Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) with support from Qatar Natural History Group (QNHG), invites members of Qatar Museums’ Culture Pass Family to observe the hatching of hawksbill turtles at Fuwairit Beach as part of the Qatar Turtle Project.
This year’s edition of Turtle Encounters is focused on giving children the opportunity to enjoy the annual hatching phase of the hawksbill turtle along Qatar’s coastline. The hawksbill turtle is classified as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1982. The hatching phase takes place each year from the beginning of June until the end of July.
According to Dadu Director Essa Al Mannai, environmental conservation and sustainability are key strategic learning goals at Dadu. He said that the values and attitudes children develop today are crucial to sustainable societies in the future. Through initiatives such as these, children are able to witness the beauty of nature first-hand, deepening their respect for and connection with the natural world.
A special thank you to the MOECC for making Turtle Encounters possible to our young audience and for their ongoing commitment to protecting and promoting Qatar’s natural habitat.
Turtle Encounters for Culture Pass Family members
Culture Pass Family members can sign up for the Turtle Encounters in June (16, 21, 23, 28, 30) and July (5, 7, 12), from 8 pm to 9 pm. For the safety of participants and marine life, spaces are limited each visit. Culture Pass Family members will receive the registration link for Turtle Encounters through the members newsletter.
As part also of Turtle Encounters, participating Culture Pass Family will visit the turtle nesting site on Fuwairit beach before participating in a beach clean-up. During the experience, visitors will watch a team of environmental conservationists collect, count and measure baby turtle hatchlings before releasing them into the sea.
Protecting sea turtles in Qatar
MOECC Department of Wildlife Development Director Mohammed Ahmed Al-Khanji stated that work on the project to protect sea turtles in Qatar began in 2003, passing through several stages, the last of which was closing Fuwairit Beach where more than 35,000 turtle hatchlings have been released into the sea over the last five years.
To spread awareness and to highlight Qatar’s efforts to protect endangered species, the ministry is allowing members of the community to visit the turtle hatching site and learn more about their conservation efforts.
Members of the community visiting the turtle hatching site, including children, have the opportunity to learn more about the importance of protecting endangered species and to participate in the release of turtle hatchlings.
QNHG Chair Dr Thierry Lesales, said they are glad to contribute to the project.
It is our duty and joy to show children in Qatar how truly amazing the local marine life is, including desert plants and animals. As part of this initiative we are also able to raise awareness on the importance of fighting plastic pollution and protecting ecosystems of the peninsula while demonstrating how the authorities are striving to save the hawksbill turtle.
Teachers invited!
As a show of appreciation for their tireless dedication to educating Qatar’s future generations, Dadu are also inviting teachers from across Qatar to witness the nesting phase of the hawksbill turtle. Additionally, Dadu is delivering turtle hatching workshops in schools across Doha. To date, Over 100 children from different schools have already participated in these workshops.
During the nesting phase, from the beginning of April until end of May, environmental conservationists take measurements of the turtle eggs, tag and track the eggs before transferring them to a protected site.
The Qatar Turtle Project, which was initiated in 2003, is sponsored by Qatar Petroleum (now Qatar Energy) and implemented by the Environmental Science Center at Qatar University under the supervision of MOECC.
To learn more about Culture Pass membership, or to sign up to become a member, visit qm.org.qa. Please note that this event is open only to Culture Pass Family category members. Registration to Turtle Encounters will open on 9 June.
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