Husein Ali Zorkot, a dedicated biologist and scientific illustrator, has been tirelessly crisscrossing the Lebanese mountains and valleys—camera, notebook, and GPS in hand—to track the pulse of nature across a country where biodiversity thrives under pressure.
From February 24 to March 23, Zorkot’s days have been filled with intense fieldwork, creative production, and scientific research. Under the Bioconnect project, running since 2021, his efforts are focused on the Beirut Valley and nearby landscapes—an area rich in ecological and cultural history. His mission? To biomonitor the plant and animal life of 10 diverse locations including Hilalieh, Choueit, Rouwaisset el Ballout, and Ras el Harf, while managing hima gardens and creating a comprehensive wildlife inventory for Lebanon.
Biomonitoring: A Living Archive in Motion
Zorkot’s field calendar this month has been intense. He conducted biomonitoring missions in Matn and Hammana on February 28, followed by visits to Kherbet Qanafar-Ain Zebdeh on March 10. The Beirut Valley sites, a key focus, saw monitoring activity on March 17, with more planned through March 31—and on a weekly basis until May.
“Each visit is more than data collection,” Zorkot explains. “It’s a moment to witness the silent resilience of native flora and fauna.”
In parallel, he’s been compiling reports on Kayfoun-Baissour-Kfar Matta and other areas, part of a growing body of knowledge that aims to influence national conservation priorities. His work includes identifying priority species like Origanum ehrenbergii, a wild oregano species endemic to Lebanon, and tracking habitat health in oak and pine forests.
Science Meets Art: A Visual Encyclopedia in the Making
Yet Zorkot’s impact stretches far beyond spreadsheets and field notes. His ongoing magnum opus—a pictorial encyclopedia of Lebanon’s wildlife—is as ambitious as it is essential. So far, he has illustrated more than 2,900 species, organized into 20 to 24 volumes, with four already published.
March saw continued work on the upcoming pictorial volume on Lebanese animals, with updates to scientific data, illustrations, and photographs. Plant volumes are also underway—meticulously compiled through a blend of research, hiking, and observation. His website, Lepidoptera Libanotica, has been maintained and updated as a digital window into Lebanon’s butterfly diversity.
Rooted in the Land: The Hima Gardens and Beyond
Beyond research, Zorkot is also stewarding hima gardens—community-managed natural areas—in Mount Lebanon, and a butterfly garden in West Bekaa, part of a nationwide effort to restore traditional conservation practices. This month, he officially moved into a new location in Shemlan to be closer to these vital sites.
The hima approach not only protects biodiversity but strengthens ties between people and their natural surroundings. For Zorkot, the gardens are living classrooms—places where science, heritage, and community meet.
Looking Ahead
As April approaches, Zorkot plans to continue his biomonitoring rounds, finalize the animal pictorial volume for printing, and deepen his research in Kherbet Qanafar-Ain Zebdeh, where undocumented species may soon be revealed. Fieldwork techniques, species inventories, and new mapping methods will be tested and refined.
“Nature is our storybook,” he says. “We must read it before it fades.”
In a region facing mounting environmental and social pressures, Husein Zorkot’s work is a timely reminder that conservation is not just about saving species—it’s about preserving the stories they tell and the ecosystems they keep alive.
