Ski Dubai funds antarctic penguin conservation project with world’s leading scientist

Dr. Brent Stewart, a Senior Research Scientist at the Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute and with over 25 years of experience, will be leading a field expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Scheduled to start on October 14, 2013, he will conduct in-depth studies of the penguin colonies for the development of long term education, research, and conservation plans. The project, which wasdeveloped in conjunction with Ski Dubai, is an extension of the Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai initiative, which seeks to educate people about snow penguins, their habitat and the importance of environmental awareness.

Ski Dubai has funded over AED 500,000 for the entire 4 week long exploratory expedition and Dr. Brent Stewart will spend a week at Ski Dubai to prepare for his journey and spend time with the colony of Gentoo and King penguins, that call Ski Dubai their home. The Snow Penguins at Ski Dubai initiative was launched in January 2012 and has gone from strength to strength, even being recognized by the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA) for the excellence of the program.

“Ski Dubai’s collaboration with Hubbs SeaWorld Research Instituteon this project will enable us to gain new insight into the lives of snow penguins and continue to channel our efforts and mobilization of resources into the research and implementation of pro-conservation efforts. Ski Dubai has always led by example and we wanted to ensure that the next steps we take are impactful on an international level and contribute towards the longevity of animal research programs” commented Mr. Omar El Banna, Marketing & Sales Director, Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment.