Inter-emirates Weekend Overview:
THURSDAY AFTERNOON
The IEW Registration Desk will be open from 4:30 pm until 9 pm. There will be trip an IEW Information Folder to collect and sign-up sheets for the field trips at the desk - and photos for the Photography Competition (see below) can be left there.
THURSDAY EVENING
On Thursday evening, the emphasis will be on meeting incoming participants from other chapters, deciding on which trips to go on, and viewing the displays and members’ photographs in the Bani Yas conference room on the first floor of the hotel. There will be slides of flora to be seen on the Perimeter Walk. For those interested, these will be shown after dinner on Thursday, at approximately 9.00 pm. Also around this time will be a natural history/Emirates quiz in the Bani Yas conference room.
Telescopes will be set up in the Hotel grounds for those interested in doing some star-gazing – probably soon after the quiz finishes.
FRIDAY MORNING
The IEW Registration desk will open from 6:30 am until 8:45 am for those wishing to put their names down for field trips. Photos for the Photography competition (see below) can also be left at the desk during this time.
7:30 am: On Friday morning there will be a bird watching excursion, starting at 7.30 led by Andrew Twyman.
8:00 am: A full day trip to the Elephant Tracks will depart at 8.00, led by Drew Gardner & Mark Beech. A four-wheel drive car is required for this trip. Participants can expect to arrive back at the Hotel at about 6 pm.
8:15 am: A full day trip to Liwa & Tal Moreb will depart at 8.15, led by Andrew Bean & Dick Hornby. A four-wheel drive car is required for this trip. Participants can expect to arrive back at the Hotel at about 6 pm.
9:00 am: A shorter trip to a nearby location (35-40kms) will be available for those not wanting a long day’s drive. This will be to view the saxaul forest and aeolianite outcrops near Al Wathba, led by Allestree Fisher. The trip will leave at 9.00am, and return via the flamingos around midday.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
Friday afternoon, for those not on one of the full day trips, can be spent on the Perimeter Walk at the Mafraq Hotel. This walk, which is child-friendly, consists of a look at the fauna and flora surrounding the premises. Allestree Fisher and/or Molly McQuarrie to lead.
*** Remember to vote for your favourite photos, displayed in the Bani Yas conference room, at any time during the day on Friday. Voting forms will be available near the entrance of the conference room. Completed votes can be put in the box near the conference room door. Voting closes at 19:00 on Friday ***
FRIDAY EVENING
Dinner will be held in the Hotel from 7pm. During dinner, the winners of the Sheikh Mubarak and Bish Brown awards will be announced, together with winners of the photographic competition.
After dinner you will be able to help with insect-trapping in the Hotel grounds – as Brigitte Howarth has kindly offered to set up her mercury vapour light. There will also another opportunity to star-gaze after dinner, with the telescopes set up.
SATURDAY MORNING
On Saturday morning the limelight will be on our special guest, Dr Shahina Ghazanfar, from Kew Gardens, will run a workshop on the flora of the UAE/Abu Dhabi. The workshop will (probably) start at 9 am. If you can, please bring a hand lens along to this workshop …. it will be useful.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
At 1 pm Andrew Bean will lead a sand-driving session, aimed at providing an introduction to the basics of sand driving. Participants will travel to the Two Trees site. Those intending to join this group should, if possible, bring a tow-rope with shackle …. plus any other sand-driving gear you have.
