The Youth Love Egypt (YLE) Foundation organized an environmental awareness camp in cooperation with Port Said Governorate, spanning three days and bringing together 40 young men and women from various governorates across Egypt. The camp commenced with a coordination meeting with Mr. Ahmed Fathy and Mr. Amr Osman, Deputy Governor of Port Said, to finalize the camp’s arrangements.
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The camp brought together the Foundation’s team alongside a group of new volunteers and participants, as part of YLE’s efforts to strengthen team collaboration and review updates from the past year across the Foundation’s key focus areas. The initiative aimed to build the capacities of the team while raising awareness among young people interested in environmental issues.
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Port Said Governorate was selected due to its rich biodiversity, offering an ideal opportunity to promote environmental awareness and highlight the importance of environmental conservation, biodiversity, and ecological balance, and their direct impact on human life.
Camp activities began with a visit to Ashtoum El-Gamil Protected Area, where participants were welcomed by Dr. Tamer Kamal, Head of the Central Administration for Biodiversity, and Dr. Hussein Rashad, Manager of the Protected Area. Dr. Rashad provided an overview of the reserve, its environmental significance, and its role in protecting ecosystems and living organisms.
The visit included an introductory session on natural protectorates in Egypt, their importance and functions, with a particular focus on Ashtoum El-Gamil as a model of biodiversity.
Dr. Loay Omran also delivered a simplified explanation on the importance of marine organism dissection and its role in understanding the marine environment, identifying causes of animal mortality, and recognizing the impact of harmful human behaviors on ecosystems. This was followed by a practical demonstration involving the dissection of a deceased sea turtle, offering participants a hands-on educational experience at the Ashtoum El-Gamil Sea Turtle Rescue Center.
As part of the field activities, participants conducted a beach clean-up campaign within the protected area to remove plastic waste, emphasizing the dangers of plastic pollution to the environment and wildlife. They also took part in bird monitoring activities at one of the reserve’s bird observatories, accompanied by Eng. Mohamed Amr, a biodiversity expert, who explained the differences between the observed species and the critical role birds play in maintaining ecological balance.
On the second day, participants visited the Salt Mountains in Port Fouad City to learn about the area’s unique environmental and natural characteristics. This was followed by a field activity to observe flamingos, accompanied by Dr. Hussein Rashad, who discussed bird species, food chains, and how disruptions to any of their elements can impact the entire ecosystem. The day also included a session on mental health, highlighting the link between a healthy environment and human psychological well-being, in addition to interactive activities and group games that fostered teamwork and communication among participants.
The camp concluded on its third day with a training workshop delivered by Eng. Donia Ibrahim on waste management. The session covered the concept of sound waste management, the importance of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, and the role of individuals and communities in minimizing the negative impacts of waste on the environment.
This camp is part of the ongoing efforts of the Youth Love Egypt (YLE) Foundation to build an environmentally conscious generation that understands the importance of responsible interaction with living organisms, the dangers of harmful practices to the environment, and their repercussions on human life.
It is worth noting that coordination was carried out with Mr. Amr Osman, Deputy Governor of Port Said, who affirmed the governorate’s support for environmental activities and efforts to reduce plastic waste. The camp also saw the active participation of Dr. Hussein Rashad, Manager of Ashtoum El-Gamil Protected Area, who highlighted the reserve’s role in protecting biodiversity, as well as Dr. Tamer Kamal, Head of the Central Administration for Biodiversity at the Ministry of Environment.
