UAE, he worked as a wildlife biologist for the Environmental Agency of Abu Dhabi for the conservation and management of terrestrial ecosystems, and subsequently joined the Emirates Nature-WWF to manage the project of the creation of the Wadi Wurayah National Park in the Fujairah emirate, in partnership with the local government.
For family reasons, Christophe moved to Australia in 2011 and took the position of the management of Banrock Station Ramsar Wetland in South Australia. In 2019 he joined the Department of Planning Industry and Environment of New South Wales as a project officer in the Ecosystems and Threatened Species team of the Hunter Central Coast region to implement the "Saving our Species program" with the support of volunteers, scientists, businesses and community groups to secure the future of Australia’s unique plants and animals (https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/threatened-species/saving-our-species-program).
Chrisophe's main objects of attention at the moment are shorebirds, orchids and several flora species.

Images left to right - Christoph Tourenq, Eastern pygmy possum (Cercartetus nanus), Grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)

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The following presentation by David Darell-Lambert was recorded (above)

Sunday, 7 March 2021
Lecture Title - “Yanbu a hidden migration magnet”

Biography of Speaker: David Darell-Lambert

At the age of nine he was taken on school outing to a RSPB reserve. Noisily waiting in a hide a Kingfisher dashed past and started my passion for birds. Since then I have travelled all over Britain looking at birds and I have also visited Saudi Arabia, Canada, Tunisia, St. Lucia, Egypt and Italy to name a few. Recently developing a huge pass for the Middle East.
Since 1988 he has undertaken a variety of bird surveys in urban parks, coastal sites and health lands, covering nocturnal species, winter wildfowl counts, high tide roosts and breeding populations.
In 1991, he began illustrating the London Bird Report and then became a local bird recorder for six years. Since the mid 1990s I have led groups of birdwatchers around various parts of United Kingdom with groups ranging from four to eighty people.
David expanded his identification skills to include butterflies and dragonflies, which adds to my strong knowledge of British wildlife. I was the chair of the Ornithological Section of the London Natural History Society for ten years plus a trustee. Photography plays a large part of my interest and my photographs have been published in a number of specialist journals. Now sound recordings have become fascinating area and can be listened to from Xeno Canto or Soundcloud. Currently uploading up records, photo and sound recordings to eBird.
Samples of his media work: he has appeared on Sky News, BBC New (including various local channels), ITV's Carlton Country, Radio 4's Questions Questions, Thames News and made appearances in Lost In London, The Telegraph and a documentary The Queen's Garden.

Picture below: 2018 09 David recording on Yanbu, Saudi Arabia_DDL Sound

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This presentation by Dr Ali El-Keblawy has been recorded in three parts (above)

Sunday, 7 February 2021
Lecture Title - “Plant diversity in the UAE: challenges and conservation”
Biography - Ali El-Keblawy is a Professor of Plant Ecology, Department of Applied Ecology, College of Science. He established Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium, where he collected much of the UAE's plant genetic resources. Prof El-Keblawy is a leading scientist in the field of the desert ecology. During his work in the UAE deserts in the last 22 years, Dr. El-Keblawy published around 200 papers about the ecology of native plants in international journals and proceedings of conferences. The work of Prof El-Keblawy covered several research areas, such as the biology and management of invasive plants, rangeland management, combating desertification, domesticating native plants for landscaping cities and highways, and as cash crops for the production as food, biofuel, and biochars. He is on the editorial board of several international journals, three of them with high impact factors. Most of the work of Prof. El-Keblawy is about studying the propagation of native plants.

Sunday, 10 January 2021 
Lecture Title - "Wild encounters in the high Himalaya

Dr. Yash Bhatnagar will present us with some of his fascinating encounters with wildlife (and people) over the three decades of work across different parts of the Himalaya. "

Biography

Dr. Yash Veer Bhatnagar completed his PhD on Ibex ecology in the mid 1990’s and since then has been engaged in ecological research and conservation in the Asian mountains. He has led and participated in numerous research projects that include exploratory surveys, species ecology studies and understanding conservation threats, with a focus on snow leopard and other high-altitude wildlife.
A strong believer in participatory conservation, he has been part of numerous initiatives with communities, and has further expanded this to include all stakeholders that influence wildlife conservation in the mountains of Asia. Since about 2000, he is using these learnings to scale up such initiatives to large landscapes.
An important tool for this is to develop participatory, landscape level long-term management plans with thorough involvement of the government and local community. Among his primary achievements was leading a joint team of researchers and foresters to develop a national strategy for snow leopard conservation, the Project Snow Leopard, and subsequently, a management plan for a large landscape in Himachal Pradesh. He further ensured in its effective implementation that includes cooperation, coordination and convergence among conservation agencies, local communities and government departments to plan and carry out the necessary work.
He has worked in different capacities in India’s premier institute, the Wildlife Institute of India for about 15 years and from 2003 to 2019 in the Snow Leopard Trust and Nature Conservation Foundation. Between 2015 and 2019 he additionally led the Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program’s initiative to develop and implement integrated, climate smart landscape-level plans of snow leopard landscape in all the 12 range countries. Since January 2020, he is developing an independent program in NCF to continue work in the Himalaya.
He has over 45 peer reviewed publications and numerous other reports, conference papers and popular articles to his credit.

Picture labels below from left to right and top to bottom:-

Radio Collared Ibex Male - 1993 - Part of Dr. Yash Bhatnager Phd Study
Ladakh Urrial endemic to Ladakh Munib Khanyari
Kiang Tsokar implicated for conflicts by local nomads
Gechang Bunker
Dr. Bhatnagar in North Sikkim
Yash Veer Bhatnagar by Steve Sparrow
Snow Leopard Spiti Camera trap NCF

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Sunday, 13 December 2020 
Lecture Title - "Falcons and falconry. Path from tradition to modern applications"

Biography - Dr. Panagiotis Azmanis

Dr Panagiotis Azmanis was born in Thessaloniki/Greece and he completed his veterinary studies in 2006 at Aristotle’s University. After graduation he started a 1 to 5 year rotating internship in Small Animal Surgery/Exotics at the same University, whilst also working as a freelance avian/exotic vet.

In 2007 he moved in Zurich to fulfill a doctoral thesis on avian orthopaedic surgery in the Clinic for Exotic Pets, Zoo Animals and Wildlife, UZH, Vetsuisse Faculty. After practising small animal/exotic medicine in private practice in Athens/Greece, he moved to Germany to take a 3-year residency of the European College of Zoological Medicine in Avian Medicine and Surgery.
In 2014, after a successful examination, he was awarded the title of Diplomate ECZM (Avian)/European recognised Specialist in Avian Medicine (the first Greek, the second in Middle East and one of 30 in Europe). Afterwards he resumed his positions as leading avian specialist in exotic animal practice and in zoo consulting.
Since 1993 he has been a keen birdwatcher, member of the scientific committee of the Hellenic Ornithological Society, member of the Greek and German Herpetological Societies, founding member of two NGOs for the protection of wildlife in Greece and a member of various professional vet organisations and nature conservation NGOs in Greece, Balkans, Europe and Internationally.

He has managed and volunteered in various conservation projects of bird, raptor, vulture, wildlife conservation and has published and presented numerous scientific work in international conferences on avian medicine topics and raptor/vulture conservation. In September 2015 he moved to Dubai with his falcon Iskander, to work at Dubai Falcon Hospital and with HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

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Sunday, 15 November 2020 
Lecture Title - "Sharjah Strandings response program:insights om marine turtle threats and mortality factors"

Biography - Fadi Yaghmour will co-present with Fatin Samara and Isra Alam

With five years of experience in conservation and wild-life management in critical marine habitats of the Sharjah emirate, Fadi's work has focused on providing advisory support for the local governmental leaders as well as identifying and filling gaps in the scientific literature to support evidence-based conservation action on threatened marine fauna.
As the research team leader for the east coast chapter of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority scientific research department, Fadi has lead the development, management and maintenance of the Sharjah Strandings Response Program which has facilitated research, rescue and rehabilitation of sea snakes, sea birds, cetaceans and sea turtle throughout Sharjah waters.
Using this program, he is currently leading several research projects focused on the ecology, natural pressures and anthropogenic threats of marine turtles which aim to augment conservation of marine turtles in the United Arab Emirates and the surrounding region. Fadi's goal is to continue developing capacity to support governmental and intergovernmental entities in their protection of the marine environment and its inhabitants.

Biography

Dr. Fatin Samara has a PhD in Environmental/Analytical Chemistry from the State University of New York- Buffalo, NY, USA and did her post-doctoral work at the Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.
Dr. Samara joined the American University of Sharjah in 2009 and currently holds a position as an Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences. Her areas of teaching interest include Climate Change, Environmental sciences, Environmental Chemistry, Soil Chemistry and Toxicology.
Dr. Samara’s areas of research interest include the chemical and toxicological assessment of persistent organic pollutants environmental compartments including turtles, oyster bed ecosystems, food, sediment/soil, water and air). She has experience in the conversion of waste biomass to adsorbent materials for the removal of heavy metals, pesticides and organic pollutants in water, the use of zeolites, UV and activated carbon for degradation purposes, with focus on the photodecomposition of toxic pollutants such as dioxins and furans and their relative toxicity measurements.
In addition, Dr. Samara is interested in health effects of environmental exposure such as passive exposure to smoking midwakh, e-cigarettes and other products and she is working on a review of the available information related to Climate Change in the Gulf region, and the effects of climate in local ecosystems.

Biography

Isra Alam graduated with a degree in Environmental Chemistry and Analysis from the American University of Sharjah. Her area of research interest is broadly focused towards marine environmental science and analytical chemistry.
Her current research work is focused towards the study and eco-toxicology of persistent organic pollutants in the marine environment, through collaborations with the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority, and Emirates Nature-WWF.

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Sunday, 11 October 2020 - there has been a date change from 4 October to 11 October 2020
Lecture Title - "A Sea Turtle Highway: How Satellite Tracking Technology is Helping to Clarify Population Connectivity on Arabian Green Turtles"

Biography Dr. Jimena Rodriguez - Research Scientist
Environment & Protected Areas Authority Sharjah

Dr. Jimena Rodriguez is currently a Research Scientist at Environment & Protected Areas Authority of Sharjah (EPAA) where she joined early this year. Prior to joining EPAA, Jimena worked with EWS-WWF a leading conservation organization in the UAE where she led one of its kind initiatives for the study of green turtle populations in the Arabian region and work to inspire new research initiatives for the conservation of this species in the UAE.
Her passion for marine conservation has led Jimena to 14 years of professional experience in wildlife conservation across several countries, giving her the opportunity to also interact with different cultures. Through her international experience, Jimena learned about the relevance of informed decisions in shaping the successful management of marine resources; to date, she has taken the lead in many research projects which have been successfully incorporated into conservation practices of endangered species.
Dr. Jimena Rodriguez is a marine biologist and sea turtle specialist, member of the IUCN marine Turtle Specialist Group and holds a Doctorate degree on Molecular Ecology from Flinders University in Australia.

Lecture Summary

Sea turtles are highly migratory species occupying multiple habitats during their life-time and usually travelling long distances when moving between foraging areas and nesting grounds. The complexity of their life cycle makes information on the location and connectivity amongst turtle habitats relevant to contribute to the design of effective conservation measures for these threatened species. Limited work to understand sea turtle habitat connectivity has taken place in the Arabian region.
Over this talk Dr. Jimena Rodriguez will share insights from latest research efforts to study the habitat connectivity on green turtles in the UAE and will explain how satellite technology combined with other methodologies have helped researchers to identify foraging areas and migratory corridors used by turtles, and how this technology is also helping them to discover more about the life of juvenile green turtles.

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Sunday, 13 September 2020
Lecture Title - "Managing Wildlife in Dubai United Arab Emirates"

Biography - Alan Stephenson

Alan Stephenson will present a short talk on Managing Wildlife in Dubai UAE, He was with the Cape Department of Nature Conservation in Grahamstown, South Africa. He studied Nature Conservation Management and completed an MSc in Zoology.
In 2011 he accepted a post to manage wildlife for a member of the Ruling Family in Dubai.
This lecture will present a facet of UAE life and culture that many of us have heard about, but that very few of us have been exposed to at first or even second hand. The practice of keeping wild and exotic animals in zoos, collections or reserves, whether public or private, has a long history. As just one example, giraffes and many other large
African animals were presented as gifts to the Emperor of China as much as 600 years ago. In recent decades, however, the practice of keeping wild animals in captivity has become the subject of sometimes impassioned criticism, for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, both public and private zoos, etc., continue to receive official and institutional support in virtually all jurisdictions – also for a variety of reasons, and backed by demonstrable public interest.

In relation to our upcoming lecture (and all DNHG lectures), members are reminded that it is not the intention of the DNHG to either endorse or criticize any institutions, groups, individuals, practices or points of view, but – as always – to try to bring you authoritative information that you might not readily encounter elsewhere, especially
relating to the natural environment, history and culture of the UAE. We appreciate the willingness of our speakers to share their knowledge and expertise with us, and the time and effort they devote to doing so.

Sunday, 7 June 2020 No lecture scheduled

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Sunday, 3 May 2020 (Cancelled)

Lecture Title - "Sharjah Strandings response program:insights om marine turtle threats and mortality factors"

Biography - Fadi Yaghmour will co-present with Fatin Samara and Isra Alam
With five years of experience in conservation and wild-life management in critical marine habitats of the Sharjah emirate, Fadi's work has focused on providing advisory support for the local governmental leaders as well as identifying and filling gaps in the scientific literature to support evidence-based conservation action on threatened marine fauna.
As the research team leader for the east coast chapter of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority scientific research department, Fadi has lead the development, management and maintenance of the Sharjah Strandings Response Program which has facilitated research, rescue and rehabilitation of sea snakes, sea birds, cetaceans and sea turtle throughout Sharjah waters.
Using this program, he is currently leading several research projects focused on the ecology, natural pressures and anthropogenic threats of marine turtles which aim to augment conservation of marine turtles in the United Arab Emirates and the surrounding region. Fadi's goal is to continue developing capacity to support governmental and intergovernmental entities in their protection of the marine environment and its inhabitants.

Biography - Dr. Fatin Samara has a PhD in Environmental/Analytical Chemistry from the State University of New York- Buffalo, NY, USA and did her post-doctoral work at the Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.
Dr. Samara joined the American University of Sharjah in 2009 and currently holds a position as an Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences. Her areas of teaching interest include Climate Change, Environmental sciences, Environmental Chemistry, Soil Chemistry and Toxicology.
Dr. Samara’s areas of research interest include the chemical and toxicological assessment of persistent organic pollutants environmental compartments including turtles, oyster bed ecosystems, food, sediment/soil, water and air). She has experience in the conversion of waste biomass to adsorbent materials for the removal of heavy metals, pesticides and organic pollutants in water, the use of zeolites, UV and activated carbon for degradation purposes, with focus on the photodecomposition of toxic pollutants such as dioxins and furans and their relative toxicity measurements.
In addition, Dr. Samara is interested in health effects of environmental exposure such as passive exposure to smoking midwakh, e-cigarettes and other products and she is working on a review of the available information related to Climate Change in the Gulf region, and the effects of climate in local ecosystems.

Biography - Isra Alam graduated with a degree in Environmental Chemistry and Analysis from the American University of Sharjah. Her area of research interest is broadly focused towards marine environmental science and analytical chemistry.
Her current research work is focused towards the study and eco-toxicology of persistent organic pollutants in the marine environment, through collaborations with the Sharjah Environment and Protected Areas Authority, and Emirates Nature-WWF.

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Sunday, 12 April 2020 (Cancelled)
Lecture Title - "Some results of 20 years cave and karst exploration on Socotra island:
from biodiversity, over cultural heritage, water management, towards regional regreening projects"

Biography - Peter De Geest
Started his career as engineering geologist (UGent), coordinating and studying soil decontamination projects. His free-time passion for cave exploration resulted however in a Ph.D. study, reconstructing the Holocene Palaeoclimate of the Arabian sea area, based on isotopic and geochemical research on speleothems of the island Soqotra (Yemen). Providing sustainable fresh water potentials for local communities was a very satisfying aspect of his initiated Soqotra Karst Project. Before obtaining his title he was hired as soil engineer in the UAE, were he worked as expat building Saadiyat Island and the Palm Jebel Ali, before moving to Oman to assist developing Duqm Port.

Currently he is managing a team of geologist conducting soil and site investigations worldwide, ensuring full geo-risks knowledge for DEME NV (Dredging, Environmental & Marine Engineering) by 3D modelling. As executive committee member of the Friends of Soqotra since 2000, he watched development overtake watershed wide ecosystem and biodiversity protection initiatives. Being part of a community within the DEME-group, envisioning a new industry scaling up ecosystem development and restoration fuels his enthusiasm.

Sunday, 1 March 2020

Lecture Title - "The Southern Ocean: Where land and sea meets"

Biography - Petra Walker is a Positive Psychology Practitioner and Executive Coach and has been based in Dubai for the last 6½ years.
Born in a small town in West Wales, she moved to Oxford to study her first degree in Zoology about 35 years ago. It was there that she discovered a passion for scuba diving and met her husband, whom she still dives with.
On leaving University she led an expedition (part funded by the Royal Geographical Society) to Madagascar to study the endangered side-necked turtle, Erymnochelys madagascariensis. Although this was a fascinating experience, which broadened the scant knowledge of the species at the time, she decided that field work was not the long term career she had originally hoped it to be and started her life as an expat in Germany where she taught English.
Her career has spanned a variety of roles, including working in marketing and running her own successful garden design consultancy in the UK. Moving abroad, again, her focus moved to the challenges that expats face and she retrained as a life coach to help others manage uncertainty. That led to studying for a MSc Psychology and now she is completing a Masters in Applied positive psychology and coaching psychology.
However her passion for diving, the natural world and travel has continued. She is Chair of the local Desert Sports Diving Club, and in November she travelled with four other members of the club to South America, where they boarded a ship travelling to the Falklands, South Georgia, South Shetland and Antarctica diving and exploring along the way.

Sunday, 2 February 2020

Lecture Title - “Sharjah Architecture Triennial, Edition 1: Rights of Future Generations”
Mahnaz will speak about the overarching themes of the Triennial and how those connect with the mission of this latest cultural platform in the Emirate of Sharjah.

