“Land-based forests eventually level off, but blue carbon habitats can continue accumulating and storing carbon in their sediments over generations,” adds Jane. And while traditional planting techniques allow the children to connect directly with nature, another key lesson was learning about modern restoration methods. With a whirr and a burst of speed that draws excited “oohs” from the children, they witness the technology behind ADNOC’s drone-enabled mangrove restoration, which claimed first place at this year’s Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Environmental Award. The award recognizes outstanding corporate programs that advance sustainability and environmental responsibility. Made in the UAE and aligned with ADNOC’s Make it in the Emirates initiatives, the drones are built from wood and recyclable materials. Each drone carries some 6,000 Avicennia marina seeds, with a release system firing them into tidal mud to successfully propagate. Around 40% of the seeds grow into trees, Jane explains, and once established, survival rates are more than 90%, “a very stable system that leads to mangrove forests”. Jane says there are several things that make the ADNOC mangrove program “incredibly special and unique”. Among them, that it is “purposely very diverse”, consisting of youngsters from Emirati, international expat, and People of Determination (the official term in the UAE for disabilities) communities, who sometimes camp overnight on site.