Host Sustainable Sands: Bring Environmental Education to Your Event

Hosting Sustainable Sands at your event or program is a powerful way to engage your audience in meaningful discussions about sustainability and environmental challenges. Whether you’re organizing a conference, educational workshop, community event, or corporate seminar, Sustainable Sands offers an interactive and fun experience that helps participants explore complex environmental issues and solutions. By hosting this game, you’ll provide an opportunity for your attendees to think critically, collaborate, and take action toward a sustainable future.

What You’ll Get When You Host Sustainable Sands

  1. Engaging, Hands-On Learning Experience
    Sustainable Sands brings sustainability education to life, making it easy for participants to understand the complexities of environmental issues in an engaging and collaborative way.

  2. Interactive Gameplay
    Participants will explore real-world environmental challenges, such as climate change, resource management, waste, and biodiversity. They’ll connect causes, consequences, and solutions through strategic card gameplay and group discussions.

  3. Facilitator Support
    If needed, we can provide trained facilitators to guide your participants through the game and ensure a smooth and effective experience. Alternatively, we can train your team to facilitate the game.

  4. Customizable Experience
    We’ll work with you to tailor the game experience to suit the unique needs and objectives of your event. Whether it’s a team-building activity, a corporate sustainability workshop, or an educational session, we can adjust the game to fit your context.

Benefits of Hosting Sustainable Sands

  1. Raise Environmental Awareness
    The game encourages participants to engage with the environmental challenges faced by the UAE (or globally) and better understand the importance of sustainability.

  2. Foster Teamwork and Collaboration
    Sustainable Sands promotes collaboration and communication, as players work together to solve problems and identify solutions to environmental issues.

  3. Inspire Action
    By highlighting real-world sustainability efforts and solutions, the game motivates participants to take action in their own communities or industries.

  4. Incorporate Sustainability into Your Event
    Whether your event is focused on education, innovation, or corporate social responsibility, Sustainable Sands offers a relevant, hands-on experience that complements sustainability goals.

The Origins of Sustainable Sands

The UAE is a nation of rapid growth and innovation, but it also faces distinct environmental challenges, including:

  • Arid Climate: Limited natural water resources and extreme weather conditions.
  • Urbanization: Accelerated infrastructure development and its environmental impacts.
  • Resource Dependency: Heavy reliance on non-renewable resources like oil and natural gas.

While the UAE has taken significant steps toward sustainability through ambitious projects and policies, the gap between policy-level initiatives and public awareness remains a challenge. Sustainable Sands was born to bridge this gap by making environmental education accessible, relatable, and actionable.

The Philosophy Behind the Game

At its heart, Sustainable Sands is built on three guiding principles:

  1. Learning Through Play
    • People retain information better when they are actively engaged.
    • By gamifying complex sustainability topics, Sustainable Sands transforms learning into an enjoyable and memorable experience.
  2. Connecting Causes and Effects
    • Environmental challenges don’t exist in isolation—they are interconnected.
    • The game’s mechanics emphasize understanding these relationships, showing players how a single action can trigger cascading effects on ecosystems and human communities.
  3. Empowering Action
    • Education is the first step, but action is the ultimate goal.
    • Through its focus on real-world solutions, Sustainable Sands equips players with the knowledge and inspiration to make a tangible difference.

How the Game Reflects the UAE’s Environmental Landscape

Sustainable Sands is set against the backdrop of the UAE’s dynamic landscape and sustainability journey. Each aspect of the game mirrors the region’s environmental challenges and achievements:

  1. Thematic Challenge Cards
    • Represent real-world issues such as biodiversity conservation, waste management, and climate change mitigation.
    • Each card draws inspiration from UAE-specific scenarios, like initiatives to protect mangroves or reduce plastic consumption.
  2. Solution Cards
    • Highlight innovative projects and policies implemented in the UAE, such as solar energy farms, vertical agriculture, and sustainable architecture.
    • Encourage players to think creatively about adapting these solutions to broader contexts.
  3. Interactive Gameplay
    • Teams collaborate to connect causes, effects, and solutions, fostering a systems-thinking approach to sustainability.
    • The whiteboard-based mapping system mirrors the complexity of real-world decision-making processes.

The Impact of Sustainable Sands

  1. Raising Awareness
    • Helps players understand the urgency and scope of environmental challenges.
    • Introduces key topics like climate change, resource management, and biodiversity in an approachable way.
  2. Building Skills
    • Develops critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
    • Encourages strategic decision-making, showing players how to weigh trade-offs and prioritize sustainable actions.
  3. Inspiring Change
    • Serves as a catalyst for real-world discussions and initiatives.
    • Empowers players to become advocates for sustainability in their own communities.