Biography Mahnaz Fancy - Communications & External Relations Manager- Sharjah Architecture Triennial
Raised in Karachi, Paris, Abu Dhabi and New York, Mahnaz Fancy is the Communications & External Relations Manager at Sharjah Architecture Triennial and a cultural critic with over 15 years of experience in leading nonprofit institutions. After pursuing a PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago that concentrated on colonialism and aesthetics, she launched several initiatives for supporting contemporary arts communities in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA). Most recently, she served as Executive Director of ArteEast, the leading US-based organization in the field. Working closely with local, regional, and international stakeholders from philanthropic, academic, and creative sectors, Fancy has organized exhibitions, festivals, conferences, professional workshops, and public educational programs. She continues to write and speak on regional arts and their social impact in an interconnected world.

Sunday, 12 January 2020

Lecture Title - " The history of the Emirate’s military and police forces 1951-1980"

Biography - Dr Athol Yates teaches at the Institute for International and Civil Security, Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, which offers a Masters Degree for Emirati security professionals. He teaches civil security, covering professional security practice, internal security and disaster management. His current research is on the security services of the UAE and former Trucial States

ABOUT THE TALK: Athol Yates will talk on his new book - The Military and Police Forces of the Gulf States Volume 1: Trucial States and United Arab Emirates, 1951-1980. The United Arab Emirates today is one of the safest countries in the world, and it is acknowledged as a leading Arab military force with considerable recent combat experience. These are amazing achievements given that the Emirates’ first military and police forces were established only in 1951 and 1956 respectively. These forces were established when the Emirates were known as the Trucial States, during which time they were British protected states. In 1971, Britain withdrew its protection and the seven Trucial States’ Emirates federated to form the UAE. Before 1971, three Emirates had formed militaries while the British controlled another. After federation, two more Emirates formed militaries with the former British-controlled military becoming the first federally-controlled force. The six militaries were unified in 1976 to create the UAE Armed Forces. The country’s history of police force dates to the 1950s when Dubai and Abu Dhabi established them. All the other Emirates established them by the late 1960s. During the 1970s, the police forces of the individual Emirates were increasingly federalised under the newly-established Ministry of Interior, although to a lesser degree than the militaries.

Sunday, 8 December 2019 - Members Night
Members Night speakers are as follows:-
Edurne Gil de San Vicente
Adrian Hudson - Ecologist
Angela Manthorpe

The order of presentations will be decided amongst the speakers.

Edurne Gil de San Vicente - "Water Sustainability in the UAE"
A deep curiosity and love for the diversity of our planet has led Edurne to pursue a career in Sustainability. Founded in the conviction that people and nature can and should strive together, her commitment to a sustainable living has been the guiding principle throughout her professional career.
While working for leading environmental NGOs in Europe, and in partnership with local and national authorities, Edurne has engaged in policy-making, advocacy, awareness raising programs, and grass-roots campaigns. She likes to share two key learnings from her experience. The first one is that behavioral change is possible in an enabling environment, one that provides opportunities for people to become inspired. The second is that collaboration is vital to achieve greater impact.
As Programs Director at the Water Alliance Association, Edurne strives to advance water conservation and a culture of sustainable living in the UAE through gamification, active learning, and systems thinking. On the DNHG members night, she will be exploring with you the water footprint of all things, and how this concept is the red thread to many of the world’s environmental and social challenges today. By lowering your water footprint, you will be contributing to the achievements of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

Edurne graduated as Bio-Chemical engineer, followed by a Masters in Environmental Management at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. She completed her education with a MBA in Women’s Leadership at Synergy University Dubai campus.
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Adrian Hudson -“Ecological studies in tropical Africa: Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Central African Republic”

Adrian Hudson is an ecologist and ornithologist who holds a Master’s of Science degree in Ecology from the North West University and is currently completing his PhD in Ecology at the same institution. Adrian plays a role in academia as a supervisor for Honours and Masters degree students and is registered as a professional natural scientist (Pr.Sci.Nat) with SACNASP in South Africa, and as an Ecologist with Dubai Municipality ESS and the EAD. He is a member of the Zoological Society of Southern Africa and the International Society of Conservation Biology as well as a member of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (South African Government Department) roster of experts on ecology and desertification, and a reviewer for a number of internationally accredited scientific journals. He was also an elected member of Birdlife SA’s Birds and Renewable Energy Specialists Group (BARESG) and is credited with authorship of a number of articles published in scientific journals.
Adrian has worked for 25 years for a diverse range responsible for conservation and anti- poaching, lecturing, research and consulting respectively. Thus far Adrian has worked as an ecologist on more than 130 projects in 28 countries, including Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East.

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Angela Manthorpe – “Madagascar - We like to move it, move it !”

The island of Madagascar is more than twice the size of Great Britain and while the unique flora and fauna are the main draw, the remarkable landscapes and colourful Malagasy culture make this a destination with all round appeal.

Angela Manthorpe and fellow DNHG members spent 16 days traveling across the country in September 2019, so if your knowledge of Madagascar is based on a certain animated movie, join us to find out what it's really like.

Angela Manthorpe first arrived in the UAE in 1992, lured to the Emirates by the photos of wadis and waterfalls in the book “Dubai – Gateway to the Gulf” that she were handed by her prospective employer. One of the first organisations she joined on arriving was the DNHG, which opened up the interesting world of the UAE’s desert and mountains and, in the same year, she took up scuba diving to explore the gulf ocean.

Angela is a firm believer in the fact that ‘you only live once’, and has interspersed her working life with occasional ‘travel breaks’ – setting off with a rucksack to explore the world. In late 2009 Angela quit her job in Dubai and embarked on a 2-year break, with the intention of seeing some of the world’s best natural scenery, historical and cultural destinations and to dive the top scuba diving sites.

Sunday, 3 November 2019
Lecture Title - "Traditional Dhow Building in the UAE"
Biography - Hessa Al Yasi

“And construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned." – Surah Hud 37 – The Holy Quran

About the talk:
The geographical feature of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) urged people to explore the secrets of the sea. In the UAE, this situation resulted in the emergence of several economic activities such as boat building, pearl diving, and fishing. Prior to the oil boom in the Gulf region, boat building served as the backbone of two major economic activities: fishing and pearl diving. Dhow building is known as “Al Qalafa” or the process of tying wooden pieces with ropes created from dates palms. It is essential to state that traditional Dhow building in the UAE is more than a craft, it is a culture by itself. In fact, boat builders tended to believe that the origin of this craft goes back in history to Noah’s Ark and the flood.
Accordingly, this presentation will focus mainly on the traditional Dhow building in the UAE from a cultural perspective. It will be based mainly on literature review and records of oral history collected by Hessa Al Yasi.

About the Speaker:
Hessa Al Yasi holds a bachelor’s in international Affairs, Minor in Communication- Zayed University, and a Master of Arts in Communication. She is interested in the following topics: cultural heritage, national identity, soc and technology.

Sunday, 6 October 2019
Lecture Title - "Ras Al Khaimah’s Plant Diversity and Putting Knowledge into Practice"

Biography - Marina Tsaliki
Marina studied in Germany (Goettingen and Bremen), worked on Invasive Plant Species (Rhododendron), grazing effects on the woodlands of Northern Greece, habitat fragmentation and the effects on rare and endangered heathland and bog species in Germany.

In 2011 Marina moved to Oman where she worked at the Oman Botanic Garden, then with Earthwatch Oman in Dhofar and as a freelance plant ecologist on a few smaller projects.

Since 2017 Marina has worked in Ras Al Khaimah, employed as a Plant Conservation and Research Specialist with RAK Government.

About the Talk
The diversity of landscapes, plants and wildlife is one of Ras Al Khaimah’s core attributes. Knowing of the vast plant diversity, RAK government was keen to scientifically document species names, numbers and their distribution as well as plant related knowledge. The findings of the plant survey, the habitat classification and maps are presented. Building on the above information, native plants have found their way into new government projects, some of which will be highlighted: Sustainable landscaping, plant awareness and knowledge sharing, children’s and school initiatives, corporate social responsibility

Sunday, 15 September, 2019
Lecture Title - "The Status & Conservation Of Terrestrial Herpetofauna in the UAE"
by Johannes Els

About the talk:
The United Arab Emirates contains a diversity of desert habitats with 62 species of terrestrial herpetofauna currently recorded, with three of these considered to be present in the UAE as a result of introduction. Among the 62 confirmed species and subspecies present within the UAE, one terrestrial species is now considered to be endemic to the UAE (Asaccus caudivolvulus), 13 species are endemic to the Hajar Mountain range (shared with Oman) and there are 20 species that are endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. Of the 59 species of terrestrial herpetofauna considered native to the UAE, three species are Critically Endangered, six species Vulnerable, one species Near Threatened, 45 species Least Concern, and four species Data Deficient. Habitat loss remains the overriding threat to terrestrial herpetofauna, particularly the conversion of land to urban areas.

About the Speaker:
Johannes Els is the Head of the Herpetology and Freshwater Fish department at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife/ Environment and Protected Area’s Authority of Sharjah over the last 10 years where he is involved in various conservation projects both in situ and ex situ throughout the Arabian Peninsula. He authored and co-authored several peer reviewed scientific papers including the IUCN Red List on the conservation status and distribution of reptiles of the Arabian Peninsula.
Johannes is a member of the Middle East and North African IUCN/SSC viper specialist group, IUCN West Asia amphibian specialist group and the IUCN SSC/WI freshwater fish specialist group. He assisted with various nature documentaries such as Wild Arabia (BBC 2013), Arabian Inferno (Blink Films 2017), Wild Dubai (Plimsoll Productions 2018) and Dead by Dawn (National Geographic 2019).

Johannes has kindly shared some links with us where photographs can be accessed to view some of the reptiles Johannes will be discussing.

Arabian cat snake
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d4umyycocmcix7k/CF41mpKT-D6tSvr-Mql.jpg?dl=0

Clifford’s diadem snake
https://www.dropbox.com/s/encestremqxwnu0/CQ0S944t-D5SkkK-D1R.jpg?dl=0

Emirati Leaf-toed gecko
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8fbum699fxl1dlr/DSC_7338.JPG?dl=0

Persian Horned Viper
https://www.dropbox.com/s/osyd3sbqqx16j42/kzMkKlRg-D5SM4q-D3B.jpg?dl=0

Leptien’s Spiny-tailed lizard
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ut7xvynj4gcdsd9/DSC_9369.JPG?dl=0

Sunday, June 9, 2019
Lecture Title - "Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, Opportunities & Challenges in Protected Area Management"

Biography - Greg Simpkins
Gregory Simkins is the Conservation Manager for the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR), a member of the Middle East & West Asia Expert Assessment group for the Green List (EAGL) and the IUCN World Commission of Protected Areas (WCPA) and has worked in the field of conservation and protected areas management since 2001.
Simkins began his career as a Field Guide with the Emirates Group in 1999 at the newly opened Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa. In 2001 he became a Reserve Officer and was heavily involved in the planning and implementation of eco-tourism activities within the protected area of the DDCR, which was created in 2002.
In 2003 Simkins took on his current role and was appointed Conservation Manager for the DDCR. He is responsible for the overall management of the Reserve and has been at the forefront of its development from conception in 2003 to its current international recognition.
Simkins also manages the wildlife at the Reserve looking after a number of different species including the re-introduced Arabian Oryx, Arabian Gazelle, Sand Gazelles and Houbara Bustard. He also plays a major role in conducting key conservation research studies throughout the DDCR.

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Lecture Title: "Through the Sands of Color - Landscape Diversity of Saudi Arabia’s Deserts"
We will embark on a journey through the diverse desert landscapes of Saudi Arabia seen from the perspective of geological processes that helped to create them. From their formation, through weathering and erosion, the landscapes are being transformed into an endless variety of structures. We will explore sedimentary landscapes of the Arabian Shelf (coastal regions, sand deserts, wadis and escarpments) and igneous and metamorphic landscapes of the Arabian Shield (volcanic harrat, mountains, the Tihama and the underwater realm of the Red Sea). There will be plenty of images of flora and fauna in their natural habitat as well as rocks and minerals.
The presentation is based on 9 years of exploration of Saudi Arabia’s interior (and counting…)
A selection of fossils and rock samples will be available for viewing during the presentation.

Biography - Gosia van Unen
Gosia, holds M.A. degrees from Adam Mickiewicz University, University of Chicago and the Poznan School of Management. She spent almost 20 years in the Middle East working and pursuing her passion for geology and nature. Over time she accumulated extensive resources in the field of geology, flora and fauna and history of the region. She collected, studied and documented fossil and rock samples to better understand landscape evolution and consolidated her findings in a recently published book “Through the Sands of Color. A Comprehensive Guide to the Natural World of Saudi Arabia.”
She writes about nature and art in the Middle East along with pursuing her artistic career.

Sunday, April 7, 2019
Lecture Title - “Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) – Your sustainability partner - focus on what happens to all the recycled waste EEG collects and more”
Biography - Vishnu Sunil Kumar - EEG: research Officer
Vishnu is an environmental scientist, and a science communicator. He has research experience across many scientific disciplines; working to solve global issues in topics such as agriculture, space technology, energy, urban water management, air pollution, environmental remediation and tropical ecology. Vishnu's principal role at EEG is to conduct research, compile and prepare UN SDG implementation strategies in the UAE for governments, businesses and academic institutions. Vishnu also deal with business development, CSR implementation, preparing/compiling and editing monthly and yearly publications.

Sunday, March 3, 2019
Lecture Title - "Using Undergraduate Students to Monitor Environmental Quality in the UAE"
Biography - Sandra Knuteson, PhD
Sandra Knuteson is currently a Senior Lecturer of Environmental Sciences at the American University of Sharjah (AUS).

In 2004, she earned her doctorate in Environmental Toxicology from Clemson University in South Carolina, USA, after which she moved to the UAE. Sandra Knuteson has taught environmental science and environmental toxicology, monitoring, assessment and management, as well as sustainability.

Sandra has advised over 25 undergraduate senior research projects. She has endeavored to promote a passion for research within the students to enhance their understanding of science and environmental issues in the UAE. In order to give the students the opportunity to choose research topics that they are interested in, she has purposely left her scope of research broad to give them the opportunity to choose from a wide range of topics, from environmental monitoring of fresh and marine ecosystem water and sediment quality to the risk of heavy metals in the average human diet.

She has developed a non-laboratory research track in her environmental management courses considering the challenges, opportunities and key factors of success in environmental management in the UAE and nearby regions. Currently she is expanding that into education, “sustainability across the curriculum” and sustainable teaching methods.

Sunday, February 3, 2019
Lecture Title - "Search and Recovery of and ancient stone anchor discovered in the Musandam" and a Diaporama about "The Arabian Seas"( brief presentation on the coral reefs fauna from around the Arabian Peninsula).

Biography - Lamjed El Kefi
Lamjed El Kefi started diving as a hobby in Tunisia his home country in the late sixties. He soon progressed to underwater photography, stills and motion, using his own home made, watertight camera housings. He moved to the Arabian Peninsula to work and settled in the UAE in the Eighties, where he joined the BSAC local Diving Club and the DNHG and has been a member of both since that time.

Underwater photography became a prime activity, amongst his other naturalist interests. He has taken photographs all over the Middle Eastern and Far eastern seas. He won first price/fish category in the prestigious CMAS Photography World Championship of the year 2000. He used his skills to develop his keen interest in the defense of Marine Diversity and to pass on a message of awareness for Marine and Nature Conservation and has had many of his photographs published.
Lamjed is an Engineer by profession.
He is also an amateur astronomer and photographer of the deep sky wonders.

Sunday, January 13, 2019
Lecture Title - "Restoration of desert ecosystems in the Arabian Peninsula"
Biography - Gary Brown
Gary has many years of experience as an ecologist and botanist in the region, with extensive field work experience in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. This knowledge and expertise allows him to draw comparisons and note the major differences in habitats and species assemblages, along with the challenges faced by the natural environment

Sunday, December 9, 2018 - Members Night
Lecture Title - "Bats! Introduction to Detecting & Recording techniques..."
Biography -  Nick de Smith
Nick's background is as an microelectronics engineer but he has a
lifelong interest in wildlife, the environment & somewhat confusingly,
designing and building HiFi amplifiers & speakers...

Nick has designed several pieces of bioacoustic monitoring equipment and has
a particular interest in ultra-low-powered remote monitoring, specifically
with respect to remote apiaries (his own bees are several 1000 miles
away).
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Lecture Title - "Old watch towers of Sharjah city"
Biography -  Hazelle Page
Hazelle Page, Collections Manager for Sharjah Museums Authority’s 16 museums since 2006.
Since graduating in archaeological conservation from Cardiff, Hazelle has worked on archaeological material and objects from many museums and archaeological units before teaching conservation at Lincoln University for 8 years. Most recently before coming to Sharjah Hazelle was Conservation Manager with Nottingham City Museums and Galleries.
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Lecture Title - "Challenges of Living Sustain-ably in the UAE"
Biography -  Sandhya Prakash
With 20 plus years of experience, Sandhya is a Dubai based entrepreneur and Enviro-Tech professional. Currently she heads Beacon Energy Solutions & Technology – an end to end energy management and renewable energy firm in the United Arab Emirates.
Sandhya urges companies to balance people, planet, processes and profit. She bring attention to the fact that 'We have one earth, we need to live responsibly as a human community alongside all other creatures on the planet."
As a community builder, Sandhya has recently taken on a worldwide role as the Chairperson of BITS Pilani Alumni Association. She is a TEDx speaker, a vegetarian advocate, singer and energy artist. Sandhya is known globally as a passionate woman leader in the field of sustainable living.

Sunday, November 4, 2018
Lecture Title - "Turtle Conservation on Saadiyat Island"
Biography - Arabella Willing
British-born Arabella Willing is no stranger to the middle-east; she grew up travelling the world, spending four years in Oman as a teenager. She studied marine biology at the University of St. Andrews and began her career on a remote island in the Maldives, educating isolated communities about biology, sustainability and marine conservation. She went on to join Hyatt hotels and was the company’s first “Resident Marine Biologist” at Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
Arabella moved to Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi in 2013 and now holds the title of Head of Conservation & Community Engagement. Along with studying the nesting turtle population she organises workshops and excursions to educate and entertain guests, whilst ensuring that the hotel and its neighbours adhere to strict environmental standards behind the scenes.
In her free time Arabella volunteers as the co-chair of the Abu Dhabi Chapter of the Emirates Natural History Group.

