On March 1, 2013 a meeting for the Hima Fund Board Members was held in Doha. SPNL’s Director General and BirdLife International special envoy to the GCC, Assad Serhal participated in the meeting representing SPNL. The meeting focused on the achievements of the Hima Fund so far, plans and proposals for the year 2013-2014, discussions on the BirdLife World Congress that will be held in Canada this coming June, the BirdLife International GCC Liaison Office, and the UN Habitat Award that was given to SPNL earlier. During the meeting, SPNL was recognized for finishing on time a project on conserving the Syrian Serin Bird, a globally threatened species at Hima Anjar wetlands.
This edition of Al Hima magazine weaves together inspiring stories of nature conservation and community resilience, highlighting how Lebanon is being stitched back to life—one Hima at a time. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) continues its mission to preserve the country’s natural heritage by empowering local communities. A cornerstone of this effort is the BioConnect project, funded by the European Union, which has achieved three national firsts: Lebanon’s first natural park (Upper Matn), first geological park (Shouf-Jezzine), and first endowment Hima (Btekhnay).