Doha: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education, along with Sasol — the international integrated chemicals and energy company — and the Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC), has announced the kick-off of the quarter-final and semi-final rounds of Qatar e-Nature schools contest in its sixth consecutive year.
The Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest is designed to encourage students to discover Qatar’s rich nature, learn more about Qatar’s environmental diversity, and highlight the importance of environmental awareness in a fun and interactive way.
The participating teams will compete to answer questions live that test their knowledge of plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, marine life and nature reserves in Qatar, and are based on information available on Qatar e-Nature smartphone application and website enature.qa.
Nearly 350 students from 113 private and governmental schools across Qatar are competing at the Qatar e-Nature contest quarter final rounds from March 11 to 18, followed by the semi-final rounds on March 19 and 20, taking place at Al Markhiya Primary School for Girls.
In April, four finalist teams will compete in the final round of the contest.
Fatima Al Obaidli, Head of Programs and Activities at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, commented: “The Qatar e-Nature school contests is an engaging platform that enables young participants to showcase their abilities and take an active role in learning about Qatar’s environment. We are pleased to continue our cooperation with Sasol and FEC to deliver the sixth edition of the Qatar e-Nature schools contest.”
FEC Director, Frahood Al Hajiri, commented: “Over the years, the Qatar e-Nature application has demonstrated the positive influence of spreading environmental awareness and encouraging younger generations to learn more about the environment. We thank the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and Sasol, for their invaluable cooperation.”
Jack Saba, General Manager of Public Affairs at Sasol, commented: “Our objective is to both educate younger generations on the rich diversity of Qatar’s nature and emphasise the value of environmental awareness.”
Each school is participating through a three-member team, with a member each from primary 4, primary 5, and primary 6. At the end of the quarter and semi-final rounds, four teams will qualify for the final round and will be honored in an award ceremony with special trophies and vouchers. Vouchers for the winning teams, of up to QR 9,000, can be won.
Qatar e-Nature, a leading Sasol social initiative, is the first smartphone application of its kind, highlighting Qatar’s rich environmental diversity and offering detailed information about the country’s flora, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, marine life and nature reserves. Sasol cooperated with FEC to develop this application in Arabic and English with a view to promoting sustainable development by raising the community’s environmental awareness.