TALK SUMMARY: Saadiyat Island is blessed with arguably the most beautiful beach in the region and is one of Abu Dhabi’s most important sites for marine life. Recently declared as a Marine National Park, it’s been home to nesting hawksbill turtles for generations. Rapid development has brought conservation challenges, which one hotel has tried to combat by setting up a community conservation programme to monitor and protect the visiting wildlife. This talk will describe the current status and give an overview of hawksbill turtle ecology. There will be practical advice on how to recognise a turtle nest, how best to protect and monitor the nest and how to deal with strandings.

Sunday, October 7, 2018
Lecture Title - "Marine Debris; why we should care and what we can do"
Biography - Natalie Banks, Manager Azraq (Friday- Magazine)
Natalie Banks is a is a scuba diving instructor with a specialty in shark conservation. She is a spokesperson, writer, researcher and adviser with 11 years experience in ocean conservation and has successfully campaigned for policy changes throughout Australia.
Azraq is a non-profit marine conservation organisation recently set up in the region with a focus on marine conservation issues in the United Arab Emirates.
Headed by Natalie Banks who has been in the environmentalist for a while having worked with Sea Shepherd in Australia prior to setting up Azraq. The Azraq team are focused on preserving the natural habitats of wildlife in the world’s oceans as well as conserving ecosystems and species.

Rubbish is being dumped into our oceans at an alarming rate, and this is upsetting the delicate balance of the ocean ecosystem and removing all of it’s resources at levels that are becoming unsustainable.

Sunday, September 16, 2018
Lecture Title - "People of Ras Al Khaimah"
Biography - Anna Zacharias and Jeff Topping
ANNA ZACHARIAS moved to Ras Al Khaimah from Canada’s west coast as a child. She worked as a journalist at The National newspaper for more than six years, including three years as a Ras Al Khaimah correspondent from 2008 to 2011. Based in Abu Dhabi from 2011 to 2014, she worked as a senior features writer specialising in pop heritage and wrote The National’s camel blog, A Year at the Camel Races.

JEFF TOPPING is an American photojournalist and travel photographer with more than 25 years experience in more than 20 countries. In the United States, he was a contract photographer for Reuters, the New York Times and Getty Images. He came to the United Arab Emirates in 2008 to join The National as a staff photographer and is now a Dubai-based freelancer. He is represented by Polaris Images.

Sunday June 3rd, 2017
Presentation to be given by Dr. Ada Natoli
Lecture Title - “ Hawksbill Turtles in the UAE - when Genetics meets conservation”

Biography - 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.

Sunday May 6th, 2018
Presentation to be given by Dr. John Burt and Noura Al Mansouri
Lecture Title - "The coral masonry of Jazirat Al Hamra, Ras Al-Khaimah"

Biography
Dr. John Burt is an Associate Professor of Biology and head of the Marine Biology Laboratory at NYU Abu Dhabi. Burt studies coral reefs across the region and has published over 60 scholarly articles and book chapters on the unique ecology of regional coral reefs and their associated fauna over the past decade. He was the recipient of the 2017 Sheikh Mubarak Bin Mohammed Prize for Natural History of the United Arab Emirates.

Noura Al Mansoori is a Research Assistant in the NYUAD Marine Biology Laboratory and an active diver who is studying coral reef and seagrass ecology in the UAE. She is an author of an upcoming book chapter reviewing the marine ecology of the Arabian Gulf

Sunday, April 8, 2017
Lecture Title - "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
This talk is about fossils collected by Nirmal. He will have fossils on display on the night of the presentation. Nirmal will talk about the fossils that he has collected to date and where they fit into geological history and what they tell us about past and present life on earth.

Biography - Nirmal Rajah
With degrees in Zoology and Biotechnology, Nirmal Rajah is currently the Education coordinator at Mleiha Archaeological centre in Sharjah. Nirmal is a passionate palaeontology enthusiast, and has been collecting and studying fossils for more than a decade. Nirmal believes that the study of fossils can unravel a world of wonder and learning for young, eager minds.
In 2015 Nirmal led an expedition to discover fossils in Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu, India which was later released as the aptly titled documentary ‘’Unearthing the Treasures of Ariyalur’’, the documentary was greatly appreciated within the academic circles in India and abroad.

Sunday, March 4, 2018
Lecture Title - : British Community at RAK before and the first few years post Federation.
Dr. Miriam and Captain Tim Ash as a case Study

The presentation will also cover work done by  Col. Hungtinton who had established the Digdagah agriculture
Experiment and School of Agriculture in 1955.

Biography - Lt. Col. Dr. Saif bin Aboud Al Bedwawi
Lt. Col Dr. Bidawai was born and raised in Masfut, Ajman. He completed his Doctorate in Durham University in the United Kingdom and has a Masters degree in Political Science from California State University, Chico.

Lt. Col Dr. Bidawai is currently serving as the Head of the Oral Military History Department for the UAE Armed forces, Abu Dhabi. Previously he has worked as Senior Researcher at Ajman Ruler's Court and Assistant Professor of Modern History at Sharjah University and part time Assistant Professor at the universities of Sharjah, Abu Dhabi & Preston University in Ajman.

In 2000 Lt. Col. Dr. Al Bedwawi retired from the UAE Armed Forces with a rank of Lt- Colonel. While serving in the UAE military he held positions of Head of Scholarship Department at General Quarter of the Armed Forces in Abu Dhabi, Academic Wing Commander at Zayed Military College.(responsible for academic studies and Head of the Academic Department at Zayed Military College, Al-Ain, UAE.

Lt. Col. Dr. Al Bedwawi has also attended more than 25 local and international conferences in which he has delivered various Papers.

PUBLICATIONS include : 5 Books and 21 refereed Papers. A sample as listed below:-
2007     Britain’s and the Gulf: the withdrawal years. Amman, Al Falah Publication, 2007. (Book)
2007     The Military History of the Armed Forces of the Emirates before the Federation. Bulletin of School of Arts at Ain Sham University. Vol., 35. Jan-March 2007.  .
2010       Minerates and Boyas in the Gulf: a study in the light of British Documents, 1908-1928. Liwa. Vol. 4. P. 22-36. Abu Dhabi
2014       Book on : Murgab Military Camp, 1967-1983. Sharjah: Armed forces Publications. 2013. (For Military Eyes only))
2014       A chapter in the Book: Are you the Man: Memories of Life in the Trucial Oman Scouts. Edited by Terry Ward and Hugh Nicklin. London, Trucial Oman Scouts Association.
2017      Pearl merchants of the Gulf and their life in Bombay. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies. Vol. 47, 2017. P., 1-7.

Sunday, February 4, 2018
Lecture Title - "Wonders of Mleiha"

Biography - Ajmal Hasan is the Education Manager, Mleiha Archaeological Centre, Sharjah, since October 2015 to date. He also is a member of the Dubai Natural History Group since 2009. An avid desert trekker, naturalist and nature documentarian, Ajmal has travelled to all parts of the UAE pursuing and documenting the flora and fauna of the UAE and has found many interesting critters and plants. With over 400 desert/mountain treks to his name and photographs of various indigenous plant and animal species of the UAE, his main goal is to spread awareness on nature conservation and environment awareness.

Sunday, 7 January 7, 2018
Lecture Title - "Between a rock and hard place - Stories from under the sea"

Biography - Harry George - B.Sc Biology and Computer Science (Hons)
M.Sc Oceanography

The result of a wrong turn while cycling through Monterrey in California led Harry to drop his electrodes, say ‘thank you and goodbye' to his PhD supervisor and return to the UK to complete a degree in Oceanography at the University of Southampton. UAE resident since 2014, Harry has worked on a range of projects for the energy industry and can be found at 5 Capitals in Dubai working as a Senior Environmental Consultant.

What is Oceanography I hear you say? The short answer is to plop a Geographer by his ankles into the ocean and tell him to resume his studies where the hard earth is transformed into swathes of sandy beach, mountains which are 20% higher than Everest and weather systems where a single drop of seawater can be over 1000 years old and have the potential to influence the planet on a global scale. The long answer? ... Find out in January!

Synopsis
Leave your swimming gear behind as we delve into the deep sea for a light introduction to the New Year. This talk will be suitable for all ages telling on a story of discovery and recovery in the North Sea, but with equal application to all corners of our marine world.

Globally the consumption of fossil fuels is rising and marine reserves are being tapped ever deeper. We will explore some of the key environmental problems facing marine ecosystems with regards to fossil fuel extraction and discover that not all hope is lost.

Sunday, December 10, 2017 - Members Night

Lecture Title - "Saruq al-Hadid - A Journey into the UAE’s Past"

Biography -  Anelisa Lambert
Anelisa has a degree in Modern Languages (French Italian BA Hons 1992) and a CELTA qualification, so has been a ‘language person’ for most of her working life, including working at International House here in Dubai, tutoring in French and English, and setting up and teaching English classes for ladies in the labour camps here in Al Quoz.

Anelise lived in Greece for 4 years as a child, and fell in love with Knossos, Mycenae, Tiryns, Sir Arthur Evans and archaeology in general.

A few years ago she began distance learning for a BA in Archaeology through Leicester University, and started volunteering at a multi-period site here in the UAE called Saruq al-Hadid. Anelise was able to gain credits for her course through volunteering there and attending a field school at the UNESCO World Heritage site in Bat, Oman.

A decision was made to open a museum here in Shindagha to exhibit the material culture excavated at Saruq al-Hadid; due to her familiarity with the objects and site history, Anelisa was fortunate to be part of the research team employed by Barker Langham to select and research the museum layout and content, assisting Dr. Alasdair Brooks.

Anelisa no longer attends the site, and has returned to teaching again. Archaeology however still and will always remain a fascinating amateur interest in her life.

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Lecture Title - “Sulphur, a volcano, and UAE”
Sulphur has a fearsome reputation that is well earned, so naturally we like to get protection and sneak a peek. This report was inspired by a tourist trip to a crater rim, so will include some extracurricular angles of sulphur.

Biography -  Graham Murray
Graham Murray comes from New Zealand courtesy of migrants from Scotland circa 1870-80; His working life started as a science teacher, following a degree in Chemistry. There was a stint in an Observatory; an astronomy Patent opened that door. He is an Architect by marriage, having worked in a Practice set up by his wife.
Graham thinks New Zealand is a great place to train for many science careers. Graham comes from a farming family (sheep, cattle, forestry, stone and pip fruit).
In new Zealand no one lives more than 50km from the sea allowing for hobbies such as scuba, fishing, and boating New Zealand has many “local” climates, on of them being Mt. Cook which Graham has climbed. New Zealand also has spectacular country side filled with V and U valleys and quakes and volcanoes.
The Murray family also has a house by Palics, Serbia’s largest lake, for bird watching.
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Lecture Title - "Learning the Avian Fauna of the UAE: land of birds from three continents"

Biography - Tamsin Carlisle
Tamsin Carlisle has been watching birds on various continents since childhood, with a focus on observing their behaviour in relation to habitat. She has a BA in Zoology from Oxford University, a PhD in Behavioural Ecology from University of California at Santa Barbara, and in recent years has been the DNHG's Bird Recorder.

November 12, 2017
Lecture Title - "Habitats and Habitat Mapping in the UAE"
The collection of sound information on the identity and distribution of natural and semi-natural habitats is a vital tool for effective conservation planning and the monitoring of biodiversity in all parts of the world.
In his presentation, Dr. Gary Brown gives an overview of the typical habitats found in the UAE with examples of their characteristic flora and fauna. He also provides insight into some of the key environmental problems facing the region with regards to biodiversity conservation.

Biography - Dr. Gary Brown

Dr. Gary Brown has worked in various countries of the Arabian Peninsula for over 20 years, including at several academic institutions (Kuwait University, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat). The “Abu Dhabi Habitats Manual”, now used for all ecological EIAs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, was developed during his time spent at ERWDA (now EAD) in Abu Dhabi over a decade ago, together with Dr Benno Böer of UNESCO, also a former employee at ERWDA.
Gary holds an MSc and PhD in Botany / Ecology from the University of Bonn, and gained the qualifications for full professor in Germany. He has published extensively in refereed scientific journals, mainly on vegetation ecology, botany in both Europe and the Arabian Peninsula. Apart from being the senior author of the book “Vegetation Ecology of Socotra”, published by Springer, he has also contributed chapters to various key books on the natural history of the Emirates, including, The Emirates, A Natural History, Jebel Hafit, A Natural History and Desert Ecology of Abu Dhabi . He is currently working on his next major book project dealing with the vegetation ecology of eastern Arabia.

October 15, 2017

Lecture Title - "Recent archaeological research in coastal Umm Al-Qaiwain"

Biography - Dr. Sophie Mery

Dr. Sophie Mery works for the archaeological dept of the university of Nanterre. Her archaeological work is concentrated mostly in the United Arab Emirates. She specialises in ancient ceramics and has worked extensively in the Oman peninsula on Neolithic and Bronze age sites. Her long-term researches on ancient Middle East ceramics involves the use of morpho-functionalanalysis, archeometry and technology.

Dr Mery worked for the CNRS as a researcher in 1992 after obtaining her Doctorate in Oriental Archeology at the university of Paris in 1991. She has been the director of the CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique)since 2010. She directed the French archaeological missions in Abu Dhabi from 1995 - 1999.
She is especially interested in Neolithic and bronze age sites and has also participated in archaeological digs in Iraq and Pakistan. She also gives lectures on ceramology at the University of Paris.
Dr. Mery has lead archaeological teams and worked on sites in Umm Al Quwain, Rask Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi.

September 17, 2017
Lecture Title - "Wings Over Arabia"
Wings over Arabia is beautiful edition that chronicles a long and dangerous flight over Saudi Arabia, and thus includes a rare birds-eye look at the stunning scenery that makes up this beautiful landscape. The journey took them over places not normally accessible, through flight paths or otherwise, and this makes the book unique.
On 2 June 2006, pilots HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman and HRH Prince Bandar bin Khaled, along with John Bally, took three gliders, a chase plane, support crew and all-terrain vehicles, and departed from an airfield 50km outside of the country’s capital, Riyadh. From there, they would take a circular route around the western half of Saudi Arabia, an area that included the wild and desolate deserts, the coastline of the Red Sea and the mountainous south-western region.
This book contains some truly arresting images, as well as offering a rare insight into Saudi Arabia from a different perspective – that of the skies above, and the brilliance seen below.

Biography - Roger Harrison
Born as one of Eastbourne’s least distinguished sons quite a lot over half a century ago, early education was garnered from grammar school and building sites.

Having achieved a certificate of competence in pneumatic drilling, he won a Fairbridge Scholarship that finally deposited him in Africa in the turbulent mid-sixties. Six years later, academic education done and after a spell with a leprosy relief mission in Malawi and some exceedingly ‘hairy’ experiences in the Zambezi valley, he cashed in a number of emeralds found in Rhodesia and spent years learning about and trading in the precious stone business.

This he combined with organising major and minor exhibitions in the UK and attempting to keep native wanderlust and prolixity under control. He lost, and in 1996 arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a teacher.

Quite by accident, car accident actually, he discovered that prolixity could pay and wrote a series of features for the Arab News who, hoping that in the volume of his output there might be a glistering nugget, employed him.

15 years, 2,500 articles, over a million words and a clutch of books later, he finally left the Kingdom but, seeing it as a second home, returns frequently.

Part of that press experience saw him accompany HRH Sultan bin Salman and HRH Bandar Bin Khaled Al Faisal on a gliding expedition around Saudi Arabia and following up with a book of the expedition.

“There are so many interesting things to learn and do,” he says, “that I tend to relax by doing something active but different, often to the exasperation of friends and family.”

He thanks God that is married to a very tolerant wife of 43 years, has one son who now teaches in Riyadh (a sort of “Buggins Turn” - Harrison out = Harrison in) and several stray cats. He lived until recently in the world’s first garden city, Letchworth, in the UK but is now based in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE and Mallorca. Recently he has produced a couple more books (A company history, a review of Islamic Architecture and co-authored “Origins Of the Call; the Saudi State in at-Turaf an Al-Bujeiri”) and developed, scripted and voiced many short films and advertisements, from Red Bull to Rolls Royce and Aston Martin and, with a sense of surprise and honour, the official film for the guidance of pilgrims on the Jamarat Bridge during Hajj.

Fairbridge Scholar ex-UK to University College, Salisbury, Rhodesia (External college to King’s, London). – Read English, Anthropology and Economics.

Post grad. M.Phil King’s College, University of London – US Drama (Eugene O’Neill), Cambridge Celta, and several other English language teaching qualifications.

Roger is a Fellow of Gemmological Association of Great Britain and the GIA (the US version), English Language teacher, Scuba Diver, Heavy Goods vehicle driver and a raft of minor accolades including the recently acquired Certificate of Museum Artefact Photography.

Many years a consultant gemmologist, diamond dealer, exhibition organiser and some-time radio presenter and now writer, voiceover talent and originator of short documentary films.

Proudest achievements: To have worked with the British Leprosy Relief Association for a time in Malawi – concentrated the mind; to be one of the official voices of Hajj in the Ministry of Hajj Jamarat Bridge pilgrim documentary; the voice of the Makkah Rapid Transit train system….”mind the gap”; flying around Saudi Arabia with the “Saudi Spaceman” and getting thousands of unique photos; getting the last interview and photos of the explorer and Arabist Sir Wilfred Thesiger (Mubarak bin London), then 93; and a UK Heavy Goods Vehicle Class 1 licence.

June 4, 2017
Lecture Title - "How Aviation Inspired Growth in the Trucial States/UAE"
Biography - Sue-Sharyn Ward
Moving forward from 1919 when intrepid Australians flew from England to Australia for a £10,000 reward, you will learn of the extraordinary courage of these airmen and see film footage of flights over the Arabian Gulf which have impacted the lives of generations of Expats and Locals living and working in the region, supporting the movement of goods and passengers to remote areas to develop and strengthen economies, and particularly those of the United Arab Emirates
With over 40 years experience working in, firstly Kuwait, and then from 1979 the United Arab Emirates, Sue-Sharyn Ward has a passion for the history of the region and has worked closely with both Dubai Tourism (DTCM) and Abu Dhabi Tourism (ADTA) to set up Tour Guide courses and pass along her knowledge of life in the Region during the 70s and 80s. She is also Chairwoman of the International Business Women's Group in Dubai, which she formed in 1983 as a platform to support women in their endeavours to establish businesses and progress their careers in a traditionally male dominated economy

May 07, 2017
Lecture Title - "Restoration/Conservation and revitalization of the coastal town Jazirat Al Hamra, Ras Al Kaimah"

Biography - Ahmed Hilal
Ahmed Hilal has a Masters degree in archaeology with distinction (gold medallist) from University of Peshawar in 1997. Been part of many archaeological surveys and excavations in Pakistan until 2000. Since 2001, working for the Department of Antiquities and Museums Government of RAK as a resident archaeologist.
Ahmed Hilal conducted many archaeological surveys in different parts of RAK and conducted excavations at Falayah 2000-2002, Qarn Al Harf 2001, Ghubb 2004-2005, Fahlain 2008-2010, Sfuni 2008, Muhammed bin Salim Mosque Old Town RAK 2012-2013.

