The Communication and Community Services Department of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) organised an initiative called ‘The Museum Is Reading’ at Sharjah Natural History and Botanical Museum to mark the Month of Reading, which is celebrated in March. The initiative was aimed at EPAA staff, visitors and students from schools and kindergartens.

The event began with a lecture entitled ‘Reading Is Life’, which was followed by activities designed to encourage reading, including the ‘Young Reader’ initiative. There will be another lecture – ‘Reading as an Introduction to Happiness’. The museum has a designated reading area.

H.E. Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, EPAA Chairperson, said, “We aim to encourage the younger generation to read, because reading helps to improve awareness and knowledge. We organised a variety of initiatives including the ‘Young Reader’ initiative, which encourages children to develop a love for reading on a regular basis by appealing to their curiosity and passion for knowledge.”

Mrs Al Suwaidi explained that the initiative, which is aimed at students in the first, second and third grades, involves reading a short story and participating in a workshop to write a review of the story. As part of another workshop, students were assigned to groups, each group was provided with scenes from a story and the students were asked to create and illustrate stories. They also designed a poster explaining the importance of reading with a quote from His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. A selection of short stories was printed and displayed.

The ‘Reading Is Life’ lecture encouraged employees to read by introducing them to ways to start reading, helping them choose books, suggesting useful books and making the connection between reading and self-development.

Maryam Juma, Deputy Curator of the museum added : “ The visitors and students will attend a lecture entitled ‘Reading as an Introduction to Happiness’. An event with the theme ‘Forests and Education: Learning to Love Forests’ will include an explanation of the significance of the International Day of Forests and a workshop that involves germinating ghaf seeds in cotton wool and learning to identify the plant’s parts and different stages of growth”.

Reading helps people learn and explore different topics, and EPAA has created a reading area at the museum to encourage staff and visitors to read.