Rivers, waterfalls, wildlife: UAE residents invited to Wadi Wurayah for rare field trips

UAE residents are being given the rare opportunity to explore Wadi Wurayah National Park, the country’s first protected mountain area, and help in conservation efforts. Recognised internationally as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the park in Fujairah remains temporarily closed to the public.

The Fujairah Environment Authority (FEA) and Emirates Nature-WWF is now inviting youth, students and the wider community to participate in scientific research. Trips will be hosted under the Leaders of Change programme, which is the UAE’s biggest civil society movement for nature with over 5,000 members.

According to information available on the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) website, the 220sqkm Wadi Wurayah has 208 plant varieties, including the UAE’s only native orchid — epipactis veratrifolia.

It is home to the rare Blandford fox, Gordon’s wildcat and hedgehogs. “The park is also an ornithologist’s dream, with 94 endangered bird species recorded within the area. Recent wildlife surveys show that 24 of the 30 known dragonflies worldwide can be found at the Wadi Wurayah National Park,” the MoCCAE said.

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The stunningly green reserve — which was announced as the country's first protected mountain area in 2009 — has water bodies like rivers and waterfalls. Many of the species that call the sanctuary home are vulnerable to threats of climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and water scarcity.

As part of the Leaders of Change programme, participants will discover the diversity and biodiversity of the mountainous sanctuary.

The FEA has in the past leveraged citizen science for biodiversity surveys that assess the state of key habitats and species in Wadi Wurayah. These surveys have even led to new discoveries, including Urothemis thomasi — a dragonfly that was previously thought to be extinct and recorded for the first time in the UAE.

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