Ahmed Hilal has worked on a number of projects listed below:-

Has been surveying and studying traditional architecture of RAK since 2002 – Palm garden stone house survey 2002, RAK Old Town survey 2002-2003, Mountain village survey 2003, Preliminary Survey of Rams 2007, Survey of Traditional Architecture in Ma’arid 2007-2008. Jazirat Al Hamrah traditional architecture documentation started from 2014.

Carried out restoration of two towers at Ma’arid 2006, restoration of the Ras al-Khaimah Fort 2006-2010, restoration of Muhammed bin Saleem mosque Old Town RAK 2012-2013, Restoration of Burj Hulw 2014 and on going projects – Jazirat Al Hamrah restoration project since 2014 and restoration of Naslah tower complex 2016.

Managing the team responsible for developing infrastructure for the heritage tourism sites in RAK – Dahayah, Shimal and Falayah Heritage Parks. Managing Jazirat Al Hamrah restoration project. Interested in heritage management – strategy and future planning with the focus on developing and implementing international standards, procedures, guidelines and scientific infrastructure. Training teams and developing research methodologies in excavation, restoration/conservation and traditional architecture recording and assessment.

ABSTRACT

After the decline of Julfar trading town the Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah went through a period of dispersed urbanisation first developing the Old town of RAK and later Rams, Ma’arid and Jazirat Al-Hamrah. There was a rapid growth of different types of traditional buildings - Forts/fortresses, watchtowers, traditional mosques, palm garden stone/mudbrick houses and villages. Jazirat Al-Hamrah is the second largest coastal town after RAK Old town. It was mainly a trading and fishing town dated back to late 17th - early 18th century AD.

It is a typical traditional town having a variety of traditional building types. It has a fort, a traditional Suq and a number of mosques. There are large and small compound houses, richly decorated to very simple modest houses. The different types of material and building techniques show a gradual development of the town. It is a town where all the character defining elements and features of the traditional architecture of Ras Al-Khaimah can be found.

The current project is undertaken to record and document the existing traditional buildings in their current state of condition. There is an on going study to understand the traditional building material and construction techniques, character defining elements and features. It is also in the scope of the project to carry out excavation at different points to understand the different levels of occupation and development/growth of the town. Based on the information generated through the process of recording and the study the buildings are being restored following the international standards.

April 09, 2017
Lecture Title - “The Wild Life of Oman"
Biography - Jens and Hanne Eriksen

Having lived for 25 years in Oman (plus five years in Abu Dhabi) Jens and his wife Hanne have travelled the length and breadth of Oman in search of wildlife. In this talk they will share their experience from their many trips. Their latest book, Wildlife in Oman, a guide for young people, was published three months ago and aims to highlight the great biodiversity of Oman. Though it is intended for children, everybody from age 3 to 103 will learn from this book, which will be available at the talk.

Oman is blessed with a wealth of wildlife species. At the latest count, 83 species of mammals, 527 species of birds, 105 species of reptiles, 79 species of butterflies and 44 species of dragonflies have been recorded in addition to an unknown number of other insects. The lecture will highlight a number of spectacular species from all parts of Oman such as a day of 600 eagles of eight different species at Raysut and unique Humpback Whales seen from the shore along the southeast coast.

March 05, 2017
Lecture Title - “"Plain Tiger Butterfly and some Aspects of its Development"."
Biography - Malgorzata de Latour-Abdalla

Malgorzata is a native to Poland. She has lived in several Arab and Western countries.
After arrival to the Emirates in 2003, she became fascinated by the local nature, which she explored extensively. Additionally, she found interest in local folklore, which she studied from museums, periodicals and direct contacts with Emirati friends. Seeing local folklore disappearing and restricted to local festivals and museums she decided to share her knowledge of it with the expat community at large. On the subjects of Emirati folklore and nature in the years 2006-2007 she contributed articles to the Sharjah English newspaper “Gulf Today”.

In the years 2008-2010 Malgorzata, conducted an informal photographic study on the insects visiting Sodom’s Apple plants in urban Sharjah. In her study she documented over 100 insect and spider species living off these bushes.

Malgorzata is currently is working on a book about the Sodom’s Apple and its importance in the local ecosystem.

February 05, 2017
Lecture Title - “Some conservation work in Cross River, Nigeria and the story of a primate release in the local National Park"
Biography - Isabelle Theyse
Isabelle Theyse is a French national. She studied veterinary nursing in the UK. Isabelle worked at the Sharjah Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife from 2009 to 2013. After leaving the UAE she spent a few months in the UK and then went on to Nigeria for 3 months.

On returning to the UK from Nigeria, Isabelle was contact by the board of trustees of CERCOPAN to help them as they were going through a difficult period financially due to the Ebola crisis and most of the expats had left. Isabelle I arrived back in Nigeria in September 2014 and stayed for 2 years.

From being a veterinary nurse then manager, Isabelle is now the Director for the CERCOPAN NGO.

The CERCOPAN focus was the rescue of local primate species mainly guenons and Red Capped Mangabeys. Isabelle will not speak about CERCOPAN but will tell us about primate NGO in the same area called Pandrillus which deals with Drill monkeys and Chimpanzees. Isabelle will also speak about the work of the World Conservation Society in the region which focuses on the study and protection of the Cross River Gorilla.
Isabelle will also approach the subject of the bush meat trade as there are currently 2 researchers in the area studying this problem.

January 08, 2017

Lecture Title - “Catastrophes, Crashes and Crimes in the UAE during the 1970s"
Biography - Dr. Athol Yates
Dr Yates has an Engineering Degree, and a Masters and Doctorate in Public Policy. He works at the Institute for International and Civil Security, Khalifa University, which offers a Masters Degree aimed at Emirati security professionals. He teaches civil security which covers professional security practice, internal security and disaster management. http://www.kustar.ac.ae/pages/dr-athol-yates

Athol Yates will talk about the new book his team has produced. Called Catastrophes, Crashes and Crimes in the UAE: Newspaper articles of the 1970s, he will discuss why the book was written, and some of the strange, sad and downright weird stories in it.

Like any country, the United Arab Emirates has had its share of criminals, accidents, natural disasters and downright weird incidents. Most of these events merit a few pages in the newspapers before disappearing from history. This new book brings tragic, strange and illuminating stories from the 1970s back to life in a compilation of 168 of the best, drawn from past UAE newspapers – UAE News, Emirates News, Abu Dhabi News and the Gulf Weekly Mirror.

The common theme of these articles is their impact on the safety, security and stability of the UAE, and they cover a vast range of topics from smuggling deaths to murders, from assassinations to plane hijackings, and from mermaid hoaxes to UFO sightings. Together, they not only provide a fascinating glimpse into the past, but many of them also still resonate today.

The editor, Dr Athol Yates, Institute of international and Civil Security, Khalifa University,.
Information at: https://medinapublishing.com/product/catastrophes-crashes-and-crimes-in-the-uae/

December 04, 2016 - MEMBERS NIGHT - three presentations to be given by DNHG members

Lecture Title - “Svalbard - Land of the Polar Bear“
Biography - Angela Manthorpe
After 2 visits to the Antarctic, longtime DNHG member Angela Manthorpe decided that 2016 was the right time to visit the Arctic. Her presentation will focus on her recent trip to Svalbard and will cover encounters with polar bears and other wildlife, activities around the main town of Longyearbyen, a brief look at the cultural history of the area and a foolhardy dip in the polar sea.

Lecture Title - “Vignettes of the eons past “
Biography - Nirmal Rajah
This talk about fossils will give a brief glimpse into the history of life on planet earth. The talk will explore the importance of learning about the past and how this knowledge can help us in the future. There will be a small exhibition of fossils collected by the speaker after the talk.

Lecture Title - “A glimpse into the amphibian diversity of the Western Ghats“
Biography - Sahil Abdul Latheef
Sahill was born in Kerala, India. After finishing his schooling in Dubai studied Architecture in Mumbai, India and completed his postgraduate studies in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He is a recipient of the prestigious Charles Correa Gold Medal for Design and has worked with multiple award-winning architectural consultancies in London, Mumbai and Singapore. Earlier last year he moved back to Dubai, the city where he grew up and is currently practicing with a Dubai-based design consultancy. He has also been involved with architectural academia for over 5 years and has lead multiple architectural study excursions to cities in Europe, Asia and the Americas; he is currently also a Design professor at the Amity University, Dubai.

Besides practicing architecture, through his travels Sahil picked up a keen interest in understanding our natural environment and has been avidly attending field trips, workshops and surveys over the last decade or so focusing on various aspects of biodiversity starting with Ornithology and then moving on to studying Lepidoptera, Odonata and most recently Batrachology (i.e. the study of amphibians). He has contributed his observations and photographs to multiple online and print natural history publications and hopes to continue these interests with his participation at various DNHG events and field trips. Today he will give us an illustrated talk titled "A Glimpse into the Amphibian diversity of the Western Ghats" in which he would like to share some natural history facts about the various habitats that make up the Western Ghats of South India and focus on its Amphibians using his own photographs from multiple field trips to different parts of this globally significant biodiversity hotspot.

November 06, 2016
Lecture Title - “Doing a Ph.D. on Peccaries in French Guyana“
Biography - Dr. Jacky Judas
Jacky Judas is the Research Manager, Wadi Wurayah National Park, EWS – WWF. He has a Ph.D. in tropical Ecology from MNHN, France and has been involved in Research and conservation for the past 18 years.

Jacky Judas, is currently working for the Emirates Wildlife Society – World Wide Fund (EWS – WWF), as Manager and Scientific Adviser – Terrestrial Biodiversity. He firstly joined this organizationin December 2012 as wildlife consultant, and from July 2013 to December 2015 was Research Manager of Wadi Wurayah National Park,the first Mountain protected Area of the United Arab Emirates. His main duties are to initiate and implement the 5 years EWS-WWF terrestrial conservation strategy.

Jacky is from France and after obtaining his Masters in land management from Lille University (France), Jacky spent 1 year in the French Austral and AntarcticTerritories studying albatrosses and penguins, and then 4 years in the tropical rain forest of French Guyna to complete his Ph.D. on the ecology of the collared peccaries for the French National Museum of Natural History.

In 1998, Jacky joined the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) of Saudi Arabia, where he started to work on Houbara Bustard conservation before to join the National Avian Research Center of Abu Dhabi near Sweihanin 2004. He occupied the position of Field research assistant from 2004 to 2009, and then regional coordinator of research and conservation programmes on the Asian Houbara Bustard in Asia and Middle-East, and manager of the Ecology and Conservation department at NARC up to October 2012.

The lecture
In August 1993, Jacky together with 3 professors of the MNHN and 2 other PhD students flew to French Guyana from France, travelled up the Sinnamary River for 7 hours and established a temporary camp in the rainforest. Field assistants were recruited from local tribes, the group

This was the start of an adventure that lasted nearly 4 years, implementing a research station in the rainforest, searching for peccaries for months, trapping them, and equipping them with radio-transmitters is the story, that will be presented to the DNHG and give us a taste of experiences of what it is like to live in the rain forest for months, along with an introduction to the life of the collared peccaries. Results of Jacky’s research and notes will also form part of the presentation and Jacky will also discuss, results of other remarkable species found in the Guyana plateau.

October 09, 2016
Lecture Title - “Shell we? Oh yes, let's ! Collecting seashells in UAE and Oman - from whim to passion over three years". “
Biography - Andrew Childs and Vicky Dobson
Andrew and Vicky’s presentation will cover how their interest in shelling started. They had no previous experience in shelling and also no previous experience or expertise in marine biology. The presentation will show how they have progressed in collecting a fairly comprehensive (and still growing) collection of shells. It is their goal to find examples of a majority of shell species in the UAE and Oman.
This collection and the goals Andrew and Vicky hope to achieve, has in part been prompted by the printed works of Sandy Fowler, Kathleen Smythe, and Donald Bosch et al.
Vicky and Andrew will also talk about how much the beaches and coastline have altered since books of the above mentioned authors were first published, and also how many of the shell names have changed in that time.
They will also talk about what beaches have provided the richest pickings and they will probably bring a box or two of example shells that they have come across, big and small.
Andrew and Vicky are also inviting people to bring along some local (from Oman or UAE) interesting shells that they have picked up and would like to show, or are struggling to identify the shells they have found. They will not guarantees that they will be able to identify each shell presented to them but are willing to give it a go. By bringing in your shells it may show up some interesting items for discussion.
If you would like to bring a shell for identification and to have it discussed, please send Andrew and Vicky a clear photo of the shell beforehand they do some research if required, but that would need some coordination. Photos can be sent to [email protected] a week before the presentation is given. The photos will be passed onto Andrew and Vicky immediately.

September 18, 2016
Lecture Title - “Herpetofauna conservation & biodiversity in the United Arab Emirates“
Biography - Johannes Els

Johannes Els, is a South African herpetologist based at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife. He completed his studies in nature conservation through the University of South Africa and Zoo and Aquarium animal management through Sparsholt College, Hampshire, United Kingdom.

Johannes is a member of the IUCN/SSC sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa/West Asia Viper specialist groups and IUCN/SSC Freshwater fish specialist group. He has a special interest in reptile ecology and biogeography. He co-authored the first comprehensive IUCN Redlist for the reptiles of the Arabian Peninsula and several other publications which include the description of two new species of geckos from the Hajar Mountains of Oman and United Arab Emirates. Johannes' interest in reptiles has taken him from the world’s smallest viper in South Africa to Indonesia’s largest lizard and Britain’s snow basking adders.

The content of Johannes' talk will include new contributions to the herpetology of the UAE and in situ and ex situ conservation projects for multiple species.

June 05, 2016
Lecture Title - “The natural aerial cleaners: Vultures. Species, conservation and culture“
Biography - Dr. Panagiotis Azmanis, Ph.D

Dr Panagiotis Azmanis was born in Thessaloniki/Greece and he completed his veterinary studies in 2006 at Aristotle’s University. After graduation he started a 1 to 5 year rotating internship in Small Animal Surgery/Exotics at the same University, whilst also working as a freelance avian/exotic vet.

In 2007 he moved in Zurich to fulfill a doctoral thesis on avian orthopaedic surgery in the Clinic for Exotic Pets, Zoo Animals and Wildlife, UZH, Vetsuisse Faculty. After practising small animal/exotic medicine in private practice in Athens/Greece, he moved to Germany to take a 3-year residency of the European College of Zoological Medicine in Avian Medicine and Surgery.

In 2014, after a successful examination, he was awarded the title of Diplomate ECZM (Avian)/European recognised Specialist in Avian Medicine (the first Greek, the second in Middle East and one of 30 in Europe). Afterwards he resumed his positions as leading avian specialist in exotic animal practice and in zoo consulting.

Since 1993 he has been a keen birdwatcher, member of the scientific committee of the Hellenic Ornithological Society, member of the Greek and German Herpetological Societies, founding member of two NGOs for the protection of wildlife in Greece and a member of various professional vet organisations and nature conservation NGOs in Greece, Balkans, Europe and Internationally.

He has managed and volunteered in various conservation projects of bird, raptor, vulture, wildlife conservation and has published and presented numerous scientific work in international conferences on avian medicine topics and raptor/vulture conservation. In September 2015 he moved to Dubai with his wife Marie, his cat Grisou and his falcon Iskander, to work at Dubai Falcon Hospital and with HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

May 08, 2016
Lecture Title - “Tracking Socotra Cormorants for Conservation“
Biography - Sabir Bin Muzaffar, Ph.D

Dr. Sabir Bin Muzaffar is a wildlife biologist specializing on the ecology, migration and diseases of birds. He received his B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Memorial University, St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada where he worked on the ecology, parasites and diseases of seabirds in eastern Canada. His research examined host-parasite-pathogen interactions and was key in determining the geographic spread of helminths and diseases of puffins, murres, razorbills and gulls (among others) and their associations with climatic anomalies in the Northwest Atlantic. He then did his post doctoral research at the University of California, Davis on the ecology and migration of waterfowl in Europe and Asia, with special reference to the role of migratory birds in the geographic spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu). This work shed light on the migratory movement of ducks and gulls and was instrumental in dispelling myths about their involvement in large-scale, long-distance spread of bird flu. Dr. Muzaffar has also worked on the ecology and conservation of a wide variety of wildlife in Bangladesh, where he was born, including the critically endangered Hoolock Gibbon, Asiatic bears, and migratory birds. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain. His current work involves the long-term study of the ecology of the globally threatened Socotra Cormorants breeding on Siniya Island as well as other birds.

April 10, 2016
Lecture Title - “Sand in the Blood: A soldier in Arabia“
Biography - David Neild

David Neild is the author of ’Soldier in Arabia’ and featured at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature this year. David Neild was born in Portsmouth in 1938, the second son of a Royal Naval Officer. In 1959 he joined the little-known Trucial Oman Scouts, a military force composed of British and Arab soldiers serving in the Trucial States – the states which would later become the UAE. At the age of 20 he was the youngest officer ever to serve in the TOS and it marked the beginning of a remarkable Arabian journey.

In the years between 1966 and 1972 he rose from Captain to Lt Colonel. He commanded the first Trucial Oman Scouts rifle squadron to be based in Ras Al Khaimah, where he formed a lasting friendship with the Ruler, His Highness Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. Towards the end of 1968 HH Sheikh Saqr took the decision to establish his own independent Mobile Force and invited Neild to form and command it, provided he left the British Army. This was an offer he found impossible to refuse and he spent the next three years establishing a fully trained, effective force.

In 1972, Neild was asked to form and command the Sharjah National Guard. In 2013 he returned with his wife, Eileen, to the United Arab Emirates, where they reside today.

March 6, 2016
Lecture Title - Early days in the UAE oil search
Biography - David Heard OBE CBE

David G. Heard was born in London and was educated at Monkton Combe School in Bath, England. He obtained his degree in Geology and Physics from the University of Keele, in Staffordshire.

