Earth: Wind, Water & Fire

above Visitor Center at Wadi Rum

Greetings from the Starbuck’s near the US Embassy in Amman.

It has probably been awhile since ice played a major role on the sculpting of what is now the landscape here at Wadi Rum Protected Area (WRPA), but the much more recent evidence of harsh-shaping factors is certainly evident. It is also easy to see why “Colonel Lawrence” came under the spell of this place (“another of those desert loving British”).

Wadi Rum landscape

The past couple of days have been spent working with Nasser Z. (the Acting Manager of WRPA), and his supervisor Dr. Salim Al Moghrabi (PhD. In Marine Biology from France [as in Cousteau]), Commissioner of Environment & Health Control – Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority. The Chief Commissioner reports to the Prime Minister, of course they’re on their 3^rd one this year, and “Arab Spring” is foremost on their minds as we continue with our American brand of optimism for positive change schemes. WRPA was added by UNESCO to the World Heritage Site list earlier this year (25JUN11, the anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn) and none of us want to see it delisted due to environmental degradations. There are certainly pressures by the development for-our-pockets crowd, but this is a fragile area (off-road vehicles lead to erosion and desertification) and it is no place for: “Sky-Diver ATV Wilderness Adventures.”



unauthorized camp in wilderness area

There is interest in developing an eco-lodge, like the one we visited at Feynan in Dana Biosphere Reserve, near the enclosure for the reintroduced Arabian Oryx herd. Access into this special enclosure would be via camel or horse only. There are plans going forward with a Night Sky Station in another part of WRPA. You’ll find few better locations for same. Of course the economic drivers will be a priority consideration, but protection 1^st so that visitors will still come. Things the US National Park Service/Dept. of Interior Int’l Technical Assistance Program’s Jordon Parks Program team might be able to help with are: Planning, design and operational criteria for the EcoLodge development at the Oryx project; Assistance integrating programs/exhibits between existing museum at visitor center and the museum planned for the “Castle” in Rum Village; Assistance with limiting the off-road  “tracks” from the increased number of vehicles entering the reserve; Visitor service training for reserve staff; Training in emergency response.

Bait Ali Camp & Lodge

               Our nights at Wadi Rum were interesting too. Stayed at Bait Ali Lodge, that is a good staging area for journeys into WRPA and dive-trips to Aqaba (met a family from UK bringing their 3 lovely teenage daughters for open water certifications in the Red Sea- should be nice-n-warm after summer (and watch that buoyancy). I also couldn’t help early this morning from overhearing the very loud (so much for expectation of privacy) Yank on his phone as he explained to his girlfriend that he still saw them “as being together” and his next call to a friend explaining that he was traveling for the 1^st time in 12-years with his wife for their 20^th anniversary to "the Holy Land" (he sounded confused). Until next time (maybe tomorrow… inshallah)

British Fortress restoration (by French Company) at Rum Village.