Archaeologists in Fujairah at working against the clock to save the UAE’s precious rock art. Without an historical record, our future would seem shallow. A future sans identity. A future that lacks the benefit of hindsight to inform important decisions. Because ancient relics – fossils, petroglyphs, and architecture – shed light on our origin, they […]
These women began their epic 10,000 mile biking for transboundary conservation journey in Istanbul. Following their own footsteps down an entirely different path, best friends Kate Harris and Melissa Yule left Istanbul to continue a year-long tour of transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) along the Silk Road. With concern that these outlaying ecosystems are especially vulnerable […]
This Imperial Eagle is one of several species in Turkey that face extinction. Birds accustomed to breeding and rearing their young in healthy wetlands are being pushed out as lakes dry up and agricultural and industrial activity take precedence. And reptiles. And mammals. Even humans are being displaced as accelerated drought and fire sweep through […]
Jordanian environmentalists have launched a new campaign against planned construction in a nature reserve. Jordanian environmentalists have launched a new campaign against plans to build a military academy at Bergish, in the Ajloun Forest nature reserve in north-western Jordan. The plans will, says campaigners from Halt Ajloun Deforestation, destroy an estimated 2,200 trees – some […]
Environmentalists have called for urgent action to save the last 400 argun palm trees, a rare desert palm tree highly valued by the ancient Egyptians In the remote regions of Sudan and Egypt the argun palm tree- a rare desert tree whose fruit was discovered by archaeologists in Pharaoh tombs- grows under a harsh sun. […]
Research shows that if we aren’t able to stay the loss of ocean biodiversity, we could witness total ecosystem collapse. The loss of ocean predators such as Bluefin Tuna, which were given insufficient protection at a last year’s International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), and sharks – like those poached by Yemeni […]
Dust in the atmosphere can mitigate the heating effect of trapped greenhouse gases. If climate science were simple, perhaps we could design a quick fix that would suck out the carbon trapped in the atmosphere, and restore weather to it’s pre-freaky ways. Unfortunately, that’s not how nature works. To further add to the complexity, The […]
The vulture (which may actually be a bald eagle) captured in rural Saudi Arabia will be released. Following widespread (and embarrassing) news coverage, the vulture captured in Saudi Arabia and reportedly “arrested” on charges of espionage will be released. Israelis told Sky News that associating the migrating vulture with Mossad – one of Israel’s intelligence […]
Before you pick up your sweetheart’s flowers this years, check first to find out where they come from. Only one month before Valentine’s day, when thousands of women are expected to swoon over after a last minute pitch to be romantic, Egypt will host the world’s leading flower producers at a three day long exhibition. […]
A vulture fitted with Tel Aviv University tags was “arrested” in Saudi Arabia. The charge? Espionage. Fitting migratory birds with tags and GPS transmitters allows ornithologists and other researchers to track their migration. Important questions are answered: where do the birds fly? Where do they rest? How far do they travel. Dubai researchers recently tagged […]
Wander off the beaten trail in the West Bank, and find a treasure of a guesthouse in Sebastia, near Nablus The little town of Sebastia, near Nablus in the northern West Bank, was one a major city. Home to successive civilisations from its Canaanite founders to its modern-day Palestinian inhabitants (via Israelites, Crusaders and Alexander […]
For the sake of trade in red coral such as this, several Mediterranean countries opposed a measure that would have protected precious coral. Already plagued by a bucketful of ecological maladies, the Mediterranean faces further degradation of its precious coral, Bikya Masr reports. In December several Mediterranean countries were among those that shot down a […]
Fitted with a satellite device, this flamingo, Yasmeena, will help Abu Dhabi researchers track the bird’s migratory routes. Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency (EAD) has been busy this year. In addition to rescuing endangered baboons and hyenas from a private home, and caring for coral reefs one disc at a time, they have played a pivotal […]
Green Prophet’s new writer Rebecca shares her personal experience raising 5 female goats. She shares an easy goat cheese recipe too! The first goats arrived to our garden by chance. Our friends needed to get rid of their goats urgently as their neighbours were complaining about the baahing. We weren’t sure what that meant, but […]
Because of an enduring myth, Bedouins in Jordan kill hyenas; the Badia Center for Ecological Education is trying to educate locals and relieve pressure on wildlife. The desert area north of Amman, Jordan (the site of the King Hussein Park) which engulfs roughly 75% of the entire country, is under strain. In addition to being […]
Reef sharks in the Gulf are especially vulnerable without sanctuaries to ensure their protection. Red Sea sharks are threatened by Yemenese poachers who sell their fins to Asia for a fit price. But it turns out that Persian Gulf shark species are also vulnerable. So much so that conservationists have advised regional environmental groups and […]
If you’re looking to rest your laurels somewhere warm and eco-friendly, why not consider Tunisia, the world’s most egalitarian Arab nation. Tunisia is the Arab world’s best secret. Not only does it boast high home ownership, high literacy, and good health care coverage, but it is so egalitarian that the First Lady boasts they don’t […]
From snow leopards to the Pakistani sand cat: The vast deserts, rough mountains and scarce waterways of the Middle East are home to many unique animals. Watch our slideshow of 8 unique exquisite Middle Eastern mammals, birds and reptiles threatened with extinction because of hunting, loss of habitat, lack of prey, or poisoning. SEE SLIDESHOW […]
In the alien and isolated landscape of the Socotra Island, just off the coast of Yemen, biodiversity is in a struggle for survival Declared an UNESCO world heritage site in July 2008, the Socotra Archipelago which is located in the northwest Indian Ocean is home to some of the rarest species in the world. According […]
Conservative women who visit Jeddah swim wearing their Hijab and all, but still manage to enjoy what this lovely seaside city has to offer. Diana Rayan, a Palestinian blogger and photographer living in Saudi Arabia contacted us with images of Jeddah, a city in Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea which is said to be […]
The hornet that captures the sun’s energy in its bright yellow abdomen teaches us that nature knows so much better than we do. When we cover crazy schemes to manipulate nature – such as the plan to move mini oceans to the desert – I inevitably shake my head at our collective arrogance. These plans […]
Sadly, the source of the recent Golan fire in Israel (before the Carmel fire) may have been an “eco-friendly” Rainbow Festival participant. Environmentalists can get it so horribly wrong sometimes. They may decide to buy certified organic out-of-season produce from thousands of miles away instead of buying local and seasonal. Or they may ditch their […]
In the running to become National Geographic’s 2010 Adventurer of the Year, David de Rothschild continues to spread awareness of the world’s oceans. Towards the end of July this year, David de Rothschild and his crew finished an 8,500 mile journey in a boat made out of 12,500 plastic bottles, the Plastiki. This epic adventure […]
Plants to restore the Carmel forest by planting new trees are misguided, according to a leading researcher. Rushing to the scene of the recent Carmel fire to plant a pile of trees would be a mistake, according to a leading researcher from Israel’s University of Haifa. While Professor Ido Izhaki recognizes the unfortunate toll that […]
These clumps of plastic debris killed the camels from whose bellies they were retrieved. I’m not going to beat around the bush: I loathe plastic bags. There are many reasons, chief of which is the impact they have on our domestic and wildlife. Months ago we reported that camels were discovered to have been killed […]