David arrived in the UAE in 1963 to work as an engineer for the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company (ADPC) and went on to hold a number of different positions in the company. He then became an ADPC representative for the Abu Dhabi company (UAE Government contact) and finally an advisor to ADPC and SPC (Supreme Petroleum Council).
David is married to Dr. Frauke Bey and is now retired and living in Abu Dhabi.

David Heard is a member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs in London, a 25-year Member of The Society of Petroleum Engineers in the USA, a member of The Travellers Club in London and a member of the British Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), London. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Petroleum,(Energy Institute), London.
David has also served as the Chairman for the Board of Governors for the British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.

David Heard has been decorated twice by Queen Elizabeth II. In 1990 David was awarded Officer of the Orderof the British Empire(OBE) and then in 2000 was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

David Heard has published the following books:-
‘From Pearls to Oil’. How the Oil Industry came to the UAE. Motivate Dubai, 2011
Travellers Tales. 2 chapters 1999 Travellers Club, London
Oil and Regional Developments. 1 chapter 1998. Chatham House, London

February 7, 2016
Lecture Title - Mapping Abu Dhabi’s Habitats
Biography - Richard Flemmings

Richard Flemmings is the General Manager of Proteus, a company who specialise in using innovative map making techniques, primarily using satellite imagery. He moved from the UK to Abu Dhabi in 2013 to lead the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi habitat mapping project. Richard has a degree in Cartography and a MSc in Geographical Information Science. He has 14 years’ experience in surveying and map making. Richard has worked in offshore survey in the Indian Ocean and Australia, and was a camera operator in survey aircraft mapping several countries in Africa and Europe. His passion for map making and discovering new landscapes and environments has led to him becoming a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), and achieving Chartered Geographer status (CGeog).
Richard sits on the ENHG committee and is responsible for coordinating corporate sponsorship for the group.
Further information about mapping Abu Dhabi’s Habitats
In early 2013, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi commissioned a project to produce a habitat map of the entire Emirate. The goal was to produce a highly detailed record of the entire landscape as a baseline to work from for future environmental planning. Using Very High Resolution satellite imagery the entire Abu Dhabi Emirate was mapped at 1:10,000 scale, classifying the land and sea into 42 terrestrial and 13 marine habitats. The map, which is now complete, was ground breaking in its magnitude and level of detail; the methods that were used are usually only deployed for small scale Environmental Impact Assessment studies. This map is the first of its kind in the world to use these techniques over such a large area.
This presentation will explore how this highly detailed habitat map can be used to inform environmental decision making in years to come, as well as briefly explaining how the map was created, using a mixture of disciplines and techniques, combining classic cartographic principles with cutting-edge satellite processing technologies and local ecological expertise. A demonstration of the final map will be given, and how this can be accessed by the general public through the Environment Agency’s website.

January 10, 2016
Lecture Title - The foundation of the UAE: Why is it a federation?
Biography - Frauke Heard-Bey

Frauke Heard-Bey studied in Heidelberg and Berlin. She received her Ph.D. from the “Freie Universität” of West Berlin in 1967 and followed her husband David to Abu Dhabi in the same year. David had already been with the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company since 1963. Frauke joined the Centre for Documentation and Research in Abu Dhabi, part of the Presidential Court, in 1969. She was with the Centre for 39 years. The Center (now the National Archive) specialized in collecting archival material about the Gulf from foreign sources such as the India Office Library in London, the state archives of Portugal, Holland, Germany, France and several other countries. Frauke’s research into the social, economic and constitutional history and current developments of the countries of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula have led to several books and over 70 articles in foreign academic journals, joint books, published seminar papers and reviews.
Notable publications include:-
From Trucial States to United Arab Emirates: A Society in Transition (1st. edn. London, Longman, 1982); 3rd edn. Motivate Dubai 2004, French edition, Les Emirats Arabes Unis (Paris: Karthala, 1999); German edition, Die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate zwischen Vorgestern und Übermorgen, Dubai and Hildesheim, 2010, Motivate and Georg Olms Verlag.
Die arabischen Golfstaaten im Zeichen der islamischen Revolution. Innen-aussen- und sicherheitspolitische Zusammenarbeit im Golf-Rat (Bonn: Europa Verlag, 1983), a historical and political study about the origins of the GCC.
The United Arab Emirates: Transition in a Federal State, Occasional Paper No. 20, SOAS, Centre of Near and Middle Eastern Studies, London, 2001. From Tribe to State. The Transformation of Political Structure in Five States of the GCC, N.15 – 2008, CRiSSMA Working Paper, Università Cattolica, Milano

2015

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Lecture 1 Title - Selected Bees visiting Sodom's Apple flowers in Urban Sharjah in the years 2008-2010
Biography - Malgorzata de Latour-Abdalla
Malgorzata is a native to Poland. She has lived in several Arab and Western countries.
After arrival to the Emirates in 2003, she became fascinated by the local nature, which she explored extensively. Additionally, she found interest in local folklore, which she studied from museums, periodicals and direct contacts with Emirati friends. Seeing local folklore disappearing and restricted to local festivals and museums she decided to share her knowledge of it with the expat community at large. On the subjects of Emirati folklore and nature in the years 2006-2007 she contributed articles to the Sharjah English newspaper “Gulf Today”.

In the years 2008-2010 Malgorzata, conducted an informal photographic study on the insects visiting Sodom’s Apple plants in urban Sharjah. In her study she documented over 100 insect and spider species living off these bushes.

Malgorzata is currently is working on a book about the Sodom’s Apple and its importance in the local ecosystem.

Lecture 2 Title - Birds and wildlife of Costa Rica and the challenges of jungle photography
Biography - Steve Raynor

Steve and Johanna Raynor travelled to south western Costa Rica to photograph birds, reptiles and insects. This talk showcases the photographs that did work and offers tips and traps for photographers in a jungle environment.

Steve developed an interest in birds and photography only after joining DNHG in 2002. He has since travelled to many places to capture images of birds, including Oman, Iceland, Sri Lanka, and Alaska and found the Costa Rica jungle the most challenging environment so far.

Lecture 3 Title - Chilades pandava butterflies in the UAE: a case of mistaken identity
Biography - Tamsin Carlisle

Tamsin Carlisle was trained as an evolutionary biologist and obtained a BA in zoology from Oxford University and a Ph.D in evolutionary ecology from University of California at Santa Barbara. However, life intervened, and she has spent most of the past three decades working as a business journalist, mainly covering the Canadian and Middle East oil and gas sectors. She is currently DNHG Bird Recorder, but takes a broad interest in the fauna, flora and ecology of the Arabian Peninsula, especially from an evolutionary perspective.

NOVEMBER 1, 2015

Lecture Title - The use of modern physics techniques in archaeological research.

Biography - Prof. Ghaffar Attaelmanan - Dept, Chair at the University of Sharjah - Applied and Radiation Physics

Prof. Attaelmanan is currently involved in several projects one of which is the establishment of the National XRF laboratory for the analysis of archaeological and environmental samples. His research interests include:-
Microbeam X-ray Fluorescence Analysis, X-ray imaging, Digital radiography techniques, Neutron Activation Analysis.
and Solar applications.

Prof Attaelmanan has also published several papers, of which a few which are listed below:-

Atta G. Attaelmanan and Eisa A. Yousif. EDXRF analysis of pigment used for the decoration of Mleiha pottery. Journal of Archaeological Science (2012) 39: 2231-2237.

A Reddy, AG Attaelmanan and M Mouton. Pots, plates and provenance: sourcing Indian coarse wares from Mleiha using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry analysis. Materials Science and Engineering (2012) 37: 012010 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/37/1/012010.

Eisa Yousif, and Atta Attaelmanan. Role of XRF in the restoration of a prominent architectural monument at the site of Mleiha. Materials Science and Engineering (2012) 37: 012005 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/37/1/012005

J. Goy, C. Le Carlier, M. Desgli Esposti and G. Attaelmanan. Archaeometallurgical survey in the Emirate of Fujairah (U.A.E.) and a preliminary chemical analyses of copper –base items from the Iron Age site of Masafi.

Anne Benoist, Cécile Le Carlier, Julie Goy, Michele Degli Esposti, Barbara Armbruster, and Gaffar Attaelmanan. Snake, Copper and Water In South-Eastern Arabian Religion During The Iron Age: The Bithnah And Masāfī Evidence. Pre-Islamic South Arabia and its Neighbours: New Developments of Research, Edited by Mounir Arbach and Jérémie Schiettecatte, British Foundation for the Study of Arabia Monographs No. 16, 2015

OCTOBER 4, 2015

Lecture Title - The Arabian Tahr: Habits, Habitat and Conservation
Biography - Dr. Steve Ross - Conservation Biologist, University of Bristol, Mammal Research Unit

Dr Steve Ross is a conservation biologist and a Research Associate of the University of Bristol. For the last 3.5-years Steve has been based in Oman working with the government on field research and educational projects aiming to increase Oman’s capacity to conserve the Arabian tahr. Steve is a member of the IUCN Caprinae Specialist Group and the Cat Specialist Group. His background is in applied field ecology, and in the last 20 years his work has encompassed conservation projects of Sitka black tailed deer in Alaska, African lions in Botswana, and the first study of Pallas’s cat in Mongolia.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2015

Lecture Title - Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre at Al Ain Zoo. Our vision and mission and how we will deliver them.
Biography - D. Nick Dixon - Director, Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, Al Ain Zoo

Nick has more than 30 years experience in the museum and science centre sector. He has worked as a Curator, manager in a funding agency, consultant and museum Director.

Much of this experience was gained in the United Kingdom, but in recent years he has worked in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and now the United Arab Emirates. Nick’s professional agenda is to support the development of institutions that closely reflect the culture in which they are located; which address the needs and expectations of local audiences and which help to project the values of the local society.

JUNE 7, 2015

Lecture Title - "South Africa's Great White Sharks"

The lecture lasts approximately two hours, and is accompanied by mag- nificent photographs taken during 16 expeditions that were organized in South Africa from 2010 with Apex Shark Expeditions. The lecture covers the following topics: biology and predatory tactics of the great white shark, field observations and cage diving in the False Bay, South Africa. The talk will be given in English. These lectures are part of a tour that so far had a total of 43 dates with an attendance of over 4,000 people.

Biography - Dott. Alessandro De Maddalena (Milan, Italy, 1970) is one of the world’s fore- most shark experts. He is a researcher, writer, illustrator and photogra- pher. De Maddalena is an independent researcher, a collaborator for Apex Shark Expeditions, the curator of the Italian Great White Shark Data Bank, a founding member of the Mediterranean Shark Research Group, a Regional Investigator for the Global Shark Attack File, and an Ambassador of the Undersea Soft Encounter Alliance. He's the author of 19 books on sharks, 35 research reports and 78 articles in popular and professional magazines, published in 18 Nations. De Maddalena has hosted many Expeditions / Courses in Shark Biology in South Africa (operated by Apex Shark Expeditions), and Expeditions / Courses in Orca Biology in Norway (operated by Strømsholmen Sjøsportsenter). He has given lectures on shark biology at many universities, museums and diving associations around the world.

MAY 10, 2015

Lecture Title - “Evolutionary Dead-ends in Eastern Arabia”
Biography - Dr. Richard Hornby

Dr. Richard Hornby spent most of his childhood in Kenya. He has a background in zoology but also a keen interest in botany and ecology in general. For about twenty years he worked with the Nature Conservancy Council in southern England. After a period as an ecological consultant in Southern England, he moved to Abu Dhabi in 1993 to set up the National Avian Research Centre (NARC), which is now part of EAD. After a spell with the UAE Federal Environmental Agency (FEA) he became an independent ecological consultant, based in Abu Dhabi. He extended his interests into marine and coastal ecology, and carried out a number of coastal surveys.

In 1997 Dick joined the staff of The Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems, to work as an Academic Editor, while continuing with ecological consultancy. The encyclopaedia is devoted to bringing together a comprehensive and integrated body of knowledge for use in correcting current practices which threaten the Earth’s essential life support systems.

In 2005 the consultancy work became a little more official, and he established Nautica Environmental Associates, jointly with Veryan Pappin. The company has always been busy and has grown to about a dozen people. Dick takes the lead with all the terrestrial work and has carried out many surveys in UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. For about ten years Dick has also been involved with co-leading natural history holiday tours, mostly in Mediterranean Europe. He was the Chairman of Emirates Natural History Group from 1993 to 1999.

APRIL 12, 2015

Lecture Title - "Life in the Desert"

Biography - Ahmed Al-Harethi

Ahmed Al-Harethi is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Inter-Disciplinary Doctoral Program (IDDP) at Masdar Institute. He works under Dr. Hector Hernandez and his main research objective is to bio-prospect for native microalgae strains and to assess their potential for the UAE. He joined Masdar Institute in 2011, and finished his master’s degree in chemical engineering in 2013.

Prior to joining Masdar Institute, he graduated from the Chemical Engineering program at the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi in 2007, then worked as an operations supervisor and a process engineer for 4 years at Habshan Gas Plant as an employee of GASCO.

MARCH 8, 2015

Lecture Title - "An introduction to butterflies of the UAE and Oman"

Biography - Herbert Otto was born in Zimbabwe and spent most of his life in Mpumalanga, South Africa. He developed a passion for butterflies while visiting a family farm which developed into a survey and subsequent book entitled 'Butterflies of the Kruger National Park and surrounds'.

He is currently working on 'Butterflies of Oman' with the first recordings of the Western Pygmy Blue (Brephidium exilis) and the Osiris Blue (Euchrysops osiris) in Sohar, Oman.

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

Lecture Title - “Rethinking the Oasis Development Model: Case study at Masāfī (UAE)”

Biography - Dr. Julien Charbonnier is a postdoctoral researcher associated with the laboratory ARSCAN in Nanterre (France). His research focuses on pre- Islamic water systems in Southern Arabia and he has conducted fieldwork in the U.A.E., Oman and the Yemen.

As a member of the French Archaeological Mission in the U.A.E. (dir. Sophie Méry) he has been studying Iron Age hydraulic structures in Masāfī (Fujairah) since 2010. The main goal of this project – lead in partnership with Louise Purdue (CNRS, France) – is to understand the emergence and the development of this oasis from the Bronze Age to the present day.

JANUARY 11, 2015

Lecture Title - “Dugong Conservation in the UAE – Challenges and Opportunities”

Biography - Dr. Himansu Sekhar Das is a passionate and dedicated marine scientist who has devoted approximately 20 years of his career to the research and conservation of marine resources, coastal wetlands and marine endangered species in the tropics. He is presently working with the Environmental Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) as the Unit Head of the ‘Marine Threatened Species and Habitats’ program, which includes several landmark programs for the conservation of endangered species and habitats, including that of dugongs, sea turtles, mangroves and seagrass ecosystems.

Prior to his present assignment, Dr. Das worked as a scientist, specialising in wetland ecology, at the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the Government of India. His work on coastal wetlands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands earned him a ‘Young Scientist’s Award’ from the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme in 1996.

Dr. Das is the regional chair of the IUCN-Sirenian Specialist Group (Indian Ocean Region), a member of IUCN-Marine Turtle Specialists Group and conducts technical and awareness workshops with stakeholders for conservation of natural resources.

2014

DECEMBER 7, 2014

Lecture Title - “DNHG Annual Members’ Night”

Steve Raynor -- ’Discovering Iceland’
Longtime DNHG members Johanna and Steve Raynor visited Iceland in the summer of 2014, for the 24 hours of sunlight. The presentation shows images covering the geology, scenery and wildlife and offers a few photography and travel tips.

Dr. Jean-Paul Berger -- ’Geology of Djibouti’
Jean-Paul Berger is a professor of Life and Earth Sciences and studied at the University Pierre et Marie Curie (UPCM) in Paris. He has taught in Paris, Morocco, London and Sarrebrücken (Germany) and came to Dubai in 2002, where he currently teaches biology and geology at Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou (LFIGP) in Dubai. He also leads training geology field trips for teachers in the UAE and Oman.

For 6 years he worked for the ministry of education in the Djibouti Republic and, through a co-project between the French and Djibouti education authorities, is the author of ‘Géologie de Djibouti’ – A website designed for French speaking students about the opening of a very new ocean in Djibouti. http://www.jpb-imagine.com/djibgeol/

Binish Roobas -- ’An Introduction to some distinctive UAE spiders’
Binish Roobas has a bachelor's degree in Zoology from Kerala University and has worked in Kerala as a naturalist guide. In the UAE, he has been responsible for the recognition and study of several rare species, including Walton's mudskipper and Bosk's fringe-toed lizard.

He has a special interest in butterflies, dragonflies and spiders. Spiders are one of the least studied groups in the UAE. Binish's talk will introduce us to some of the more distinctive spiders that can be found here.

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

Lecture Title - “The Islamic Centuries in Al-Ain and the Buraimi Oasis”

Abstract
The historic Buraimi Oasis lies about 150km south of Dubai, situated between the Mahadha plain and Abu Dhabi dunes, with Jebel Hafit and the Hajar Mountains looming on the near horizon. The Omani chroniclers and British explorers of the eighteenth to mid-twentieth centuries describe a landscape of nine discrete date-palm oases scattered across a sparse savannah of acacia and ghaf trees.

The area was settled in the Bronze and Iron Ages, as visitors to the Hili Archaeological Park and Al-Ain National Museum will know, but the Islamic centuries have long remained mysterious. This lecture will draw upon the author‟s archaeological fieldwork and historical research in Al-Ain and Buraimi, undertaken in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi TCA and Sultan Qaboos University, to present an account of the principal monuments and archaeological sites of the Islamic centuries.

Biography - Dr. Timothy Powers is an archaeologist and occasional historian specialising in Arabia and the Islamic world. His interest in Islamic civilization began in 2001 when he moved to Cairo, from where he worked on a historical guidebook to Alexandria and dug in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, before travelling extensively in the Islamic world between Seville and Samarkand. He went on to study Islamic art and archaeology at the University of Oxford, and completed his doctorate on the Red Sea basin from Byzantium to the Caliphate, now published as a book by the AUC Press. He has been based in the Arabian Gulf since 2009.

