As the temperature slowly drops and trips to desert and beach begin to look more inviting, the Qatar Natural History Group (QNHG) is preparing to launch its new season of talks, field trips and overseas excursions.
Founded 35 years ago in the grounds of the newly-opened National Museum, the QNHG has never looked back, with a programme of monthly activities from October through June that has continued unbroken to this day.
Speakers for the meetings held on the first Wednesday of each month are recruited both locally and from countries world-wide, sponsored by Rayyan Mineral Water, part of Rabban Group.
Topics for the illustrated presentations, many of them by distinguished experts, cover all aspects of Arabian natural history, local geology and archaeology, and Arab culture and history. Curators from the museums and archaeologists working in Qatar are regularly invited to speak on their special subject of expertise and on the most recent developments.
Field trips through the length and breadth of the Qatar peninsula are led by geologists and natural historians, and the Group regularly visits archaeological sites for guided tours.
Whether kayaking among the mangroves at Al Khor or camping beside the Inland Sea, the aim of the QNHG is for people of similar interests to get together and enjoy themselves. A highlight of the year for families is the time-honoured event ‘Starry Night in the Dunes,’ shared with the Doha Players and held annually each December since 1980, when hundreds gather beside a giant dune to sing seasonal songs around a bonfire.
For a number of years now the QNHG has organised as many as four overseas trips a year to off-the-regular-tourist-track places such as Iran, southern Oman and Yemen.   
Meetings are held at the Doha English Speaking School. Members pay a modest joining fee and are free to borrow from the rapidly expanding library of books on Arabia, and local author Frances Gillespie is always on hand to sign copies of her various publications on Qatar.
The membership fee enables the QNHG to sponsor wildlife projects including whale shark research and an ongoing study of local hedgehogs by Qatar University.
QNHG chairman Rob Ross says: “We welcome everyone’s participation in helping to advance our knowledge of local natural history and the Arabian Peninsula. Meet up with old and new acquaintances, enjoy the events and have some fun.  We look forward to seeing you soon.”
The speaker at next month’s meeting is the mammals curator from Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, who will talk on ‘Zoos - from Menageries to Conservation Centres.’ Details and a map of the venue are available on www.qnhg.org