Schools

Special Invites 2009

EDA

  • Rita Bento, EDA’s Marine Biologist and Project Manager, Reema Abbas went to the Raffles School on the 22nd of April 2009 to talk to the students about environmental awareness and biodiversity and hear the children’s thoughts on what they understand is happening to our planet today.
  • EDA were invited by Ernst Van Der Poll to give a presentation for Tawasul at the Pavilion Dive Centre about EDA and Marine protected areas to a group of kids from the Dubai American Academy.

School Presentations 2008

  • EDA Marine Biologist Rita Bento gave a presentation on Global Warming to the members of the Deira International School’s environmental club.  The club, called Ecubed: Emancipating Everyone's Earth (E3), held an environmental workshop with the final goal of starting a school-wide can collection drive which they gave to a recycling organization.
  • EDA’s then, Projects Coordinator Melrose Valencia gave a short presentation to a group of school children from Royal Dubai School who did their very first beach clean up at Jumeirah Beach.

Working with Schools in 2007

  • EDA joined Al Boom Diving in spreading awareness about coral reefs to schools and getting them interested in snorkeling, diving and clean ups.
  • EDA’s then, Admin Assistant Melrose Valencia talked to the students of the American School of Dubai about EDA’s activities and goals.
  • EDA and Al Boom Diving advised students of the Universal American School about careers in recreational diving and marine biology during the school’s Career Day.
  • EDA’s Abu Dhabi Coordinator, Kathleen Russell gave a presentation to the American Community School (ACS) in Abu Dhabi as part of their celebration for the 35th Earth Day. She showed 350 students aged between 4-12 a lively and colorful slideshow highlighting that everyone should be a “friend to the sea” and show ways to protect this valuable resource.
  • EDA Heritage Department Coordinator Juma’a Bin Thalith gave a talk on scuba diving and the local pearl dive culture to Al Aamal School kids who visited EDA.


School Visit 2004

EDA met with 11-12 year old children from the Rashid School for Boys on October 26th 2004 as part of the class’s environmental unit. The unit focused on two indicator species: the dugong and the sea turtle.

After much research using books and the internet, the class joined EDA on a trip to the Madinat Jumeirah Turtle Rehabilitation Unit. The unit houses sick and injured turtles until they are healthy enough to be released. Our visit coincided with the National Marine Aquariums feeding program and staff members talked about the 7 Hawksbill and 1 Green turtle currently residing in the seawater enclosure.

Back in the classroom, EDA’s marine biologist led an interactive group tutorial. Together, the class filled in a turtle quiz, which stimulated discussion and clarified what the children had seen/learnt whilst viewing the turtles.

The class managed to hold their breath from a range of 12sec - 1min ½, demonstrating that humans are poorly adapted to the marine environment compared with a turtle which, when sleeping can rest at the bottom for up to 2hours. The boys were allowed to handle a green turtle’s shell and skull that had been brought in.

These bright and enthusiastic boys are now well informed about the species of turtles living and breeding in the Gulf, how to differentiate between the different species, how to tell a male from a female turtle, they know what turtles eat, where they lay their eggs, and most importantly what factors are threatening their existence and what means of protection we can provide, individually, regionally, and nationally.