He was first a consultant to the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority before becoming a lecturer at the new UCL campus in Qatar, and is presently an assistant professor at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. His archaeological fieldwork these past six years has focused on the Al-Ain/ Buraimi Oases, on the border between the UAE and Oman. In 2014 he set up the Buraimi Oasis Landscape Archaeology Project, a collaboration between Zayed University, Sultan Qaboos University and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, which aims to explore the historic unity and shared heritage of the Buraimi Oasis.

OCTOBER 12, 2014

Lecture Title - “Have you seen the largest beetle in the wood? Preliminary patterns of dispersal and movement in Anthracocentrus arabicus”

Abstract
Despite its large size, the giant Arabian longhorn beetle (Anthracocentrus arabicus) is rarely observed as it is seasonal and nocturnal. Its distribution spans the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa and ecological data is sparse for this species. A. arabicus adults are thought not to feed and larva are believed to be associated with the roots of the regionally endemic ‘Ghaf’ tree (Prosopis cineraria).

During October to December 2013, a field study was conducted where a defined ‘Ghaf’ population in a sandy desert environment within Al Ain, was examined for the presence of A. arabicus adults. The study monitored the different movements of A. arabicus by marking, releasing and recapturing individuals. Findings indicated that A. arabicus display restricted movement patterns, and have an unbalanced male/female ratio. These findings, along with adult longevity and population density, are discussed in the context of conservation given the rapid development in the UAE with fragmentation and loss of habitat. This study will lead to future research.

Biography - Dr. Brigitte Howarth is an experienced ecologist, with a BSc in applied ecology from the University of East London, and a PhD in ecological and behavioural entomology from the University of Central Lancashire. With over 15 years experience in the region, Brigitte has a thorough knowledge of the UAE and Oman’s ecology, fauna and flora. Her responsibilities at Zayed University include chairing the department of Natural Science and Public Health, as well as delivering lectures in ecology. Brigitte is also the Chairman of the Al Ain chapter of the Emirates Natural History Group.

Dr. Janine Tan completed her doctorate on the large pine weevil, ‘Hylobius abietisa: a major pest in plantation coniferous forestry’. Her research was conducted at Forest Research, the research division of the Forestry Commission, UK, and awarded by the University of Ulster. Since 2012, she has been working at Zayed University in the UAE, teaching biology and ecology. In 2013 she began her preliminary studies with Dr. Brigitte Howarth on the Arabian long horn beetle (Anthracocentrus arabicus).

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

Lecture Title - “The Terraced Settlements of the High Musandam”

Abstract
The mountains of the Musandam peninsula, north of Ras al-Khaimah, are shared by the UAE and Oman. This is the highest area in Eastern Arabia north of the Jebel Akhdar. Until the modern era, the high Musandam (the Ru'us al-Jibal or "the Mountain Tops") was home to an extensive network of seasonal settlements - remote but vital oases set in a stark and dramatic landscape, some with scores of dwellings and populations sufficient, over time, to fill graveyards of several hundred souls.

That way of life has passed. Although a few of the more accessible high settlements have been expanded, most have been effectively abandoned. Far from roads and hidden from view, they are scarcely even imagined by visitors who traverse the few roads that reach the high Musandam. And there are fewer visitors as border restrictions have been progressively tightened.

Biography - DNHG Chairman Gary Feulner has explored the Musandam region for more than two decades. His account of the Musandam flora was published in 2011 as a special volume of Tribulus. In 2001 and 2002 he served as team member and guide for an archaeological survey of the terraced settlements of the Musandam by University of Durham archaeologist Derek Kennet, formerly resident archaeologist at the National Museum of Ras al-Khaimah.

JUNE 8, 2014

Lecture Title - “Re-stitching and Intervention in Sharjah’s Souqs”

Abstract
The lecture will describe the original extent and character of Sharjah’s souqs and their significance for Sharjah during the 19th century. It records partial demolition during redevelopment in the 1970s. In 2009, the Ruler instructed the covering of Souq Saqr and reconstruction of its gates. The new roof is both modern and traditional in spirit, its design maximising natural cooling, to blend contemporary functional requirements with traditional form and materials.

Each phase of the project has had to be completed keeping the souq fully operational. Following recent archaeological survey and excavation, a final phase will restore its broken continuity across Bank Street.

Biography - Peter Jackson studied architecture at the University College of London, working first in London, Dubai, Muscat and Zambia during the 1970s. In 1980 he established an architectural practice in Zimbabwe, also with projects in Botswana and Mozambique. He returned to the UAE in 2002 and in 2007 he joined HH The Ruler’s Office in Sharjah as Architect Advisor, with particular responsibilities for museums and historic buildings.

He was founding Chairman of the English-speaking Chapter of the UAE Architectural Heritage Society for its first five years. He lectures frequently and has written books, papers and articles on his architectural historical research. Peter has been an active member of the DNHG and the RIBAgulf Chapter & is author of “Historic Buildings of Harare” (Harare, 1986) and co-author of “Windtower" (London 2007).

MAY 4, 2014

Lecture Title - “The Arabian Gulf: A Natural History of its Environment and Ecosystems”

Abstract
The Gulf is a young sea with naturally hostile environmental conditions compared with most subtropical regions, yet it contains a number of interesting and unique coastal and sub-tidal marine ecosystems that are overlooked at first glance.

The goal of this lecture is to provide an overview of the unique environment of the Arabian Gulf and to highlight the major marine ecosystems associated with it from the intertidal areas down to the depths of the Gulf, including sabkhas (salt flats), beaches, rocky shores, soft-bottom habitats, sea- grass beds and coral reefs.

This non-technical lecture will provide an overview of the marine ecosystems of the Gulf for attendees new to the region, as well as more detailed information for those with longer regional experience. The talk will end with a short segment describing some of the research being conducted by Dr. Burt's team at the NYU Abu Dhabi marine biology laboratory.

Biography - Dr. John Burt is assistant professor and head of the Marine Biology Laboratory at the New York University Abu Dhabi. He has extensive experience working on coral reefs throughout the Gulf and surrounding region and has published numerous scientific articles and book chapters on the marine ecology of the Gulf.

Dr. Burt's lab has a strong capacity building focus and he has offered multiple marine monitoring and research training workshops to the UAE and GCC national stakeholders in recent years. He has also hosted the largest ever regional conference 'Coral Reefs of the Gulf' in 2012 which was attended by representatives from 19 different countries, including every GCC nation. His research team examines the implications of environmental extremes and climate change on coral and coral reef fish communities.

APRIL 6, 2014

Lecture Title - “The UAE Dolphin Project”

Biography - Dr. Ada Natoli is a specialist in population genetics applied to conservation of species. Her main interests are investigating the evolutionary mechanisms generating population structure, and supporting conservation and management programmes. She focuses her research on marine mammals, but has been working on turtles and has a broad background covering plant genetics & general ecology.

She holds a PhD in molecular ecology from the University of Durham, UK, where she completed her thesis on the molecular ecology of bottlenose and common dolphins, comparing these species and their population structure on a worldwide scale and in the Mediterranean Sea. Ada also spent a number of years conducting field research with the Tethys Research Institute, working on several projects monitoring the cetacean population in the Mediterranean Sea and Canary Islands.

She recently launched the UAE Dolphin Project (www.uaedolphinproject.org) a new initiative that aims to raise public awareness and gather scientific information to assess the status of the local dolphin populations and support their conservation.

She is a member of the IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group, has been associated to UAE University as adjunct assistant professor and collaborates with several universities and international organisations in UK, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.

MARCH 2, 2014

Lecture Title - "The role Southern Arabia played in 3rd Millennium trade”

Biography - Dr. Marta Ameri received her Ph.D. in Art History and Archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University in 2010. She is currently working as Assistant Professor of Art History at Zayed University in Dubai.

Her dissertation examined a group of seals and seal impressions found at the Chalcolithic site of Gilund in Western India. Her research focuses of the role the seals play as markers of identity and as indicators of intercultural exchange. She has excavated in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, India and Oman.

FEBRUARY 2, 2014

Lecture Title - “From the Desert to the Oceans: Lessons learned from UAE microbial ecospheres”

Abstract
The UAE deserts and oceans hold untold riches and a very diverse ecosystem at the microscopic level. These small organisms are responsible for maintaining plant life and nutritional turnover in this bleak and desolate environment. To date, there has been very little research done to study and identify these processes and relationships. Knowledge gained from the study of these microbes through an understanding of their role in maintaining the eco-system holds the promise of unlocking novel chemical pathways capable of contributing to our pressing energy, nutritional, human health, and bioremediation needs. This talk will cover the recent work done in my laboratory in trying to unlock the mysteries of desert and ocean life at the microbial level.

Biography - Dr. Hector H. Hernandez joined the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology as assistant professor in Chemical Engineering in 2011. Prior to joining Masdar Institute, Dr. Hernandez was a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In this role he led a team of graduate and undergraduate students in the characterisation of microbial communities isolated from a Carbon Sequestration injection site.

Dr. Hernandez’s laboratory, Microbial Environmental and Chemical Engineering Laboratory (MECEL), focuses on applying biotechnology tools and engineering principles to microbial systems to address challenges facing society in the areas of energy, climate change, diminishing nutritional resources, and bioremediation of ecosystems in the United Arab Emirates. The MECEL team is working on isolating and characterising micro-algae species from the United Arab Emirates, identifying the microbial composition of camel gut eco- system, identifying microbes from the desert for biotechnological use, and investigating the role of invasive microbiological species from shipping lanes in the Gulf waters around the United Arab Emirates.

JANUARY 12, 2014

Lecture Title - “Camels: Animals of the future. Myth, Reality and Challenges at the world’s first large-scale Camel Dairy Farm”

Biography - Dr. Peter Nagy obtained his veterinary degree in 1990 at the University of Veterinary Sciences in Budapest, Hungary. He started his professional career at the Department of Reproduction and Obstetrics of the University where he stayed until 1999 as assistant professor. He was working on large animal reproduction, theriogenology, endocrinology and obstetrics involved in clinical work, teaching and research as well on these fields. He obtained his PhD title in 1998 on Equine seasonality. In 1998-1999 he spent one year as a post-doctoral fellow at INRA, France to study the neuroendocrine control of reproduction in mares.

He started his “camel career” in 2000 when he was offered a position in the Sultanate of Oman to develop an artificial insemination and embryo transfer program for racing dromedary camels. He was invited to come to Dubai in 2003 to develop the world’s first large-scale camel milk farm. Since 2006, he has held the farm manager’s position at Emirates Industries for Camel Milk & Products, but he is also actively involved in R&D of the company. He is a founding member and diplomat of the European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR).

2013

DECEMBER 2013

Lecture Title - “DNHG Annual Members’ Night”

Angela Manthorpe – “Diving – more than just pretty reefs” & Stephen Manthorpe – “Tajikistan”
Stephen & Angela Manthorpe first arrived in the UAE in 1992, lured to the Emirates by the photos of wadis and waterfalls in the book “Dubai – Gateway to the Gulf” that they were handed by their prospective employer. One of the first organisations they joined on arriving was the DNHG, which opened up the interesting world of the UAE’s desert and mountains and, in the same year, they took up scuba diving.

Firm believers in the fact that ‘you only live once’, they have interspersed their working lives with occasional ‘travel breaks’ – setting off with their rucksacks to explore the world. In late 2009 they quit their jobs in Dubai and embarked on a 2-year break, with the intention of seeing some of the world’s best natural scenery, historical and cultural destinations and to dive the top scuba diving sites.

Gary Feulner – “Living and learning in the hill country of Nepal”
DNHG Chairman Gary Feulner is the sponsor of an English medium primary school in the hill country of Nepal, where he now visits for 2-3 months each year. The school was founded by former DNHG member Narayan Karki and was our host for DNHG field trips in 2012 and 2013 aimed at exploring the hill country environment and experiencing village life. Gary will talk about hill country life and environment and about the start-up of the school.

NOVEMBER 2013

Lecture Title - “Ground-dwelling Parrots, a rat in a feather suit, and Marsupials as Pollinators - Australians are a weird mob, but can they teach us something about pollination in the UAE?”

Biography - Professor Rob Whelan has been in the UAE since 2008. He was President of the University of Wollongong in Dubai from 2008 to 2011, after a 25 year career as a researcher and teacher in ecology at the University of Wollongong in Australia, where he was Dean of Science from 2002 until 2008. Rob took up a senior advisor position in the office of the Provost at the United Arab Emirates University in 2012. He has responsibility for strategic planning, academic quality assurance, and international accreditation.

During his career at the University of Wollongong, Rob's research has been on fire ecology and the ecology of threatened plants and animals. He has published over 100 scientific papers, has supervised over 40 Masters and PhD research students, and is the author of 'The Ecology of Fire', published by Cambridge University Press. Rob was responsible for establishing and sustaining long-term research projects, over a 20 years period: one on the effects of fire on two threatened bird species (the Eastern Bristlebird and the Ground Parrot), and the other on seed production in Banksias.

Rob chaired the New South Wales National Parks Advisory Council and a statutory review of the Nature Conservation Trust Act for the NSW State Government and he was a panel member of the National Inquiry into Bushfire Mitigation and Management. He was Vice President of the Ecological Society of Australia and editor of its professional journal, Austral Ecology.

OCTOBER 2013

Lecture Title - “Mycenaean Pylos: A palace site in Bronze Age Greece Speaker”

Biography - Dr. Susanne Hofstra has been in the UAE since 2008. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Archaeology at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain. Previously she taught at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece as well as at various universities and colleges in the USA and her Ph.D is from the University of Texas at Austin.

Her training is in Mediterranean archaeology, with a speciality in Bronze Age Greek Mycenaean culture. Susanne’s current work deals with artefacts from the Mycenaean site of Pylos in southern Greece.

SEPTEMBER 2013

Lecture Title - “Spring Bird Migration through Abu Dhabi”

Abstract
Oscar Campbell, chairman of the Emirates Bird Records Committee, has spent years observing with delight spring migration through the UAE. This, concentrating mainly on observations made on the island of Abu Dhabi, will form the subject of his talk.

Biography - Oscar Campbell began birding from a bicycle on the shores of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland at the age of 10. He still does this on his irregular trips back home but nowadays his local birding involves pounding the sites close to Abu Dhabi, logging the vagaries of spring and autumn migration, for which he has developed a particular fascination. He also greatly enjoys looking at waders, birding Oman (where he has had made numerous trips) and ruminating over large gulls, at any likely location from Killybegs to Mafraq.

Oscar became Chairman of the Emirates Bird Records Committee (EBRC) in September 2010, and is currently working closely with the Emirates Palace hotel, producing information on local birds for their website and carrying out weekly censuses in their grounds. He is also a regular contributor to several ornithological publications and enjoys taking pictures that sometimes appear on this website and else- where.

He grew up in Ireland but lived in Scotland and England after going to university. He moved to the UAE in August 2006. Currently, he teaches Chemistry at a school in Abu Dhabi and, when not doing that, spends much of his time studying birds any- where and everywhere in the UAE and beyond.

JUNE 2013

Lecture Title - “The Future of Cheetahs: Conservation and the Illegal Pet Trade”

Biography - Dr. Laurie Marker, who received her doctorate from Oxford University, England in 2002, is widely recognised as the leading expert on cheetahs – their biology, genetics, ecology, breeding, and issues related to their conservation. TIME magazine named her a Hero for the Planet in recognition of her extraordinary dedication to conservation. In 1990, Dr. Marker moved to Namibia to found the not-for-profit Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), which today is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs. Having survived nearly four million years, in the last century, the number of wild cheetahs has decreased from 100,000 to approximately 10,000.

Dr. Marker has created initiatives to conserve the cheetah while enhancing people’s livelihoods. One such program is the Livestock Guarding Dog (LGD) program, which breeds and trains Anatolian shepherd and Kangal dogs to protect local herds so that farmers are not threatened by the presence of cheetahs on their land. CCF has placed nearly 400 dogs since 1994, with about 150 dogs in service at any given time, and about 20 puppies placed every year. Farmers who use a CCF dog to guard their livestock report a drop in predation rate of anywhere between 80 to 100 percent and farmers now are far less likely to kill or trap cheetahs on their lands.

Among numerous international awards, Dr. Laurie Marker received the 2010 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement and was a finalist for the 2009 BBC World Challenge. In Namibia, where Dr. Marker lives and works, she received the Windhoek Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Fellowship in 2001, and in 2002 received a special award from the Sanveld Conservancy, signifying Namibia’s farming community’s public acknowledgement of Dr. Marker and CCF’s contributions. She was named an Unsung Hero by Emirates Today, and her work has been featured by the BBC, Al Jazeera and National Geographic.

MAY 2013

Lecture Title - “A Journey Across the Roof of the World”

Abstract
A Journey Across the Roof of the World is about Steve’s trip across the Tibetan Plateau in 2012. It covers all things natural and a little bit of the early exploration of the area. It also touches upon future conservation challenges in this region.

Biography - Steve James: “I am a world traveler & interested in wild places & even wilder things. I have visited 111 countries over the last 40 or so years, all in the pursuit of natural history. Between my wanderings, I am the Senior Environmental Advisor for ADCO here in Abu Dhabi.”

APRIL 2013

Lecture Title - “Parasite Fauna in Desert Environments”

Abstract
The parasite fauna in desert environments differ from that in other parts of the world. In detail we have examined the parasites of cats here in Dubai and surrounding territories. Parasites with indirect life cycles that include intermediate or paratenic hosts have advantages compared to those with a direct development.

Freshwater is rare in the desert and under certain circumstances can easily become a source of infection. Muddy banks are the breeding grounds of horse flies, the mechanical vector for trypanosomes of camels. Contrary to temperate climates, houseflies in Arabia occur during the winter months and play a role as intermediate hosts for stomach worms in horses. Closely related worms can be found in the stomach of camels.

These worms utilise scarab beetles as intermediate hosts. Desert dwelling darkling beetles are the intermediate hosts for a recently described nematode that inhabits the stomach of falcons. Larval stages of this nematode are not host specific and can invade a variety of paratenic hosts (reptiles, birds and most probably also small rodents) on which falcons hunt for. Camel ticks and nasopharyngeal bots are the most successful species among parasitic arthropods in the desert.

Biography - Dr. Rolf Schuster graduated from Moscow Veterinary Academy, spent his whole professional life with parasites, received his PhD from Humboldt-University in Berlin and has worked as a parasitologist in the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai since 2002.

