The second beach cleanup of the ongoing 22nd edition of A Flower Each Spring (FES) programme, held at the mangrove forests of the Purple Island in Al Thakira, saw 175 volunteers, comprising families, participating to collect over 1000kg of waste materials. 
The event was organised by Doha Environmental Actions Project (DEAP) and Friends of Nature (FON) and hosted in two different campsites, by AquaSports and FES programme, respectively. 
Al Khor and Al Thakhira Municipality provided support. The FES programme, has been creating awareness since 1999 on local floral and other environmental aspects. The Purple Island (Bin Ghanim Island), a natural heritage site, is also a location of significant historical interest. 
A purple dye used to be derived in ancient times from the shells of a local mollusk. This purple dye was much prized by royalty and wealthy across the region and as far as the Roman Empire. “The beach cleanup was a grand success, thanks to the stakeholders,” said Fatma Hassan, event/school co-ordinator at FES and programme co-ordinator of FON.
Mohamed El-Azab, Operations & Branding manager of AquaSports pointed out that the mangrove forests of Al Thakira around Purple Island are a protected natural site and home to a wide variety of wild birds and sea life including flamingos, herons, as well as the endangered grey mangrove. 
“Grey mangroves are hugely important to habitat preservation for many animals but they are also very susceptible to pollution and changes to local conditions.”
DEAP director Jose Saucedo, described Purple Island as an incredible beautiful place in Qatar that is home to many species of birds and marine life. 
The collected trash included old tyres, plastic bags, and fishing lines and sharp metal objects. The volunteers were instructed on how to safely collect the rubbish. At the end of the day, the municipal authorities removed the waste materials for safe disposal, leaving the natural habitat a safer and cleaner place for humans and animals alike.