Accomplishments of the Emirates Natural History Group

CAIRO – 12 September 2017: Dedicated to documenting and preserving the natural heritage of the United Arab Emirates, the Emirates Natural History Group has helped uncover numerous valuable archaeological sites in the Emirates, shedding light on a lost past.

Founded in 1977, the group has had an odd start; they first started off by collecting and preserving Dugong skulls. They are the oldest group of voluntary history societies in the UAE that deal with natural history. Amongst their goals are the recording of every fauna and flora in the UAE, and recognizing brand new species, previously undiscovered.

One of their biggest accomplishments was the discovery of a 1,400-year-old Christian monastery in Sir Bani Yas. More recently, the group examined the coral used in older buildings in 2015, as part of a study of gulf history.

On September 12, long-time committee member Peter Hellyer will be giving a talk on the group’s 40-year history.