MARCH 2013

Lecture Title - “The Films of Yusuf Thakur - A Screening of Nature Documentaries”

Biography - Yusuf Thakur, is a wildlife filmmaker and will be screening two short films he has made “The Legendary Mermaid” & “Tracking Mermaids” as well as explaining some of the filmmaking, and having a question/answer session after each film. Yusuf spoke to the Abu Dhabi Chapter in 2009 and this is what the announcement said about him:

“As a wildlife filmmaker, Yusuf Thakur brings a rare passion for the environment and animals into sharp focus with every project. The qualities that separate the good from the best in wildlife filmmaking are apparent in the international nods of appreciation every Yusuf Thakur wildlife film has received. The sensitivity, patience and complete knowledge of the technical aspects of filmmaking stem from a passion to appreciate and preserve the planet’s riches.

Yusuf’s film, Abu Dhabi--Home of the Legendary Mermaids, is based on the research conducted by EAD (Environment Agency Abu Dhabi) and the subsequent conservation effort in order to protect and preserve the habitat, and the dugong population in the waters of UAE. The project was started in 1996 and continues to this day. This film brings to light not only the work done by EAD, but explains in detail dugong anatomy and behaviour with fantastic High Definition footage of dugongs filmed in the wild.

Dugongs are extremely shy and secretive animals, and it’s very rare to have an encounter with one at sea. Thus, this film serves as an excellent medium to educate the general public in the Gulf as well as worldwide about dugongs and the need to protect their habitat, in order in ensure the survival of this elusive animal--the ‘legendary mermaid’.”

FEBRUARY 2013

Lecture Title - “Sharks in the UAE: Results from a two-year study investigating shark fishing and the trade in shark products”

Biography - Rima Jabado is a marine ecologist and holds a Masters of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management. She has over eleven years experience in marine research, wildlife monitoring and conservation projects from around the world focusing on behaviour, feeding ecology, migration patterns, habitat use, population genetics and rehabilitation of various species.

She has been living in the UAE for five years with a goal to develop research programs focusing on the marine environment and its protection. She is currently undertaking her PhD research on shark populations in the Arabian Gulf, conducted through the UAE University in Al Ain, which is the first ever long term research project to be completed on elasmobranchs in the region. She is the Lead Scientist in the Gulf Elasmo Project which has been running for almost three years.

JANUARY 2013

Lecture Title - “Megalithic Archaeology of Azerbaijan”

Abstract
Our October speaker Ronnie Gallagher returns for the promised Part 2 of his flood related theories in the illustrated talk: Megalithic Archaeology of Azerbaijan; Making Sense of Ancient Mysteries and Possible Connections. Since I last spoke to you the Azerbaijan Institute of Geology asked for an account of my observations and theories and published them in their English Language Journal: Stratigraphy and Sedimentology in Oil Gas Basins. It will take time but it is my expectation that other researchers will investigate and hopefully confirm the extent of the flooding.

The paper incidentally was brought to the attention of Graham Hancock (- a populariser of ancient mysteries) who asked me to write a non-technical summary of the findings and expand on the indications that ancient Caucasians had cultural connections with early Nile Valley dwellers. I was happy to do so, again in the hope that it will encourage scientific research. The summary is available to read on line at: http://www.grahamhancock.com/forum/GallagherR 1.php.

It might be good background reading to those who missed the first talk. While I am pleased that Azeri geologists are thinking about the possible flooding scenarios, (even though it goes against mainstream scientific understanding), the implications of flooding events on mankind and archaeology are perhaps even more daunting and will be resisted. Still I would hope that the observations and cultural connections suggested might act as pointers for further research.

One of the areas I shall be addressing is the presence of massive, as yet archaeologically unrecognised anthropomorphic images in the landscape. You can read about these here: http://www.visions.az/history,307/

2012

DECEMBER 2012

Lecture Title - “DNHG Annual Members’ Night”

Linda and David Kingston will give a presentation on the Deserts and Oases of Egypt

Lamjed El Kefi will speak about Underwater Photography

Sandhya Prakash will give a talk entitled ‘My experiments with Earth’

NOVEMBER 2012

Lecture Title - “The ‘B’ Word: Beauty in Design”

Abstract
Beauty is a fundamental need in the human species but with the current trend towards sustainability in its multiple forms it has become obvious that beauty in design is being largely overlooked. Contemporary art, buildings and landscape seem to have forgotten one of the principal forces behind design. A quick Google search for ‘beautiful buildings’ comes up with a strange assortment, few of which are really pleasing to the eye let alone “beautiful’.

Landscape design is just as bad, using terms like ‘low maintenance’, ‘robust’, ‘shady’; almost every adjective except beautiful. My approach is to surmise the science of beauty and how to understand its secrets. This talk will be an opportunity to debate the issue.

Biography - Geoff Sanderson is a landscape architect and horticulturist with over 20 years experience in the MENA region, Geoff is currently advising the Saudi government on the upgrading of public realm in all Saudi municipalities. Prior to this he had a significant role in the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council’s Public Realm Design Strategy. Geoff has a deep interest in the natural history of the region, in particular the plants of cultivation and the contemporary application of cultural traditions in the design of urban places.

OCTOBER 2012

Lecture Title - "Human Ingenuity - Migration, Navigation and Trade Before the Iron Age"

Biography - Michael Creamer: Growing up in Annapolis in the 1950’s, sailing the wooden Naval Academy yawls, looking out over the harbour at the oyster draggers drying their sails, I thought the fishing fleets of all the world were still working under sail. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be a harpooner like the ones in Moby Dick or follow in the wake of that moment’s hero, Irving Johnson as he circumnavigated his Yankee for National Geographic.

Serving an apprenticeship in a small Connecticut shipyard, I ‘found a home’,at South Street Seaport Museum in New York working as a carpenter on the big ships: Wavertree and Peking and became curator of their model collection. Rigging restaurants between ships and maritime museums I brought the concept of historic ship restoration to Galveston, Texas.

From there I led a crew of volunteers to Piraeus, Greece to begin the ELISSA saga; now star of the Texas Seaport Museum. According to Peter Stanford, president emeritus of the National Maritime Historical Society: “Indeed, the restoration of this graceful barque of 1877 is reckoned by many to be the finest restoration of an active sailing ship extant.”

Taking a break from ELISSA, swimming in the turquoise Caribbean in front of the pre-Columbian Castillo at Tulum (the oldest lighthouse in the Americas), the maritime historian in me asks: “Why is this building here; so precariously perched on cliff’s edge?” The search for an answer produced my first National Geographic grant and subsequent documentation by the Discovery & History Channels.

In the UAE, observing how perhaps the last dhows for the East African Trade are built. And why is Wadi Hiluw so special? Does the topography produce a Bernoulli Effect that fanned the flames for the Copper Age? Always the ‘how’ and the ‘why’? If you don’t ask, you don’t get, so keep asking!

SEPTEMBER 2012

Lecture Title - “Introduction to the Natural History of the UAE Mountains”

Abstract
Gary Feulner’s presentation will be a wide ranging pictorial introduction to the geology and geography of the mountains of the UAE and to the diversity of plants and animals that can be found there, including both common species that visitors to the mountains are most likely to see and rare ones that they should be on the lookout for. Along the way, he will try to indicate the many resources that exist today for the study of local natural history, and also to highlight questions still to be answered.

Biography - Gary Feulner has had a lifelong interest in evolutionary biology, biogeography and ecology, as well
as the evolution of the earth itself. He holds degrees in geology from Princeton and Yale universities and did academic field work in the Northern Apennines, the Zambian Copperbelt and the Andes of southern Ecuador.

Although he subsequently practised professionally as a corporate lawyer he has continued to indulge his scientific interests in the UAE, where for more than 25 years he has explored widely (much of it in the era before fences), observing and studying a broad range of animals, plants and natural phenomena.

He is the author or co-author of the (so far) definitive surveys of the wadi fish, freshwater and land snails, dragonflies and intertidal molluscs of the UAE and northern Oman, as well as the flora of the mountains of the Musandam Peninsula (the Ru'us al-Jibal). He has also published on the geology of the UAE and on discrete aspects of local climate, geomorphology and the behaviour and/or ecology of selected species, and has made substantial contributions to databases for UAE reptiles and UAE butterflies. He has been Chairman of the Dubai Natural History Group for more than 15 years.

JUNE 2012

Lecture Title - “Stories of the Insect World”

Biography - Dr. Brigitte Howarth - I arrived in the UAE with my family in September 1998 after having just recently successfully defended my Ph.D. thesis entitled 'Batesian Mimicry in the British Syrphidae'. My first degree is in applied ecology. My interest in research stems from a holiday job I was offered as an undergraduate to work alongside scientists and Ph.D. students at a research unit at the University of East London.

The unit was involved with all aspects of soil ecology, specifically environmental impact and recovery rates of land that had been reclaimed after coal min- ing. Later during my first degree I was introduced to entomology and discovered hoverflies. Their mimicry of stinging Hymenoptera became my Ph.D. research, some of which has been published in scientific journals.

Together with my Ph.D. supervisor, we were also successful in attracting funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) in England to develop an immunological test to determine whether birds are stung by bees and wasps, an idea I put forward to test whether birds have an innate aversion to Hymenopteran colouration. Continuation of this research is ongoing here in the UAE with a Research Incentive Fund grant from Zayed University (ZU), where I am currently employed as Assistant Chair of the Department of Natural Science and Public Health.

I am currently working on extending the dipteran records for the UAE but am also interested in other insect orders and the ecology of all habitats they occur in. For the past few years I have been curator and custodian of the Joint Al Ain and Abu Dhabi Insect Collection but have held various other posts within with the Al Ain Chapter of the Emirates Natural History Group (ENHG), laterally as Chair of the Chapter. As often as I can I spend time in wadis and the desert environment, observing, identifying, and recording fauna and flora, culminating in periodic publications.

MAY 2012

Lecture Title - “The Rise and Fall of the Ponto Caspian in the Ice Age: Ancient Mariners of the Asiatic Mediterranean”

Biography - Ronnie Gallagher started his working life as a biology teacher in Glasgow and moved to the Shetland Isles in ’78. Diving, marine biology, underwater photography and bird watching were main pastimes and opened the door to a terrific job as BP’s Environmental Officer at Sullom Voe Terminal. Highlights from Shetland were the development of an oil spill wildlife response plan, and successfully putting it to the test with the stranding of the Braer oil tanker in 1993. He was seconded into UKOOA and then to the Kuwait Oil Company.

His next job was in Abu Dhabi with ADCO where he also enjoyed outings with the Natural History Group between 1997 and 2000 and developed a fascination for archaeology: interests he took with him to his next posting in Azerbaijan.

With 9 of the world’s 11 climate zones and some fascinating geology, including the world‟s densest concentration of mud volcanoes, Azerbaijan offers amazing natural history diversity and study opportunities. It was there in a land of mystery and intrigue that previously unasked and unanswered questions to do with Caspian Sea level changes began to intrigue him.

The evidence of flooding, as seen in the form of raised terraces and strand-lines, clearly tell a very different story from the accepted understanding of tectonic uplift and limited Ice Age sea level rise. Recognising that something was not right with scientific understanding of prehistory and environmental conditions led to lots of field work, research and participation in several Caspian / Black Sea conferences where he shared information and tried to find answers to questions.

Ronnie is keen to encourage scientific interest in the Caspian flood questions and their potential significance to mankind at the dawn of civilisation. His talk will focus on evidence for Caspian Sea level changes, cause and potential significance.

APRIL 2012

Lecture Title - “A population study of the Collared Kingfishers at Khor Kalba"

Biography - Neil Tovey, age 38, hails from south Wales and has been based in Dubai since 2005. A geologist by education, his full time profession is now in marketing. Neil started birding at the age of 7, inspired by his father’s passion for the same hobby.

A member of the YOC, RSPB, WWT, plus the Gower Ornithological Trust and Glamorgan Bird Club, Neil travelled extensively throughout the UK and participated in many surveys through the RSPB and BTO. Extensive birding through Europe followed and he has now birded in over 40 countries worldwide.

He is a very active member of the Emirates birding scene and a member of the Emirates Bird Records Committee. Neil also pioneered bird guiding services in the UAE and has participated in multiple surveys and environmental impact assessments throughout the UAE, including Al Wasit Nature Reserve and Wadi Helo, both in Sharjah.

MARCH 2012

Lecture Title - "Flora of Lantang Valley"

Biography - Tamsin Carlisle has a BA in zoology from Oxford University , where she studied and co-authored a paper with evolutionary theorist Richard Dawkins. She went on to obtain a PhD in evolutionary ecology from the University of California at Santa Barbara , winning a fellowship from the US National Science Foundation to support field research in Panama on parental behaviour in a species of stream-dwelling cichlid fish. This was followed by post-doctoral field-work in Wadi Araba, bordering the Negev Desert , on brood-rearing behaviour in the Arabian babbler, a group-nesting bird species with complex social behaviour.

For various reasons, Tamsin's subsequent career has been more involved with energy journalism than biological research. However, she has maintained a lifelong interest in evolutionary ecology and is delighted to have this opportunity to discuss her recent observations on the remarkly rich flora of northern Nepal with the Dubai Natual History Group.

Tamsin recently joined the DNHG, after moving to Dubai from Abu Dhabi and has become a regular contributor to the Gazelle.

FEBRUARY 2012

Lecture Title - "The Medicinal Properties of Camel Milk"

Biography - Renate Wernery is a virologist and regional Manager of CVRL. Since joining CVRL in 1987, Renate Wernery has had many adventures in the world of science, from small miracles in the company’s early days to recent ground-breaking research that is changing the face of veterinary science. She says, “It’s a joy working for an organisation that is inspired by a visionary like H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.”

During her studies at the University of Goettingen, Germany, Renate was introduced to the fascinating field of Virology and from that moment she was captivated. When she first began working at CVRL, the laboratory facilities were still being developed and her greatest challenge was to create an environment that would cope with the demands of modern veterinary diagnostics. At the time, CVRL had very few staff and Renate had to fill the gaps until the team was expanded. She says, “on looking back to that time, I realise how much I learnt and how beneficial those early days were.”

Now, CVRL has over 100 staff that form part of the ever-expanding family. “The dedication of the CVRL team continues to amaze me and offers incredible skills to our international clients and visitors”, says Renate. Her special field is virology, where hundreds of isolated viruses are stored and 15 different cell lines are used on a daily basis.

Her focus now rests on developing collaborations with companies and universities in the field of camelid-nanobody-technology. She is also heavily involved in researching the almost untapped wealth of medicinal properties found in camel milk. Renate loves the fact that every day, the CVRL team from 12 different nations combine their skills in the spirit of scientific excellence.

JANUARY 2012

Lecture Title - “Ecology and Conservation of the Socotra Cormorant in the UAE: the case of Sinaya Island”

Dr. Sabir bin Muzaffar

2011

DECEMBER 2011

Lecture Title - “DNHG Annual Members’ Night”

David Wernery - “Plastic not so Fantastic” is a lawyer turned conservationist. David is a founding member of the EEG, and a member of the DNHG, together with his father, for nearly twenty years. David is married to Theresa, daughter of Dr. Frauke Heard and Mr. David Heard, Abu Dhabi.

Based on his father’s ‘Fatal Pollution’ campaign, Theresa and David founded the PlasticNotSoFantastic (PNSF) campaign and expedition over a year ago – they are raising awareness about plastic pollution from the UAE to the rest of the world (see www.pnsfexpedition.com). Through PNSF, David and Theresa have been signed as consultants for waste management of biosphere reserves by UNESCO, and will be visiting reserves on their global road trip starting in March 2012.

Colin Emmitt - “The Galapagos Islands” is a Civil Engineer, outdoorsman and participant in many DNHG field trips, in company with his wife, Jenny Hill. Colin and Jenny recently enjoyed extended leave during which they visited, among other places, the Galapagos Islands. Colin’s talk “The Galapagos Islands” will show a brief history of the islands and some of their unique features.

NOVEMBER 2011

Lecture Title: “The Herpetology and Freshwater Fishes Department of the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife: More than just a zoological collection”

Speaker: Johannes Els

OCTOBER 2011

Lecture Title - “Bird Fauna of Kuwait’s Wetlands”

Biography - Nancy Papathanasopoulou is an environmental law and management expert. She has been working on sea turtle conservation and environmental research for twenty years, in several capacities (volunteer, student, lawyer, legal consultant, team member, project coordinator, project manager) and in several countries. Since 2003 she has been mainly working on sea turtles, birds, their habitats and conservation needs in the Arabian Gulf Area as a project coordinator.

Before that, she worked in France and in Greece, in law offices, International organisations and the Ministry of Environment in Greece. Apart from wildlife scientific research, her work involves cooperating with local and national authorities on institutions, legislation, and management plans based on sustainable development, environmental education as well as environmental information centres.

Through such conservation projects as the ones carried out by TOTAL on Masirah Island, Oman and three offshore atolls in Kuwait, the authorities as well as the public are informed about the status and protection of marine wildlife and their habitats at national, regional and international levels. Nancy is currently based in the United Arab Emirates.

SEPTEMBER 2011

Lecture Title - “Socotra"

Biography - Liz Maley Craig hails from New Zealand and has been in Dubai since 1976. Prior to this, she worked for the Royal Parks in London. Liz ran a plant nursery called The Lansdscape Centre on Beach Road until she was obliged to move to Garhoud, where many members will remember a flourishing area of nurseries.

She is well known for having written Gardening in the Gulf, which was based on the TV show of the same name that she presented, and she co-authored, with Shirley Kay, Indoor & Balcony Plants. She has been an excellent source of information on plants on our field trips for many years and was a participant in the 2010 Socotra trip.

JUNE 2011

Lecture Title - “Archaeozoology Or Zooarchaeology - How Do Archaeologists Study Animal Bones?”

Biography - Dr. Mark Beech has a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (1985), a Masters Degree in Environmental Archaeology from the University of Sheffield, U.K. (1987) and a PhD in Archaeology from the University of York, U.K. (2001). He has conducted archaeological surveys, excavations and research in the UAE for more than 17 years, and has also carried out fieldwork in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Qatar and the U.K.

From 2002-2006 he was Senior Resident Archaeologist for the Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey (ADIAS). Since 2006 he has been Cultural Landscapes Manager in the Historic Environment Department within ADACH. In June 2009, he was awarded the Sheikh Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Nahyan Prize for Natural History by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, for his services to the archaeology of the UAE.

