Sharjah24: The Municipality of Al Hamriyah has launched a series of environmental activities and events focusing on the importance of turtles and their role in marine ecosystems, aiming to raise awareness within the community about their significance and the responsibility towards them.

These activities included morning sessions at schools in Al Hamriyah city and evening events at the beach park, which attracted a significant number of locals and visitors to the picturesque beach of Al Hamriyah. This launch coincided with World Turtle Day on May 23rd, with events held at various locations such as Al Qala'a School and Al Hamriyah Beach to reach a wider audience.

Specifically, teams from Al Hamriyah Municipality, in collaboration with experts from the Sharjah Museums Authority and Sharjah Aquarium, conducted workshops targeting students. Advanced classes highlighted the importance of turtles in marine ecosystems, their vulnerability to extinction, rehabilitation programmes, and the importance of preserving their natural habitats.

Educational pamphlets tailored to different age groups, including colouring books for younger students, were distributed to convey messages about turtle healthcare using medical equipment, food supplements, and topics related to environmental pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction.

In the evening events at the beach park, Al Hamriyah Municipality teams launched initiatives targeting families of all ages, including an exhibition about marine turtles with interactive models to educate children about different turtle species in the UAE's regional waters. The Green and Blue Flag awards received by Al Hamriyah Municipality for environmental preservation efforts were also showcased.

Furthermore, specialised teams distributed colouring books to children featuring environmental slogans ("Towards Plastic-Free Beaches - Let's Preserve Marine Environment and Turtles"), alongside awareness workshops emphasising the importance of turtles in marine ecosystems, aiming to enhance environmental awareness and encourage community participation in marine environmental conservation efforts, protecting marine turtles and their natural habitats for current and future generations.

His Excellency Mubarak Rashed Al Shamsi, Director of Al Hamriyah Municipality emphasised the municipality's role in spreading awareness among the community about the importance of caring for marine environments and their inhabitants, as part of ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the environment, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability.

Al Shamsi highlighted the rich maritime heritage and marine wealth of Sharjah's beaches, affirming Al Hamriyah Municipality's commitment to working alongside relevant government entities and institutions to maintain marine resources free from pollutants affecting marine life, ensuring the cleanliness of marine environments, and instilling a sense of community responsibility. He also commended the efforts of the Sharjah Museums Authority and Sharjah Aquarium in spreading community messages, environmental awareness, and environmental initiatives focused on marine life conservation, turtle awareness, increasing knowledge about these creatures, encouraging necessary actions for their preservation, and engaging with the community to ensure a sustainable future for the environment and marine resources.