Connecting Youth to Nature, Naturally

Have you ever wondered how you can be part of something bigger? Here we explore the importance of having the UAE youth immersing themselves in nature to protect their natural heritage for generations to come.

Have you ever wondered how you can be part of something bigger? Join inspired UAE youth aged 15-30 in conserving the nation’s habitats and species through action in nature.

Youth who have grown up in the UAE may have mixed or nostalgic feelings about the rapidly growing pace of the country’s development.  While change is inevitable for a society to mature and progress, it is also essential to safeguard the nation’s precious natural heritage.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been working in association with Emirates Nature for 18 years in the UAE, tackling pressing environmental threats from climate change to biodiversity and habitat loss.  Emirates Nature-WWF has recently launched a youth program “Connect with Nature” together with The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) to encourage future changemakers to come up with meaningful solutions and bring about change.

Connect with Nature aims to reverse youth’s disengagement from nature by connecting them with the sea, desert, and wildlife to preserve them for generations to come. It offers signature outreach activities such as wildlife photography, survival workshops, camping and trekking expeditions, mangrove kayaking, beach patrols, citizen science projects, turtle releases, and bio-organic farming experiences.  It also builds capacity by giving future leaders the opportunity to lead discussion circles and enroll in learning and leadership courses.

By stepping into the natural world (with minimal environmental impact), youth learn to respect, appreciate, and have fun while enhancing their own physical and mental well-being. Through understanding the importance of each player in an ecosystem, Connect with Nature equips its participants with tools to conserve the planet, protect its biodiversity, and spread the message of sustainability.

The way forward is simple: citizens can commit to taking immediate measures in their daily lives such as reducing air conditioning consumption, ride-sharing, monitoring water usage, reducing food waste, investing in green technology, purchasing second-hand items, sharing clothing and accessories, and repairing everyday objects.  A long-term utopian goal is to raise youngsters who assume the aforementioned measures as their default approach in life where it would seem strange not to conserve or be eco-friendly.

All it takes is one person, one country at a time to make a difference.

Connect with Nature is a youth initiative co-founded by Emirates Nature-WWF and The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), in strategic partnership with the International Fund for Houbara Conservation. For more information about Connect with Nature, the mobile app, Knowledge Hub, and outreach activities, visit www.connectwithnature.ae.