While exploring the muddy wetlands along the Nile River in Aswan, the future founders of the Aswan Birding Club (ABC) shared a genuine moment of friendship that would later turn into one of Egypt’s most promising grassroots environmental initiatives. “During the tour, two of us had their legs stuck in a marsh,” Ismail Khalifa, co-founder of the ABC, tells Egyptian Streets. “Something about that incident brought us closer. We laughed and talked. Bonds were made, and the rest was history.” The idea of creating the ABC came on that bird-watching tour on 14 May, 2022, which coincided with the World Migratory Bird Day. The group decided to create a community where bird enthusiasts could share experiences and discuss everything related to the bird scene in Aswan. “On the same day, the Aswan Bird Watching Club (ABC) Facebook page was established. There, we began sharing our activities, experiences, and remarkable bird photos to contribute to community awareness about the importance of wild birds and their role in maintaining ecological balance,” Khalifa says. The club actively participates in events such as the Annual Winter Bird Count in January, which is part of…
Egypt’s Aswan Birding Club Is on a Mission to Protect Endangered Birds
February 6, 2024
