Bulletin 26 - July 1985: Editorial

Editorial

Due to the difficulty of maintaining a guaranteed sponsorship for our old Post Office box, the Group's address is henceforth as above, to which, in future, all correspondence should be sent. To avoid misplacing of mail, please ensure that the Group's title always precedes the address.

We are now in the height of summer, but this does not mean that the Group's outside activities should come to a halt. There is a great deal that can be learned from visits into the country at this time of year, as previous records show. Some of our most unusual recordings, from summer-flowering plants to reptiles and insects have been made between June and September, and also some of our most interesting expeditions and camps, coinciding with the two Eid holiday periods. It does require extra effort to get out of the car on steaming days but the rewards can be worth it. This is where camping comes into its own, especially in the mountains, since much observation and recording can be carried out in those magical three or four hours after dawn.

Dave Rowlands, wearing the hats of both Archaeology and Mammal Recorder, left Abu Dhabi at the end of April and these posts are vacant, together with his place on the committee. Dave was in the forefront of field trips and was particularly interested in archaeology, helping in surveys of both Ad Door and the shell mounds along the Ras al Khaimah coastline. His infectious enthusiasm will be missed by the Group. As Mammal Recorder, Dave was especially keen on coordinating the records for Abu Dhabi branch of International Dolphin Watch, and he has written a summary for this issue (page 21).

Liz Aston, our Geology Recorder, has also left Abu Dhabi recently. Liz was instrumental in organizing the geology display in the workroom and she put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to this project, sorting out rocks and stones that had been lying around for years. Liz's main written contribution appears in this issue (page 2) and a further article, on the geology of Sir Bani Yas Island, will be published in the November Bulletin.