Over 250 students from 43 independent schools and 41 private schools from across Qatar will compete at the Qatar e-Nature quarter final rounds, from Sunday, 12 March to Thursday, 16 March 2017 with the semi-final rounds taking place on Sunday, 19 March, 2017 at Maymouna Primary Independent School for Girls.
This year the competition was designed to further challenge the participating schools in terms of questions and skills. The questions will test the students’ knowledge about plant and animal life of Qatar; in addition, to marine life, which is taken from the award-winning Qatar e-Nature smartphone application. Moreover, the contest will test the participants’ assertiveness, critical thinking and team work skills.
The participating schools have extensively prepared for the upcoming live rounds, all eager to win this year’s competition. Several schools have conducted preparation rounds with their selected students, training the teams to work closely together and answer the questions in a timely manner.
In its fourth year, the Qatar e-Nature schools contest is organised by Sasol, Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Friends of the Environment Centre. The schools competition allows students to actively learn about Qatar’s beautiful and diverse wildlife; furthermore, it is the perfect platform to challenge the young participants to showcase their abilities and further enhance their skills and knowledge.
Launched in December 2013, the Qatar e-Nature application and website highlights flora, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, marine life and nature reserves in the country. Sasol created the app as part of its corporate social responsibility programme in partnership with Friends of the Environment Centre. The app, which recently underwent a complete redesign, features content in Arabic and English, aims to support the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 to promote sustainable development by contributing towards an environmentally aware population. The Qatar e-Nature app has received four accolades, including two prestigious regional awards.
The user-friendly Qatar e-Nature app is available for download free of charge on Apple Store, Google Play store, Windows Phone Store and on the website (www.enature.qa). Active Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels allow users to keep tabs on the latest developments. The application and website is updated regularly, having added marine life earlier this year to further benefit users of the application.