After five months of dedicated work, our citizen science project has expanded from 60 to over 800 records!
A big thank you to everyone who contributed data and made this possible. Your support truly drives this research forward.
We continue to welcome additional data; every record counts!
#alienfloralb #invasivespecies #citizenscience #lebanon🇱🇧
In just 2 weeks, citizen contributions increased our records of Hommayda in Lebanon from 60 to 261.
This demonstrates the power of participatory science for monitoring invasive plant species.
Thank you to everyone who contributed!
#alienfloralb #invasivespecies #citizenscience #lebanon🇱🇧
Thanks to citizen scientists across Lebanon, we’re starting to map Hommayda (Oxalis pes-caprae) like never before!
Your observations are helping us understand where and how this plant is spreading!!
Keep contributing via the link in bio and be part of Lebanon’s plant discovery journey! #alienfloralb
#alienplants #invasivespecies #biodiversityunderthreat #lebanon🇱🇧 #citizenscienceproject
Join our Citizen Science Project!
Help us discover Hommayda (Oxalis pes-caprae) across Lebanon by submitting your observations via the link in my bio!
Every contribution helps us better understand how this species is spreading in Lebanon. #alienfloralb
#alienplants #invasivespecies #biodiversityunderthreat #lebanon🇱🇧 #citizenscienceproject
I’m collecting occurrence data for a small research paper on the spread of this invasive species in Lebanon.
If you’ve spotted Ailanthus altissima, in cities, roadsides, forests, or rural areas, please fill in the form (link in bio)!
Your contributions matter!
#alienplants #invasivespecies #biodiversityunderthreat #lebanon #citizenscience
🌾 A familiar species … but an ecological threat 🌾
Tall, bamboo-like stem with lush green leaves all year long, Arundo donax (قصب او قصب الخيزران) is a familiar sight along riversides, fields, and some seashores.
While its original native range remains somewhat obscured, recent genetic studies suggest that it likely originated from southern & eastern Asia. It has been introduced across the Mediterranean (tracing back to pre-1500 AD), serving as a versatile resource for building, weaving, musical instruments, and traditional remedies.
Now, this towering grass is one of the world’s most invasive species, often outcompeting local plants and reshaping riparian ecosystems.
📸 Seen it? Share your photos & stories with #AlienfloraLB
#alienplants #invasivespecies #biodiversityunderthreat #lebanon🇱🇧 #citizenscience
The Tree of Hell” by @raed_zeno
Third film in the SAFAR Film Festival lineup in London.
When filmmaker Raed Zeno learns that the elegant tree outside his home is the invasive Ailanthus — a species threatening Lebanon’s biodiversity — he embarks on a poetic journey to uncover its legacy. Alongside his friend Hadi and expert Dr. Muhammad, the film explores the environmental violence of colonialism and draws haunting parallels with the physical and psychological toll of Israeli occupation and war.
“The Tree of Hell” is a powerful reflection on how ecological and political invasions intertwine, asking urgent questions about belonging, resistance, and survival.
🎟 Reserve your seat now via link in bio and witness this haunting ecological essay on screen.
This screening is part of a Biodiversity & Cinema UK Tour in partnership with @britishcouncillb
شجرة الجحيم » للمخرج @raed_zeno
الفيلم الثالث ضمن برنامج مهرجان SAFAR السينمائي في لندن.
يكتشف رائد زينو بالصدفة أن الشجرة الجميلة التي تنمو أمام منزله هي من نوع الشجرة الغازية Ailanthus، التي تُهدّد التنوع البيولوجي في غابات لبنان. ينطلق مع صديقه هادي والدكتور محمد، المتخصص في النباتات الغازية، في رحلة بحث وشعر بصري، بينما يتعرض لبنان لغزو آخر من نوع مختلف: الهجمات الإسرائيلية التي تطال الإنسان والبيئة معًا.
“شجرة الجحيم” تأمل بصري وشاعري في العلاقة بين الاستعمار البيئي والعدوان السياسي، وفي تشابك الغزو البيئي بالعنف والاحتلال والحرب.
🎟 احجزوا مقاعدكم الآن عبر لينك في البايو ولا تفوّتوا مشاهدة هذا الفيلم المؤثر على الشاشة.
#biodiversityandcinema #bcmenaarts #britishcouncillb #safarfilmfestival
On this week’s episode of the Lebanese biodiversity podcast, we speak about wild bees 🐝 They have been my main topic of research and work for the last decade, and they are also one of the reasons I started this podcast (and you can see one on our logo !) 🐝
I am joined by Dr. Mohammad Abdallah as we go through all the questions on wild bees we managed to squeeze into a 40-minute episode🎙
❓What do they look like ? what is the difference between wild bees and honeybees ?🌼what do they eat ? 🏔 where do you find them ? 🇱🇧 what do we know about the bee fauna of Lebanon ?
Join us as we tell you more about this fascinating group of insects that definitely needs more than 40 minutes to cover.
📩If you have questions about wild bees or anything related to them, don’t hesitate to DM or leave it in the comments. If you think you learned something new or interesting in this episode, or if certain things were unclear, let me know, I am always happy to have feedback !
📸 In the images: some wild bees from Lebanon that I will share more about in the stories.
🔗 Listen to the episode via the link in Bio.
