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Harvesting honey, hugging trees: Meet the UAE entrepreneur championing eco-education

With activities like raising chickens, Syrian expat Sherin Bodekji Wanes is building a nature-inspired community

Imagine a school curriculum that includes caring for bees, harvesting honey, raising chickens, cooking outdoors, making shelters, planting and composting, caring for worms and hugging trees. This could be a reality in the UAE soon thanks to Syrian expat Sherin Bodekji Wanes.

A nature enthusiast and accomplished entrepreneur, Sherin hopes to roll out her Forest School programme in schools across the UAE. Born and raised in Syria, Sherin moved to the UAE 15 years ago. After 10 years, when she lost her corporate job, she founded Natura Tribe, the first nature-inspired community in the region.

“I would love to create nature spaces for kids across the UAE and incorporate nature in their classes. Also, I’m aiming to make Dubai the hub for everything related to nature activities and education,” she says.

Sherin describes Natura Tribe as her “third baby”; she has two human ones, aged four and six. It was born out of the desire to provide her children and others in the community with the kind of nature-rich upbringing she enjoyed during her own childhood in Syria. Her vision is to help children develop a deep love and respect for nature, something she believes is essential for the wellbeing of future generations.

Launching a dream

With a strong academic background in business administration and strategic marketing, Sherin has also earned several specialised certifications, including recognition as a fully qualified Forest School Leader by The Forest Schools Education UK, a Therapeutic Forest School Practitioner for children of determination; a Green Educator, certified by the Green School Bali; and a qualified beekeeper and permaculture designer. These qualifications have empowered her to create and lead a variety of nature-based programmes and experiences designed to reconnect people with the natural world.

Sherin's journey into environmental education began during the Covid-19 pandemic when she lost her corporate job while on maternity leave. Faced with the uncertainty of her career, she decided to focus on her children and noticed a troubling trend: her young ones had begun to fear the outdoors. “During the lockdown, my little ones always wanted to go back home from our walks. I remember as a child I never wanted to go back home from play. I always wanted my kids to grow up in nature, to fall in love with it and to have real childhood like I did. I grew up in Syria by the sea. Collecting shells, eating fruits form the trees, running barefoot, swinging and climbing trees, planting… I believe I had really beautiful childhood.”

Another strong motivating factor to start Natura Tribe was when she noticed the nannies in community didn’t have any interactions when they took kids out other than putting them in stroller and walking. “So, I decided to be the change I wanted to see. I gathered my kids and the kids in my community under one tree and started to run nature-based activities for them,” she says.

Back to nature

Today, Natura Tribe offers a wide range of programmes for children aged one to 12, as well as workshops for adults, parents, educators, and caregivers. These activities include playdates, camps, night safaris, and therapeutic forest sessions, as well as special events such as birthdays and corporate programmes. Sherin’s sessions are designed to teach children essential survival skills, mindfulness, and a deep appreciation for the environment.

“Thanks to my background in public relations, I run my business on my own. I designed my website, I run my social media and I design my programmes. I have got amazing support from an Emirati business woman, Nadia Zaal, who believed in me when I was starting and gave me that push,” she said.

Sherin’s commitment to nature education extends beyond her immediate community. She has launched the first International Forest School Leader Training Programme in the Middle East, attracting participants from across the region, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Lebanon. She also organises the Nature Fair, a bi-monthly nature-based festival in Al Barari, which brings together people from across the Emirates to celebrate their connection to the environment through workshops, music, and mindfulness.

She is passionate about weaving with natural materials, bushcraft, natural dyes, regenerative gardening as well as nature crafts. She also makes plant-based playdough (the first in the Middle East), which is sold across different eco kids toys stores in the UAE. “Kids at my sessions hug trees, thank them for the fruits and shades and know their names. My aim is to inspire the young generation to become the Keepers of Mother Nature,” she asserts.

Dream city

Sherin has travelled to 56 countries, weaving the best practices from her global experiences into her innovative modules. She admires the support and flexibility of the UAE in helping her realise her dream.

“I love spending my holidays in remote destinations learning from the people of the land. Wherever I go for trainings and during my travels, I show my business and what we have created here and people get shocked that these sessions happen in the UAE. They just can’t believe that we have this greenery and these kinds of programmes here,” she said.

Sherin asserted that the benefits of nature programmes for kids at young ages are endless. “Kids become more confident, they will know how to evaluate risks, they will have better communication and social skills, emotional and cognitive skills, and they will become solution oriented. We all had that moment where once we step in the forest we calm down. We all need nature for our wellbeing. I had kids coming to my sessions who couldn’t walk barefoot or couldn’t touch mud. Now they are nature lovers to the core,” she adds.

Looking ahead, Sherin envisions creating nature spaces for children across the UAE and incorporating nature-based learning into school curricula. She is dedicated to making Dubai a hub for nature activities and education and is proud to have received the Golden Visa for her contributions.

“What some people don’t understand is that it’s in our genes to be one with nature and if we fight that we will be sick and will have so many disorders and issues. So, we have to teach kids from a young age to respect and love nature.”

For more info follow natura.tribe on Instagram

wknd@khaleejtimes.com