Riffa Views shares best practice in landscaping

As one of the country’s leading private sector developments, Riffa Views has been asked to assist by sharing best practice and knowledge for the design and development of an operational framework for the public green areas in Bahrain, under the charge of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.

Representatives from Ernst & Young, the company appointed by the Ministry to assist in developing the framework of this project, were invited to Riffa Views and given an overview on the concept, design, construction, delivery and maintenance of the Development’s landscaped areas and the Royal Golf Club’s 18-Hole Championship golf course designed by Colin Montgomerie.

During the presentation, Russell Hewitt, Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Golf Club, explained how and why the golf course and the public landscaped areas of Riffa Views incorporate many of the natural ‘wadi’ and desert characteristics of Bahrain’s environment. “By incorporating native plants and conditions throughout the housing development and the golf course, we have encouraged the reproduction of plants that are common to the existing environment. As a result we now have many native desert plants and animals thriving in the community.”

Russell also shared relevant information on the state-of-the-art maintenance and irrigation technologies used by the Royal Golf Club to preserve the grass of the Championship golf course in excellent condition through the challenging climate conditions of Bahrain along the year.

Riffa Views TV: Episode 24 – You Can Make a Difference

please click here to download episode

As nature and the environment are intrinsic values to Riffa Views Signature Estates, sponsoring the Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS) was a logical choice.

Since the initial sponsorship in 2007 Riffa Views and the BIGS Committee have worked closely together to develop the show.

The introduction of leading names, such as Gardening expert and BBC TV Presenter, Chris Beardshaw; the launch of satellite activities, such as the Eden Challenge; the marked appreciation and support for local culture, through the showcase of local Arts and Crafts in 2008 and the Farmers Market in 2009, are just some of the things that worked towards putting BIGS on the gardening show map.

Three years ago Riffa Views made a commitment to work with the BIGS committee to take the show to the next level, for it to be on par with other international shows. Now, three years on, the hard work has paid off and BIGS is on the exhibition calendar as the ‘must see’ Middle East gardening event for experts, exhibitors and enthusiasts alike.

Visit by TV Gardener provides boost to Eden Challenge

The Riffa Views Eden Challenge 2009, the environmental competition for schools that has been so successfully established by Riffa Views Signature Estates, received a boost this week with the visit to Bahrain of Chris Beardshaw, Riffa Views Ambassador, Garden and Landscapes and Chairman of the Eden Challenge judging panel.

Beardshaw, known from his BBC television shows as “The Flying Gardener”, was delighted to hear from Riffa Views’ staff that Eden Challenge 2009 is already more successful than the inaugural 2008 Challenge, with the registration of more schools across a greater number of categories. “This is great news”, he said, “Eden Challenge is an opportunity for the youth of Bahrain to express themselves through a close interaction with environmental issues and their every day surroundings. The connection we saw with the schools last year was terrific and to think that it could be even better this year is truly amazing.”

Since registration closed in October, schools across Bahrain have been hard at work on their project entries – all with the hope and aim of winning their Eden Challenge category and seeing their designs become reality on the Riffa Views Eden Challenge 2009 stand at the Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show. With most schools now on vacation leave, the final push to complete projects will come towards the end of this month and during the first two weeks of next year, running up to January 12th, the closing date for entries.

During his visit this week, Chris Beardshaw put together a series of ‘project tips’ with Riffa Views’ staff. These tips will be released through newspaper articles during the period running up to the competition’s close – “We are not trying to direct or inhibit any of the children’s project creativity, the aim of the tips will be to enhance the whole experience for them so that they will get the maximum benefit from being part of Eden Challenge”, said Beardshaw. So, schools with an eye to a successful and enjoyable Eden Challenge should definitely look out for these project tips from the start of next year.

One such school will undoubtedly be Al Iman School, a private school based in Isa Town that has entered all four Eden Challenge age group categories. Representatives of Riffa Views visited Al Iman School last week to see how the Girls Section was progressing with their Eden Challenge projects and found a connection with the competition and an excitement in the children that was exactly what Riffa Views Signature Estates had hoped for when they introduced the competition.

Mrs Maha Abu Ghazal, the school’s art teacher, told how the school had decided to include the Eden Challenge within the curriculum of its art class for November and December, the two months covering the design and preparation of the Eden Challenge project entries. She said that “…the girls will be marked on their ideas for Eden Challenge and receive grades based on the marks…”

Each of the classes has been set the task of drawing or designing ideas that fit with the aim of the four age categories with the best drawings or ideas being chosen as the base for the school’s Eden Challenge entries. Mrs Ghazal said that “..all of our entries will be as environmentally friendly as possible with the use of recycled materials….” This year’s Al Iman School entries already have a history to live up to – the school having been awarded equal first place in Category B in Riffa Views Eden Challenge 2008.

Chris Beardshaw will return to Bahrain in January when he and the rest of the judging panel will face up to the difficult task of selecting the winners of Riffa Views Eden Challenge 2009, the second year of the competition, which is organized by Riffa Views Signature Estates in conjunction with its title sponsorship of the Riffa Views Bahrain International Garden Show 2009.

Next Page »