How to Play Sustainable Sands

The Sustainable Sands game is designed to be engaging, collaborative, and educational, guiding players through the intricate challenges, consequences, and solutions tied to environmental sustainability in the UAE. Below is a step-by-step guide to playing the game:

Objective

To explore the relationships between environmental causes, effects, and solutions specific to the UAE’s context. Players will:

  • Identify and link causes of environmental challenges to their consequences.
  • Develop and connect solutions to these challenges.
  • Present insights gained through the gameplay to foster discussions and inspire actionable ideas.

Game Setup

  1. Divide Players into Groups
    • Split participants into teams of 7-10 members.
    • Ensure diversity in each group to encourage a variety of perspectives.
  1. Materials
    • A set of challenge cards, solution cards, whiteboards, markers, and erasers.
    • Challenge cards are categorized into thematic sets:
      • Biodiversity Conservation
      • Agriculture and Health
      • Industry, Waste, and Plastics
      • Energy and Climate Change
      • Transportation
      • Architecture
  1. Explain Rules
    • Provide an overview of the game and its objectives.
    • Highlight the importance of strategic connections between cards to reflect real-world cause-effect relationships.

Game Duration

The game can be completed within 35 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the number of sets chosen and the depth of discussions.

How to Host Sustainable Sands at Your Event

  1. Fill Out the Hosting Form
    Complete the registration form below to tell us about your event, the number of participants, and your specific goals. This will help us tailor the game experience to your needs.
  2. Choose Your Event Details
    • Type of Event: Let us know if your event is a conference, workshop, seminar, community gathering, or another format.
    • Date and Time: Share the proposed date(s) and time(s so we can confirm availability and prepare accordingly.
    • Audience Information: Provide details about your participants, such as age range, background, and interests, so we can adjust the difficulty level and content to suit the group.
  3. Select Your Desired Support
    Choose the level of support you need:
    • Facilitator Support: Do you need one or more facilitators from the Sustainable Sands team to run the game?
    • Materials: We can supply all the necessary game materials (cards, whiteboards, markers) or provide guidance on how to use your own.
    • Custom Modifications: Would you like to adapt the game for specific topics or local environmental challenges? Let us know, and we’ll tailor the game accordingly.
  4. Confirm Details and Plan Logistics
    Once we receive your registration, a member of our team will reach out to confirm all details, including logistics like the number of participants, required materials, and the specific timeline of your event.
  5. Enjoy the Game!
    On the event day, our team will provide all necessary materials and ensure that Sustainable Sands is set up and ready to go. If you have facilitators from your own team, we will provide training and materials beforehand.

Requirements for Hosting

  1. Space
    • A space where participants can comfortably sit in groups (ideal for 7-10 players per group). We recommend having a large table or open area for each team to work on their card connections and group discussions.
    • For larger groups, multiple sessions or facilitators may be needed.
  2. Audience Size
    Sustainable Sands can accommodate any size group, but we recommend 7-10 players per team for optimal engagement. For larger events, you may need multiple facilitators and sets of cards to ensure smooth gameplay.
  3. Duration
    • The game typically takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your event’s format and the level of discussion desired. You can extend the experience by incorporating group reflections, presentations, and additional activities.
  4. Materials
    We will provide all the necessary game materials, including:
    • Challenge cards
    • Solution cards
    • Whiteboards and markers (for mapping connections)
    • Recycled paper rolls (optional)

    If you prefer to use your own materials, we’ll guide you on how to set up.

Support Options

  1. Facilitator Training
    If you plan to have your own team facilitate the game, we offer facilitator training sessions to ensure they are well-prepared to lead the activity. Training includes an overview of the game, instructions for guiding participants, and tips for managing group dynamics.
  2. Facilitator Support
    If you prefer, we can send one or more trained Sustainable Sands facilitators to your event. They will handle all aspects of the game, from explaining the rules to guiding discussions, ensuring an engaging and educational experience.
  3. Customizable Game Content
    • Sustainable Sands is flexible and can be adapted for various audiences or specific sustainability issues.
    • We can incorporate local environmental concerns or tailor the gameplay experience to align with your event’s themes or goals.

Costs and Budgeting

  • Hosting Fees: Hosting fees vary depending on the size of your event, the level of facilitator support required, and your location.
  • Materials: We provide all necessary materials. If you require additional materials, these can be included in the cost.
  • Travel and Accommodation: If facilitators are required to travel to your location, travel and accommodation fees will apply.

Register to Host Sustainable Sands Today!

Ready to host Sustainable Sands at your next event? Fill out the registration form below to get started. We’ll work closely with you to ensure a seamless, impactful experience for your participants.

 

Sustainable Sands Event/Program Registration Form

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need more information about hosting Sustainable Sands, feel free to contact us at erfanfirouzi@thewildlifefocus.com or call +971523195744 . We’re here to help!

Join the Movement
By hosting Sustainable Sands, you’re helping to spread awareness, inspire action, and make sustainability a priority for all. Together, we can create a greener, more sustainable future.