By Joey Aguilar
A total of 22 students from different educational institutions in the country have won prizes in the Qatar e-Nature school contest which saw 5,500 participants.
The contest, conducted by Friends of the Environment (FEC) and global energy and chemical company Sasol, aimed to increase environmental awareness among students while urging them to explore more about Qatar’s natural diversity.
Saoud Hassan Mahdi al-Haddad from the Al Wafaa Model Independent School for Boys, who won the grand prize, will be sent to South Africa for an educational tour.
Sasol president Marjo Louw said Qatar e-Nature is the first-of-its-kind bilingual smartphone application which contains details and pictures of hundreds of birds, insects and flora living in the region.
Nandy Poblete Pungyan (Philippine School of Doha), Hannah Katja Wood (Compass International School) and Dina Nayel Altarawneh (Doha Academy Salwa Branch) won in the photo submission category.
Five schools received awards for the highest percentage of participation. The Ahmed bin Mohammed Secondary Independent School for Boys garnered 27% to bag the top prize followed by Al Khor International School (23%). Moza bint Mohamed Preparatory Independent School for Girls came third (19%) followed by Abdullah bin Zaid Model Independent School for Boys (13%) and Umm Maabad Preparatory Independent School for Girls (11%).
A live performance of South African master drummer Patrick Dilley, who was joined by some students on stage using unique musical instruments, was the highlight of the prize distribution event on Thursday.
The competition consisted of an eight-question multiple choice quiz about information contained in the Qatar e-Nature application. Students had the option of sending a photo – of a bird, plant or insects - that they took in Qatar using their mobile phone of tablet. It was open to all students enrolled in Qatar from grades 1 to 13.
Qatar e-Nature, which was launched six months ago, had obtained 5,500 app downloads and received about 1,600 photos. Organisers visited 162 schools (almost half of the total schools in Qatar). A Facebook page was launched about two months ago.
The awards night was attended by South African ambassador Saad Cachalia and officials of Sasol and FEC, including the latter’s chairman, Dr Saif Ali al-Hajari.
In his speech, al-Hajari said that decision-makers, groups and individuals concerned had supported the project which is expected to continue in the coming years, tapping more schools and students.
“This tool is not only for children, it is also for tourism, especially to those who come to Qatar,” he pointed out. “It is exploring nature everywhere and anytime we want.”
Al-Hajari earlier said that besides naming some 300 birds, they had also discovered 16 new species of insects which will be added to the existing 500.
The mobile application contains the local name, scientific name, and a detailed description of each bird, insect and flora. It also features the sounds of native and migratory birds.
