A visit to Khudra oasis.

The wadi curves around, wide and shallow from west to east where the gravel plain stretches out a little only to be gathered up and hemmed in by the spines of the Hajar Mountains. The wadi, plain and mountains form the natural limit to the oasis.

We choose not to enter the oasis at the crossing instead heading off to our left, along the curve of wadi, hopping over the smooth bedrock and pools that harbour polliwogs (tadpoles), waterskaters and the small Arabian toads. The different toad species can be identified by the distance between the eye and ear though not one of us attempts this exacting exercise. A dragonfly hovered dipping its rear in the water as it deposited eggs – the action of a determined ovipositor in spite of the large audience. On the northern side sedges and bulrushes grow and further along, donkey’s cabbage and euphorbia are noted. To our right, on the southern side of the wadi, conglomerate cliffs rise up to the oasis edge, forming a steep and water worn natural limit to the oasis. It is in these cliffs that maidenhair and wild orchid flourish, nourished by water seepage and sheltered from the hot sun. The seepage is heavily charged with fertilizer nutrients from the oasis garden causing algal growth in the lower stagnant pools.

We keep a sharp eye out for water scorpions, of interest because their handy breathing tube which is suspended on the surface of the water though disappointingly none are spied. Water flows, trickling softly and further on, we find in one of the stagnant pools the discarded skin identified as that of a small freshwater cray.

A visit to Khudra oasis cont...

The wadi is left behind, as we scramble up onto the gravel plain, the oasis framed to the south by the jagged mountain range against which the date palms, mango trees and minaret form a memorable profile. The group, led by Brien, focuses on a small circular area of cleared plain. It’s majlis seating area, created knowingly on a bit of prime real estate with “views forever”!
We find out that another kind of cleared shallow depression with a clay surface have been created for the use of watering donkeys. The archaeology extends over the next several hundred metres to include a school, the remains of housing, a cemetery, mosque, terraces and small weirs. It is noted that in an Islamic grave, the body, i.e. face, fingers and feet, is oriented towards the west (Mekkah) even though the grave’s alignment is north/south. It is polite not to walk on the graves and also to acknowledge, through a simple prayer, the presence of deceased persons.

We clamber back down into and across the wadi to enter the oasis at the eastern end, skirting the “old” and still inhabited village where children play and call out “how are you?” the generic and well meant greeting that is used instead of “hullo”. Cow and goats are penned, aloe vera, cactus, grow in clusters. A small open-sided mosque has an Arabic inscription painted on one wall, which roughly translated means “mistakes will be forgiven as Allah has a big heart”. Thus fortified by such generous words, we continue on admiring fruiting figs and nabj, flowering mangoes and date palms. The garden is well planted and we spy young papaya trees, citrus, and greens including mint, rocket onions, radish, parsley.

So we wander out where we started, having completed a full circle and glimpsed a little of oasis life, flora and fauna, and touched by the mystery that is the past.

An Old Friend Passes

I am sad to report that our dear friend Obaid of Khutwah has passed away. This morning (Friday, February 24, 2006) we included Wadi Khutwah on our tour in anticipation of Tuesday's trip of Al Ain English Speaking School students to the oasis on Tuesday. When we arrived at the 'town square', one of the gentlemen explained the locked door of Obaid's house. Evidently Obaid was ill and was taken to hospital in Buraimi a few weeks ago. He passed away at the hospital.
As many of you know, Obaid lived in his house in Khutwah with his sister Fatima. I believe Fatima is now living with her daughter Mariam in new Khutwah.
For many years, Obaid was a generous host to members of the natural history group any time we visited the oasis. He always had fresh coffee and dates for visitors. He sometimes shared his mid-day meal with us. A few years ago, he was featured on the front page of the Friday magazine of Gulf News after we invited a Gulf News reporter and photographer to join us for a visit to Khutwah.
I first met Obaid about seven years ago when I walked past his blue doors and poked my head inside. My intrusion was met with an enthusiastic greeting and he and I sat down for dates and coffee. I saw him a few more times that season, and was introduced to his sister Fatima. Then a period of a few years passed when, for one reason or another, we did not see each other. As Obaid told the story, it was five or six years, but my recollection it was only a couple.
Nonetheless, one day I rang the bell and wandered in again. Immediately Obaid smiled and it was obvious that he recognized me. And so began a friendship that lasted until just a few weeks ago.
There are many stories about Obaid -- the time he tried to explain to me that he needed a massager for his arthritis, the time he asked me to bring 100-meters of plastic pipe for water, the day the women students from the Higher Colleges met him, finding a replacement element for his electric heater -- but for me there is one day that was very special. It was the weekend I and three others had been stuck in the mountains as we tried to walk from Musah to Khutwah. I had left my truck in the town square beside Obaid's house, as I had a hundred times before. (Obaid always insisted he knew the sound of my truck and would reprimand me thoroughly if I visited the oasis and did not stop in to see him.) After the helicopter picked us up, I was given a ride to Khutwah to retrieve my truck. When we pulled in to the square, waiting there were several of the laborers who worked the farms at Khutwah and, crouched on the rocks outside his gate, Obaid. If you were a regular at Khutwah, you know Obaid seldom, if ever, wandered outside the gate. When he saw me and realized we were all safe, he smiled and insisted I go to the market and buy a sheep so we could all celebrate the happy ending. It was an incredible moment. As Jerry observed this morning, it is the end of an era. Attached are a few photos of Obaid.

