Royal Commission for AlUla Celebrates 'Nature Champions'

The program inspired residents to adopt sustainable practices in their daily lives, from composting and recycling to reducing plastic consumption - SPA

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has carried out a community-engagement initiative focused on environmental stewardship. The program, launched in February 2023, has fostered a cohort of residents designated “nature champions”, who actively contribute to the preservation and conservation of AlUla County's distinctive natural heritage.
Aligned with RCU’s sustainability goals, the Saudi Green Initiative, and Vision 2030, the Nature Champions program fosters environmental awareness and responsibility in the communities surrounding AlUla’s six expansive nature reserves, SPA reported.
RCU Wildlife and Natural Heritage VP Dr. Stephen Browne said on the occasion: “Environmental outreach is building awareness and a deeper understanding of nature in communities in or near the six vast nature reserves that RCU is establishing – Sharaan, Al Gharameel, Wadi Nakhlah, Harrat Alzabin, Harrat Uwayrid and Harrat Khaybar. By strengthening the bonds between RCU and the community, this program is unlocking AlUla’s potential as an extraordinary, sustainable location for residents and visitors.”
Over the course of two years, the program has realized three main outcomes: developed a knowledgeable group of residents known as Nature Champions that lead community activities to better understand and protect AlUla’s nature reserves; developed awareness about the value of the reserves and the need to protect them in communities in or near the reserves, including reducing pressure from grazing and hunting; improved knowledge of the reserves and their value among teachers and students in those same communities.
The program Nature Champions activities included workshops, household waste audits, reserve visits, and interactive school sessions, thus reaching over 3,519 500 community members.