MAY 2011

Lecture Title - “A New Perspective on the Old Fertile Crescent: Archaeology and the Origins of Agriculture”

Biography - Dr. Susanne Hofstra is an assistant professor of Archaeology in the Department of History and Archaeology at UAEU. Previously she taught at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece as well as at various universities and colleges in the U.S., mostly in the Midwest states; her Ph.D. is from the University of Texas at Austin. Her main area of research interest is Mediterranean prehistory, especially the cultures of early Greece, Crete and Turkey, and their languages and scripts.

She has also worked on several archaeological field projects in Greece including the Stanford Skourta Plain survey and Mochlos excavations in central Greece, and the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project in the Peloponnese of southern Greece. Her current focus is the study of material from the 1950s-1960s excavation of the Bronze Age palace site of Pylos (main occupation period 1650- 1200 BCE).

APRIL 2011

Lecture Title - “Hawksbill Turtles in Dubai and a Genetic Analysis”

Biography - Rima Jabado is a marine ecologist and holds a Masters of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management. She has over nine years of experience in marine research, wildlife monitoring and conservation projects from around the world focusing on behaviour, feeding ecology, migration patterns, habitat use, population genetics and rehabilitation of various species.

She has been living in the UAE for three years with a goal to develop research programmes focusing on the marine environment and its protection. She is currently undertaking her PhD research on shark populations in the Arabian Gulf, conducted through the UAE University in Al Ain, which is the first ever long term research project to be completed on elasmobranchs in the region.

Biography - Dr. Ada Natoli is a specialist in population genetics. She recently moved to Dubai and is currently working as external collaborator with several universities and international organisations in UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and New Zealand. She focuses her research on marine mammals but has a broad background covering plant genetics and general ecology.

She holds a PhD in molecular ecology from the University of Durham, UK, where she completed her thesis on the molecular ecology of bottlenose and common dolphins, comparing these species and their population structure on a worldwide scale and in the Mediterranean Sea. Her main interests are investigating the evolutionary mechanisms generating population structure, and supporting conservation and management programmes. She holds a Masters in Biology – plant genetics - from the University of Milan, Italy, and worked as plant genetics researcher at the University of Piacenza.

Ada spent a number of years conducting field research with the Tethys Research Institute working on several projects monitoring the cetacean population in the Mediterranean Sea, and Canary Islands. She is member of the IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group and has been a member of the Italian delegation and invited participant several times to the International Whaling Commission. She is a member of the scientific steering committee for the monitoring and conservation of cetaceans in Italy and published in several peer-reviewed scientific journals.

MARCH 2011

Lecture Title - “Julfar - A History”

Biography - Christian Velde was born in Germany, where he achieved a Masters Degree in Near Eastern Archaeology, Cuneiform Studies and European Prehistory at Goettingen University. He became interested in the orient, archaeology, history and traditional buildings already as a child through books and frequent visits to castles in Germany, Switzerland and France with his parents, both members of the ‘German Castle Society’.

His archaeological work took him from Germany to Italy, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and to the Kingdom of Bahrain, where he got married in the Anglican Church in Manama. More than ten years experience as a tour guide brought him frequently to Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, UAE, Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain and Yemen, leading interested tourist groups for a German Tour Operator, specialising in archaeological study tours.

He started working in the UAE in Shimal, Ras al-Khaimah with the German Archaeological Mission from Goettingen University between 1985 - 1990, followed by several seasons of excavations with an Australian and Danish team in Tell Abraq, Umm al-Quwain in the 1990s.

Since 1998 he has been employed as the Resident Archaeologist at the Department of Antiquities and Museums by the Government of Ras al-Khaimah. He has undertaken many surveys and excavations on prehistoric and historic sites and monuments in this emirate. During the last ten years he has also focused on the protection and restoration of historical buildings. He and his archaeologist wife share their time between the Gulf (October-April) and Europe (May- September).

FEBRUARY 2011

Lecture Title - “Backyard Stargazing – An introduction to Amateur Astronomy”

Biography - Lamjed El-Kefi has been a very active member of the DNHG for many years, and anyone who has been on his trips will know that his knowledge of natural history here is extensive. He moved in 1980 from his home country Tunisia to the Arabian Peninsula. He is an Engineer by profession, managing a contracting business in Sharjah.

He is also an enthusiastic amateur astronomer who has organised many stargazing trips for the DNHG and likes nothing more than to tour the night sky with his 10" telescope and share his knowledge of the wonders of space.

Amongst other activities, he helped establish "Al Marsa", the 1st diving live-aboard operation in the Musandam area, which has served well in spreading awareness of marine conservation. The DNHG has enjoyed many trips along the spectacular coast of the Musandam on Lamjed’s dhow. Within his various naturalist interests, he has taken photographs all over the Middle East, on land and underwater, and has had many of his photographs credited and published.

JANUARY 2011

Lecture Title - “Migratory Bird Conservation and Bird Flu”

Biography - Dr. Sabir Bin Muzaffar is a wildlife biologist specialising in the ecology, migration and diseases of birds. He received his B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Memorial University, St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada where he worked on the ecology, parasites and diseases of seabirds in eastern Canada. His research examined host-parasite-pathogen interactions and was key in determining the geographic spread of helminths and diseases of puffins, murres, razorbills and gulls (among others) and their associations with climatic anomalies in the Northwest Atlantic.

He then did his post doctoral research at the University of California, Davis, on the ecology and migration of waterfowl in Europe and Asia, with special reference to the role of migratory birds in the geographic spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu). This work shed light on the migratory movement of ducks and gulls and was instrumental in dispelling myths about their involvement in large-scale, long-distance spread of bird flu.

Dr. Muzaffar has also worked on the ecology and conservation of a wide variety of wildlife in Bangladesh, where he was born, including the critically endangered Hoolock Gibbon, bears, and migratory birds. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain. His is currently initiating a project on the ecology and conservation of the Socotra Cormorant on some of Abu Dhabi's islands.

2010

DECEMBER 2010

Lecture Title - “DNHG Annual Members’ Night”

Ajmal Hasan - Adventure Photography the DNHG’s Chief Engineer, is a keen wildlife enthusiast and natural history photographer who has lived in the UAE since 1998. He currently works as an Academic Coordinator - PG studies at Khalifa University's branch campus in Sharjah. Holding a Higher Diploma in Computer Engineering, he has quite opposite interests when it comes to his academic and extra-curricular pursuits. With a particular fascination for snakes and other creepy-crawly reptiles, he frequently takes the opportunity to be out and about in the natural environment of the UAE, its deserts, sabkhas, beaches and wadis.

He also promotes eco-conservation and education, especially when he meets construction workers on his trips. Ajmal's love of nature began as a five year old when he was tossed about on a bull's horns but apart from that incident, he has had no other major issues and continues doing what he likes doing most - being out in the open learning about the flora and fauna of the region, and taking photographs.

Beryl Comar - The Nautilus and Paper Nautilus has a long association with the DNHG. She is a past editor of Gazelle, and has served on the Committee in several capacities including Special Projects. Beryl has been a DNHG member since the early 1980s – the old Metropolitan Hotel meetings. She has always has a taste for adventure and before coming to Dubai, taught on voluntary service for four years in Tanzania, in Arusha. In the UAE, she has worked with HCT and Zayed University as well as the British Council in Dubai. Together with her late husband Dr Sandy Fowler, who wrote the “A Rough Sheller’s Guide to the Northern Emirates” and who passed away in November 2009, she took a keen interest in UAE shells. The Members Evening was Beryl’s suggestion and she spoke at our first event on “Data Collection for Paper Nautilus in UAE”. Beryl started recording finds, their location and time of year, many years ago.

Beryl can be seen regularly on Dubai TV on Tuesday evenings, answering questions on relationships in ‘ASKONE’. She is owner of The Change Associates and a leading hypnotherapist and NLP trainer in the Middle East. But don’t worry; she is just going to talk about nautilus and paper nautilus!

Binish Roobas - An Introduction to Kerala Natural History was born in Kerala and grew up amongst the prolific and varied flora and fauna of South India. He graduated with first class honours in Zoology and mainly specialises in birds and butterflies. To that end, he has travelled a lot in Kerala. He worked as a naturalist for a back water resort called Coconut Lagoon at Kumarakom, Kerala for about one year. In June 2010, he was at Gharwal Himalayas for a bird rediscovery project, "Let’s Rediscover the Himalayan Quail".

He has been a member of several bird surveys in Kerala for the Forest Department of Kerala and the Kottayam Nature Society. He is best known to DNHG members for winning the Overall Best Photograph award in 2009 with his photograph named "Juvenile Cobra" (below). Binish has lived in Dubai for the last five and a half years working in the hospitality industry. At present he is on the pre-opening staff of The Ritz- Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre as Room Reservations Agent, but he still manages to pursue his interest in zoology and natural history, and to enjoy nature photography.

NOVEMBER 2010

Lecture Title - “Fossils of the UAE and Northern Oman”

Biography - Valerie Chalmers has lived in Dubai for 35 years. She taught biology at the Latifa School for Girls for 19 years and retired in 2006. Her interests in plants and fossils stem from her plant ecology courses and one-year geology course which formed part of her B.Sc Special Honours Degree in Botany from King's College, London University.

She furthered her interests when she joined the Ladies Ecology Group in 1980 and started to collect both plants and fossils. She is a founder member of the DNHG and is currently vice-chairman, secretary and plant and fossils recorder. Valerie was awarded the Bish Brown Award for 2003 in recognition of her contributions towards a better understanding and appreciation of the natural history of the UAE.

She has regularly visited the Natural History Museum in London for many years and members of the Palaeontology Department, notably Dr Andrew Smith and Dr Noel Morris, have helped with the identification of fossils which she has collected on her fossils trips in the UAE and Northern Oman and have maintained close links with her.

OCTOBER 2010

Lecture Title - “The Falaj Systems in and around Al Ain”

Biography - While living in Bahrain, amid an estimated 170,000 burial mounds and a landscape unlike anything he had ever seen before, Brien Holmes had the very good fortune to crash an archaeology conference and enjoy a field trip with Geoffrey Bibby. When he reached Abu Dhabi a few years later, and then Al Ain, he was fortunate to discover a trove of material in the Bulletins of the Emirates Natural History Group.

Brien would describe himself as an enthusiastic amateur with a curiosity born in years working as a journalist, in Canada and the Gulf, who has had the very good fortune to meet some incredible and unselfish individuals who, like him, seem to work for the weekends. He has had more careers while living in the Gulf than Joseph had colors on his coat. Currently, his official title is 'managing editor' of publications at United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain.

Many years ago, Brien volunteered to assume the duties of Chair of the Al Ain chapter after the death of our previous Chair, until a new Chair could be appointed. He’s been hopeless at finding a replacement and fears he may suffer the same fate.

He has taught a variety of computer, business and economics courses at assorted universities and colleges; he’s been hired as an instructor in English, as we all seem to do from time to time, and has been assigned a variety of mass communications courses given his early careers in newspapers and television. He has had the very good fortune to work with some of the region's most experienced naturalists, including one of the world's authorities on spiny-tailed lizards. In his free time he loves hiking in the mountains, mapping copper mines and copper smelting sites, and sharing his enthusiasm and experiences with anyone who shares his interests.

SEPTEMBER 2010

Lecture Title - “The problems of overfishing in the Gulf region”

Biography - Nessrine Alzahlawi holds a Master of Science in Aquatic Biology and Resource Management from Exeter University, UK and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the American University of Sharjah, UAE. She was born in Syria, and first came to the UAE in 1996. She has always had a passion for biology, and discovered her love for marine ecosystems during her undergraduate studies.

Nessrine joined EWS-WWF in 2009 as a Marine Biologist and Conservation Officer for the Sustainable Fisheries Campaign. She has also worked as a Marine Ecology Consultant and Research Assistant with the United Nations University International Network on Water, Environment and Health, Dubai, where she carried out her Masters Research Project on the impacts of Palm Jumeirah development on benthic invertebrate communities. Her undergraduate research focused on the habitat ecology of marine invertebrates in Al Aqqa marine reserve in Fujairah.

Nessrine is especially interested in researching marine habitats in the region, in particular looking at connectivity between habitats and impacts of development on coastal systems. Her role on the Sustainable Fisheries Campaign is to increase awareness about threats currently faced by fisheries in the UAE by identifying local overfished species and highlighting the importance of consumer action.

JUNE 2010

Lecture Title – “Dragonflies”

Biography - Keith Wilson is Director Marine Programme, Emirates Marine Environmental Group. He has 32 years experience in the water and aquaculture industries, management of fisheries and marine protected areas, environmental impact assessment, development project management, and management of marine and coastal resources in the UK, Asia and the Middle East.

Keith has written many scientific papers and several books on conservation, marine fishes and dragonflies. He is an accomplished photographer both above and below water with numerous wildlife photographs used commercially in books, journals and newspapers.

Keith has a BSc (Hons) in Physiology and Biochemistry and an MSc in Applied Hydrobiology, together with a host of postgraduate qualifications and memberships. He includes amongst his achievements being a founder member of the Hong Kong Institute of Environmental Impact Assessment, a member of the Royal Entomological Society, UK, and is a recognised international expert on the Odonata (dragonflies) of China.

MAY 2010

Lecture Title - “Conservation Genetics: Dolphins in the Mediterranean”

Biography - Dr. Ada Natoli is a specialist in population genetics. She recently moved to Dubai and is currently working as external collaborator with several universities and international organisations in UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and New Zealand. She focuses her research on marine mammals but has a broad background covering plant genetics and general ecology.

She holds a PhD in molecular ecology from the University of Durham, UK, where she completed her thesis on the molecular ecology of bottlenose and common dolphins, comparing these species and their population structure on a worldwide scale and in the Mediterranean Sea. Her main interests are investigating the evolutionary mechanisms generating population structure, and supporting conservation and management programs.

She holds a Masters in Biology – plant genetics from the University of Milan, Italy, and worked as plant genetics researcher at the University of Piacenza. Ada spent a number of years conducting field research with the Tethys Research Institute working on several projects monitoring the cetacean population in the Mediterranean Sea, and Canary Islands. She is member of the IUCN/SSC Cetacean Specialist Group and has been a member of the Italian delegation and invited participant several times to the International Whaling Commission. She is a member of the scientific steering committee for the monitoring and conservation of cetaceans in Italy and published in several peer-reviewed scientific journals.

APRIL 2010

Lecture Title - “Ancient Mesopotamian & Mediterranean Scripts”

Biography - Dr. Susanne Hofstra is an assistant professor of Archaeology in the Department of History and Archaeology at UAEU. Previously she taught at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece as well as at various universities and colleges in the U.S., mostly in the Midwest states; her Ph.D. is from the University of Texas at Austin.

Susanne’s main area of research interest is Mediterranean prehistory, especially the cultures of early Greece, Crete and Turkey, and their languages and scripts. She has also worked on several archaeological field projects in Greece including the Stanford Skourta Plain Survey and Mochlos excavations in central Greece, and the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project in the Peloponnese of southern Greece.

Susanne’s current focus is the study of material from the 1950s- 1960s excavation of the Bronze Age palace site of Pylos (main occupation period 1650-1200 BCE).

MARCH 2010

Lecture Title - “Bats”

Biography - Dr. Drew Gardner has a BSc in Zoology from Edinburgh University (first class honours), and a PhD from Aberdeen University. His thesis was on the evolutionary ecology of day geckos in the Seychelles, but he is fascinated by all creatures. He worked for twelve years at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, researching reptiles and mountain ecology, and named three new species of gecko during this time. He has now been at Zayed University for seven years.

Drew has now completed over fifty environmental consultancy ecology surveys in Oman and the UAE, and published about forty research papers and book chapters on conservation, lizards, snakes, fish, insects, birds and juniper woodlands. If you want to know about the behavioural genetics of fruit flies, breeding habits of Trinidad petrels or geckos in French Polynesia, ask Drew. And he’s bats about bats.

FEBRUARY 2010

Lecture Title - “Earthworms”

Biography - Dr. John Reynolds, Director of the Oligochaetology Laboratory and Editor-in-Chief of Megadrilogica, the only world journal devoted solely to earthworm research, was born in Montreal and completed his B. Sc in biology, agriculture and chemistry and M.Sc in entomology, genetics and plant breeding in Canada. He then went on to do his Ph.D. in ecology, taxonomy, soil science, and biogeography at the University of Tennessee, post-doctoral studies at the Acarology Institute, Ohio State University, an LL.B. Common Law at the University of New Brunswick, and a Diploma in Police Science from Holland College.

Dr Reynolds has lectured and taught at numerous universities in North America, South America, Africa and Asia. He is author of 259 books and journal articles which have appeared in over 55 publications covering 12 disciplines, which have appeared in whole or in part in 25 languages. He has also appeared on numerous radio and television shows. He is currently Research Associate in the Department of Integrated Biology at the University of Guelph and the Department of Natural Science at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John.

Lecture Title - “David Attenborough’s “Life in Cold Blood”

Biography - Miles Barton, Series Producer for the BBC Natural History Unit has worked for over 20 years producing films for Wildlife on One, Natural World and the Life of Birds. He was the series producer on Journey of Life and Wild New World and most recently David Attenborough’s BAFTA award winning series, Life in Cold Blood. Currently he is working on Frozen Planet, a follow up to Planet Earth on the wildlife and landscape of the polar regions.

JANUARY 2010

Lecture Title - “A Race around the Natural History of UAE”

Biography - Dr. Richard Hornby spent most of his childhood in Kenya. He has a background in zoology but also a keen interest in botany and ecology in general. For about twenty years he worked with the Nature Conservancy Council in southern England. After a period as an ecological consultant in Southern England, he moved to Abu Dhabi in 1993 to set up the National Avian Research Centre (NARC), which is now part of EAD. After a spell with the UAE Federal Environmental Agency (FEA) he became an independent ecological consultant, based in Abu Dhabi. He extended his interests into marine and coastal ecology, and carried out a number of coastal surveys.

In 1997 Dick joined the staff of The Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems, to work as an Academic Editor, while continuing with ecological consultancy. The encyclopaedia is devoted to bringing together a comprehensive and integrated body of knowledge for use in correcting current practices which threaten the Earth’s essential life support systems.

In 2005 the consultancy work became a little more official, and he established Nautica Environmental Associates, jointly with Veryan Pappin. The company has always been busy and has grown to about a dozen people. Dick takes the lead with all the terrestrial work and has carried out many surveys in UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. For about ten years Dick has also been involved with co-leading natural history holiday tours, mostly in Mediterranean Europe. He was the Chairman of Emirates Natural History Group from 1993 to 1999.