Over thousand birds native to local environment set free to raise wildlife awareness

Doha, Qatar: Al Rayyan Municipality and the Friends of the Environment Center, a Ministry of Sports and Youth affiliate, launched the birds of peace initiative of the Expo 2023 Doha, in cooperation with the Qatar Association for Homing Pigeon, the Lens of the Qatari Environment initiative, and Dlala Holding, to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the Qatari environment and biodiversity.

The initiative included the release of more than a thousand birds native to the local environment, accompanied by a competition for children to raise awareness of wildlife in Qatar.

Director-General of Al Rayyan Municipality Jaber Al Jaber said that the initiative sends a message of peace to the entire world from the heart of Expo 2023 Doha.

He underscored the significant timing of the initiative coinciding with global developments, especially those happening in Palestine, thanking the work team and local partners for their efforts, which were well received by the public at Expo 2023 Doha.

Al Jaber said that the event comes within the framework of an agreement signed by the Al Rayyan Municipality and the Friends of the Environment Center to strengthen their joint cooperation, adding that Al Rayyan Municipality is a strategic partner of the Center.

In this context, the Friends of the Environment Center Executive Director Farhoud Al Hajri stressed the initiative’s importance, being a message of peace from Qatar to the whole world, adding that the initiative is a manifestation of the Center’s vision and mission of protecting the local environment, its biodiversity, and marinating its balance, a fundamental step in the process of enriching and supporting the local environment.

Al Hajri pointed out that the Friends of the Environment Center carries out such activities annually, organized this year as part of the Expo 2023 Doha, and in the presence of a wider audience of all walks of life and backgrounds, raising awareness of the significance of the presence of these birds in the local environment, and their important role in preserving the food chain.

Established in 1992, Friends of the Environment Center is striving in collaboration with the Government, NGOs and the Private Sector to achieve better bird conservation goals through field surveys, and offering effective environmental educational and awareness programmes focusing on students, families and local communities.