Bulletin 6 - December 1978: Editorial

Editorial

Anniversaries are usually pleasant affairs and the recent celebration of the ENHG's second, at St. Andrew's Community Hall, was no exception. Though many of the founding members are no longer in Abu Dhabi, I think they would have been pleased with the present state of affairs. New membership continues to grow, audiences consistently fill the Hall, and there are plans to expand into new topics in 1979. There has, however, been an increased proportion of non-UAE topics at the Monday meetings and the Committee is aware that such talks are not the prime function of the Group that sets out to study and conserve the fauna, flora and related subjects of the UAE. However, in view of the general lack of specialized information available on local natural history, we have felt it worthwhile to maintain regular meetings while always keeping a lookout for potential speakers on the local scene.

The nucleus of a library has been formed, with the emphasis on procuring books and journals on the natural history of Middle East, which are difficult to obtain locally. The present tiny collection is housed in Sheila Morley's flat (tel. 28 636) and is for reference purposes only. New books are forthcoming and an updated list will be published in Bulletin 7. Members' suggestions would be gratefully received. Finally, and just in time before this edition goes to press, we are pleased to announce our new Post Office number. Henceforth, all correspondence to the Group should be addressed as follows: