The Abu Dhabi Centre of the Emirates Heritage Club has launched a programme to spread awareness about the cultivation of mangroves at Masnoa Island, adjacent to Abu Dhabi, where dozens of mangroves have been planted by students.

Ahmed Murshid Al Rumaithi, Director of the Club’s Abu Dhabi Centre, said that the programme follows the legacy of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed, to protect the environment, and is in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President's Representative and the Club’s Chairman, to protect these trees and increase their numbers.

He explained that the mangroves offer an important habitat for birds and marine life, as well as having high nutiritional value for animals and helping to reduce coastal erosion. The Club’s planting programme seeks to aims to increase the number of trees and to promote greater biodiversity, Al Rumaithi added.

Masnoa Island - covering around seven sq. km. and managed as a nature reserve - is the site of various activities organised by the Club, including training courses and camps.