On-Road in the U. A. E.            a Tuesday presentation by Gareth Leggett on his new book

The ENHG - AAESS Year-7 Hanging Gardens Geology Tour

Can you find Juni?

The ENHG – Al Ain Chapter 1981 -

As reported by the Abu Dhabi chapter of the ENHG in the March 1981 issue of their publication, The Bulletin, “The Al Ain group formally became the Al Ain Branch of the ENHG in 1980 but a regular liaison capacity is still required between the two groups. The Al Ain Branch has published its first Report and Proceedings (September 1980), a copy of which is in the library.”

The first few seasons were a little rough for the fledgling group but the Al Ain chapter soon established a consistent stride and the chapter has been moving from strength to strength, due in large part to the population of expatriates at the UAE University and, later, the two campuses of the Higher Colleges of Technology, along with professionals from the three local hospitals and various government and private sector organizations. The Al Ain chapter is managed by a Committee of volunteers; they meet on the first Tuesday of each month.

The chapter currently holds general meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month (July, August and December excepted) at the Al Ain Intercontinental Resort hotel. The group organizes field trips that are normally held on Fridays each week. From time to time, weekend field trips are held to destinations including Ras al Khaimah and Nizwa. In all instances, the group makes an effort to include all individuals, regardless of age, physical condition or experience.

The ENHG – Al Ain Chapter 1981 – cont…

During each season, additional activities are organized for members with special interests. For example, members interested in challenging mountain hiking can join the events of the Ibrahim Zakhour Triple Crescent Award. This program offers individuals an opportunity to climb some of the more challenging peaks in the district. Each Saturday evening the group holds a “curating” session as the Al Ain chapter is the custodians of one of the largest collections of insects for the UAE and northern Oman, much of the collection donated by Mike Gillett. The group holds regular trapping sessions using the generator and equipment purchased by the chapter.

The group is proud of its modest efforts to subsidize research for natural history topics. It has provided funds in support of: DNA research on human remains found at archaeological sites in the UAE; the study of the chemistry of camel brains; a research study of dhubs; and the investigation of plant, animal and insect life in a typical mountain oasis and wadi. Individual members have contributed articles and photographs for various publications of both the private and public sectors.

The chapter provides support and field guides, including worksheets, for a variety of field trips arranged for students of the Al Ain English Speaking School and the Gem School of Dubai.

The ENHG – Al Ain Chapter 1981 – cont…

Annual events of the Al Ain chapter include an Iftar Dinner (organized in cooperation with the Zayed Center for Heritage and History), a photography competition, an Annual General Meeting, and a celebration of the holiday season with a Christmas Eve in the desert event. Members of the Al Ain chapter also participate in the annual Inter Emirates Weekend, sharing activities with colleagues from chapters in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The group maintains a “work room” at a location donated by the Al Ain English Speaking School. The chapter’s assets, including computer, maps, generator and collections, are kept in the space, along with the chapter’s modest library of books, magazines, articles and videotape.

The Al Ain chapter has a variety of strategies to maintain communication with members and report on its activities. The traditional Newsletter has evolved from a paper publication to an internet communication and remains the official publication of the chapter. The group has an email discussion group, courtesy of YahooGroups.com. The email service has been in place for more than five years. The Al Ain chapter also maintains a large website (www.enhg.org) with a collection of pages covering all aspects of natural history. The site was originally established as an archival site built around the articles and images published in the Abu Dhabi chapter’s publication The Bulletin, making these materials available to a wider audience since the original publication is not widely available. Since its inception, the website has become a source of information including an internet history of field trips, documentation of plants and insects, as well as information and links relevant to the natural history of the UAE and Oman.

Of special interest to the group is the history of copper smelting in the region over the past 5000 or more years. The group has made an effort to record smelting sites and revisit sites recorded in the past (ie Wadi Safafir). The search for copper mine sites continues. Likewise, the group has a special interest in the archaeology at Jabeeb where ancient falaj, smelting hearths and occupation sites have been recorded. These sites are under threat from development and the group has worked in close cooperation with the Al Ain Museum to identify sites and recommend their protection and preservation. Other sites of special interest include the graves and settlements of Jebel Qatarra and the Jebel Hafit period tombs of Jebel Aqbar.

The Al Ain Museum is one of several “partners” operating in conjunction with the Al Ain chapter. Other partners include PIC (investment consultants), Emirates Environment Group and the Al Ain English Speaking School, all of whom collaborated to set up a waste collection station (metal and paper). Other partners include the Zayed Center for Heritage and History (part of UAE University), the Abu Dhabi Concert Committee and the Al Ain Intercontinental Resort hotel.

For at least five years, the Al Ain chapter, working in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Concert Committee and the Al Ain Intercontinental Resort, has organized field trips free of charge for the subscribers of the annual Al Ain Classical Music weekend. At least seven different field trips are organized for each Thursday and Friday morning of these festival weekends.

The Al Ain chapter is working with the management of the Mercure Hotel on Jebel Hafit to develop an interpretive nature trail on the mountain.

The group will continue to evolve into the future, no doubt, determined to maintain its spontaneity and to explore the natural history of the UAE and northern Oman, finding new and innovative ways to share their discoveries with individuals and organizations around the world.