Ajmal spends his weekends scouting for animals and life in the desert. Here is his trip to Fossil Rock. I’ve always known that much of the Arabian peninsular mountains, especially those in the United Arab Emirates and Oman were at one point in time, millions of years ago, under the ocean. The Tethys sea to […]
Half of the wild camels near Abu Dhabi are choking on plastic and dying When the grownups give up on protecting the earth and its numerous creatures, the youth are left to pick up the baton. Cameron Oliver was just 11 years old when he first learned about the plight of camels living in the […]
Frankincense burners such as those depicted above could eventually become unnecessary as frankincense supplies dwindle. We all know the story. The Three Wise Men (Magi) traveled to Bethlehem upon the birth of baby Jesus and laid gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh at his feet. The story is so engrained in the consciousness of Christians […]
Unlike many wild animals in the UAE, prized Saker Falcons receive first-class protection. Residents of the United Arab Emirates are frequently caught with illegally-procured wild animals, including an injured cheetah found limping along a road in Abu Dhabi, but Saker Falcons receive first class protection mostly thanks to programs initiated years ago by the late President […]
Green Prophet recently joined the Ocean Adventurer team for an eco-tour of Cape Town’s rich biodiversity. After living in Iran, Dubai, and Zimbabwe at different times of his life, the exuberant young Marine Biologist Amir Rezaei has landed one of Cape Town’s most coveted jobs leading educational boat tours of Table Bay. A marine protected […]
The dire situation of the Dead Sea has recently been dramatized by eco artists like Sigalit Landau The Dead Sea is again in environmental headlines as a project to remove salt accumulations from the lakes southern portions have passed preliminary readings in Israel’s parliament. The salt removal project would be largely paid for by the […]
The Upper Tigris River in Iraq could get a new lease on life as an Iraqi conservation group receives support to study its numerous environmental threats. Western governments are much more interested in Iraq’s post-conflict “democracy building” than environmental issues, according to the folks over at Nature Iraq, who are well known for their combat zone […]
Recent discoveries have confirmed scientists’ longstanding fears that global warming would catalyze the release of millions of tons of potential greenhouse gas emissions locked up in ice and permafrost in the great white north. Layer after layer of plant debris that has not yet decomposed lies trapped in arctic and subarctic permafrost. As global temperatures […]
Looking for a cool eco-activity with the kids this Hanukkah vacation? This one is for the birds! Until December 28th, you can visit nature reserves and parks in the Galilee and Golan for a special bird-watching festival. The events will be held in six main sites: the Agamon Hula, the Gamla nature reserve, at the […]
Losing elephant steaks was stressful, but helped shape modern man says new study on the Middle East Dietary change led to the appearance of modern humans in the Middle East 400,000 years ago, say archeology researchers from Tel Aviv University. During a dig at Qesem “Magic” Cave, a prehistoric site in Israel, the researchers see […]
These tiny Egyptian Tortoises are a hot commodity among illegal wildlife traders. They are also facing extinction in the wild as a result. Fantapants is a “postaholic member” of a reptile forum in the United Kingdom. In January 2008, when gold star member Jay Kickboxer asked where he could buy an Egyptian Tortoise for his “missus” […]
Walk in the footpaths of Jesus on the Gospel Trail. It’s pilgrim’s progress: walking in the footsteps of Jesus. There are now two trails where Christian pilgrims can get outdoorsy and follow in the footsteps of their prophet. Late November, the Israel Ministry of Tourism launched the Gospel Trail, a modular trail that follows the […]
The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences wants your vote for its project aimed at protecting coastal fisheries One of the world’s oldest Green Islamic organisation is asking supporters to vote for its community-based project which helps protect coastal fisheries. The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (IFEES) has managed to make it […]
Jerusalem belches out its untreated waste to area of beauty, holy sites Mohammed Nakhal is normally a calm man, but he’s seething now. The stench of raw sewage is overpowering. It is rushing by, down the biblical Kidron Valley through the Judean Desert toward the Dead Sea where even you know what floats. Nakhal, an […]
Green Prophet visits a kibbutz going green, after a destructive wildfire. They’re planting oaks and hardwood to resist the next fire. The 2010 Carmel Forest wildfires said to have been the worst such fires in Israel’s history, not only burnt down more than 3,036 hectares (7,500 acres) of forest and brush land and killed 44 […]
Israeli researchers have developed a DNA test that will allow the desert-dwelling Bedouin tribes to detect which of their sheep have a gene that makes them more likely to produce multiple offspring. With the cost of animal feed rising as well, a new technology that helps Bedouin tribes increase the size of their flock without […]
The hyrax are cute to some, and pests to others. Photos by Arik Kershenbaum They are considered as cute little critters to some people, and they have been around since at least biblical times. But nowadays, like other animals that are classified as pests – like jellyfish during the summer months, or wild boar that […]
In an attempt to maintain Israel’s forests and prevent forest fires in the future, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and the Jewish National Fund enlist tourists to become “Foresters for a Day.” About a year ago, the Carmel forest in northern Israel suffered the worst fire in the nation’s modern history and 5,000 hectares of forest land […]
After publishing so many stories about Arabs who offend nature so deeply, the Green Sheikh’s soothing words are especially timely. What links humans, nature and technology is one of the secrets of life. This link should be used to reach sustainability and to seek “Nature’s Wisdom,” which originates from a conscious and extensive belief […]
Leaked pictures from the Dead Sea naked shoot reveal identifiable information of the naked models. When more than a thousand people signed up for the Naked Sea project, US installation artist Spencer Tunick took great care to ensure that the privacy of the naked models would be kept, um, private. Green Prophet’s Alex was part […]
Some people make collages of family pictures, but a group of friends in Kuwait compiled these images after killing a wolf with a shotgun. In response to yesterday’s post about the only two countries in the Middle East that offer wolves any kind of legal protection, a Kuwaiti reader forwarded a link to a story […]
The wolf pictured above is an Iranian wolf, which exists is dwindling numbers throughout Israel, Iran, and Turkey. Our fear of the wolf is historically as deep-seated as our survival instinct, which may explain why only two countries in the Middle East have established official bans against hunting them. Two subspecies of the Gray Wolf […]
Joshua interviews Israel’s most influential and accomplished environmentalist, Dr. Alon Tal. Where is Israel at in terms of environmental protection? Get the scoop here. Israel has introduced several environmental protections in the last few years, but many problems remain. Although massive social protests swept Israel over the summer, environmental issues were not at the fore. […]
Are you a green travel guru? Do you want to see and be seen at the most important sustainable tourism event of the year? If so, pack your bag and head to World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi 5-7 December, 2011. Nothing advances sustainability more than a meeting of green minds, which is why the World […]
What’s an Aqaba trip over Eid Ul Adha without some snorkeling at the coral beds off Tala Bay of the Red Sea? It’s your chance to star in your own National Geographic special. Get knocked out by the natural beauty, then repulsed by the manmade trash.
