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RSCN
(The Royal Society for The Conservation of Nature) has
been given a mandate by the Jordanian Government
to set up a network of
protected areas. So far it has established six
natural reserves covering an area of approximately
1000 square kilometers. Jordan has ratified international
agreements intended to protect biodiversity,
endangered species, wetlands, and the ozone layer.
The country has
also signed treaties that limit nuclear testing, marine
pollution, and hazardous waste.
Home of the Arabian Oryx
Established : 1975.
Location : eastern desert, near
Azraq.
Size
: 22 square kilometers.
Habitat : flat
desert scrub.Shaumari was the first
wildlife reserve in Jordan. It was created to
provide a
safe home for one of the most endangered
animals in
the world: the Arabian Oryx. This
magnificent desert animal, origin of the
fabled unicorn, was saved from
the edge of extinction by an international rescue
effort and Shaumari was the first place to have them
back on Arabian soil. Eight animals were flown
over in 1978 from the World Breeding Herd in Phoenix
Zoo, Arizona, and by 1999 - twenty years later
- the herd had grown to over 200 animals.
Shaumari is also a breeding center for other endangered or
locally extinct desert animals, including the Persian
onager, the ostrich and the goitered gazelle.
The breeding enclosures provide a small zoo for visitors
making it a popular spot for
children and school outings. There
are many wild animals too, including a wide
variety of birds during the spring and autumn.
The reserve serves as an educational center and has
a special visitor center and education program.
Things
to do
See
the Oryx take an oryx safari
enjoy
the visitor centre
use
the observation tower
come
and watch birds
have
a picnic
Established
: 1978
Location : eastern desert
Size
: 12 square kilometers
Main habitat : marshland Azraq is a unique
wetland located
in the heart of the arid Jordanian desert. It
contains several
pools, a seasonally flooded marshland, and a
large mudflat.
A wide variety of birds visit the reserve each year,
stopping
for a short rest on their long migration
between Africa and Europe; or they stay
for the winter and some breed in the
wetland. The word Azraq means "blue" in Arabic
and before water pumping began in
the 1980s the oasis provided
a
sparkling blue jewel in the desert,attracting up to 1/2 a
million migrating birds at any
one time. By 1993, however ,
the
extraction of water was so
great that no surface water remained and
its ecological value was virtually
destroyed. With international support, a rescue
effort started in 1994 and a significant portion of the
wetland has been restored. Many of the birds for which
the oasis was renowned are
coming back and
special boardwalks and bird
hides have been
constructed to enable visitors to see and enjoy them.
Things to do
 The
lowest nature reserve on earth
Established : 1987
Location :
eastern shore of the Dead Sea
Size
: 220 square kilometers
Main habitats: rugged, arid mountains and flowing rivers
The
deeply cut sandstone mountains of the Mujib Reserve span
an
elevation drop of over 1,200 meters: from 900 m above sea
level
to 400m below sea level - the lowest ground level on
Earth. Because
of this dramatic change in altitude and the
presence of several flowing
rivers, it has many different habitats, supporting a wide
variety of plants and animals.
One of the most important
animals in Mujib is the Nubian ibex, a
large mountain goat which became threatened
as a result of over-hunting. RSCN
established a captive-breeding center
in the Reserve
in 1989 and the initial
group of 20 ibex has multiplied to over
100 animals. Over 30 of these animals have
been successfully returned to the wild.
Mujib is also well known for large
carnivores like the regionally scarce
striped hyena and Syrian wolf, and for
many kinds of birds. Among the
important
birds are the lesser kestrel, imperial eagle, Bonelli`s
eagle and griffon vulture, all of which are declining
in numbers throughout the world. As well as
resident birds, the reserve is strategically important as
a safe stop-over for the huge number of birds which
fly annually along the rift valley between
Africa & northeast Europe.
Things
to do
Helping
nature, helping people
 Established
: 1993
Location :
southern Jordan, near Petra
Size
: 320 square kilometers
Main habitats: mountains and wadis The Dana Reserve
is a system of mountains and
wadis, extending from
the top of the eastern Rift Valley to desert
lowlands of Wadi Araba, an elevation drop of
over 1600 meters. It embraces two major
biogeographical zones and four distinct
vegetation zones. This condensed variety
of landforms and habitats ,
combined with changes in
elevation,results in a very high biological diversity. The
total number of species
recorded so far consists of
697 plants, of which 3 are
new to science, and 282 animals. Many of
these are now very rare and some threatened with
extinction : animals like the Grey Wolf,
Nubian Ibex, the Lesser Kestrel, Eagle Owl and the Desert
Monitor Lizard. So far, 45 endangered or vulnerable
animals have been found in the reserve, making it
truly a place of world importance.
Apart from its wildlife, Dana is
also rich in archaeology and c ulture.
About 100 archaeological sites
have been identified, of which the ancient
copper mines in Wadi Feinan are particularly
special, being considered the most important
archaeological complex in southern Jordan outside of
Petra,Dana is most well known as a
model of integrated conservation
and development, where the
protection of bio- diversity goes hand-in-hand
with improving the social and economic welfare of local
people.
Development activities include a substantial ecotourism
operation; handicraft production based on
local skills in silver jewellery,
pottery, plant production, and food
processing; a goat-fattening scheme for
nomadic pastoralists and more
sustainable systems for the use of grazing lands in
the Reserve. Over 800 people now benefit from these
income generating schemes and tourism revenue is covering
all the running costs of the reserve.
Things
to do
The
Evergreen Forest
 Established
: 1988
Location :
north Jordan, near Ajloun
Size
: 13 square kilometers
Main habitat :evergreen oak forest Zubia is a reserve of
rolling hills covered by dense woodlands of evergreen oak,
interspersed with some pistachio, pine,
carob, and wild strawberry trees.
These woodlands are like the original forest which once
covered most of northern Jordan.
Many woodland animals inhabit the
reserve, including badgers,
foxes and a few fierce wild boars; and also many typical
birds like the great tit, goldfinch, turtle dove,
hooded crow and jay. In spring
it is a profusion of wild flowers, with
drifts of colorful anemones
and wild rock roses. The whole
of the reserve was fenced to provide a
safe release site for the locally
extinct roe deer but the proximity of several villages and
pockets of private land have prevented this release taking
place. Wood cutting, illegal grazing and
hunting continue to cause problems
for management and RSCN has been seeking to
establish an alternative woodland reserve in the area.
Things
to do
-
Take
a woodland walk
-
Picnic
among the trees
The
information here above, was wholly provided by the Royal
Society for the Conservation of Nature. The RSCN is indeed
a very active society that remains committed &
dedicated to nature and the riches that mother nature
offers. Please visit the RSCN website at http://www.rscn.org.jo/
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