More than 2,000 Abu Dhabi students and educators engage in conservation through Connect with Nature

UAE, 5 February 2026: Connect with Nature marked a major milestone in its mission to place young people at the heart of conservation, highlighting the first-year delivery and impact of its school field trips initiative across Abu Dhabi.

Launched in 2025, the initiative has delivered 49 school field trips, successfully engaging more than 2,000 students and educators from private and government schools across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Al Dhafra (Western) Region in educational experiences that align with the UAE’s environmental goals. The Connect with Nature programme's school field trips initiative forms part of a five-year commitment to building long-term environmental awareness and action aligned with the UAE’s environmental goals.

Connect with Nature was co-developed by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Emirates Nature-WWF to give youth and communities the opportunity to experience nature first-hand while contributing to meaningful conservation efforts. Through activities such as Plant Surveys, Mangrove Monitoring, Litter Surveys, Nurdle Hunts and Kayak 4 Conservation, students engage directly with local ecosystems while actively supporting their protection.

Modon supports Connect with Nature as part of its commitment to community engagement and environmental stewardship, helping to enable hands-on learning experiences that place young people at the centre of long-term environmental impact.

Rasha Ali Al Madfai, Division Director - Awareness and Outreach - Environmental Information, Science, and Outreach Management at EAD, commented: “Through immersive nature-based learning and citizen science experiences, Connect with Nature’s school trips enable students and educators to explore local ecosystems, collect data for scientific research and take meaningful action for nature. These experiences help build environmental awareness at a young age, nurturing the UAE’s next generation of citizen scientists.”

Bill O'Regan, Group Chief Executive Officer of Modon Holding, said: “In bringing cities to life, Modon supports initiatives that positively impact people and places, contributing to the evolving fabric of Abu Dhabi and all our communities. Connect with Nature reflects our values, placing youth at the centre of environmental stewardship, actively contributing to real conservation outcomes and building a deeper understanding of the role they can play in protecting the UAE’s natural environment.”

Alongside field learning, the programme also offers students exposure to conservation-related career pathways. In 2025, 20 students, including two Persons of Determination, completed week-long work experience placements, gaining hands-on exposure to conservation-focused careers across different sectors.

Arabella Willing, Head of Conservation Outreach & Citizen Science at Emirates Nature-WWF, commented: “We are incredibly grateful to the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, co-founder of Connect with Nature, for their continued collaboration and believing in the power of young people to play a meaningful role in protecting our environment, as well as to Modon, the programme’s strategic partner. When students head outdoors to monitor mangroves, track litter or hunt for nurdles, something transformative happens – nature stops being a distant concept and starts feeling personal. These experiences show young people that their actions count and that they can make a tangible difference for nature and their communities as citizen scientists.”

To date, student-led field trips have contributed to the collection of 8,000 data points, monitoring of 150 mangrove trees, the removal of 1,910 kg of litter, the categorisation of more than 7,500 items of litter, and the collection of 133,000 nurdles, directly supporting conservation efforts on the ground.

Schools, educators and students can explore upcoming Connect with Nature field trips and register at www.connectwithnature.ae