Know your Roots

Dubai, UAE – 13 May 2026 – In a year that places family, heritage, and connection at its heart, Terra, Expo City Dubai, has launched Know Your Roots, an initiative inviting students in the UAE to reconnect with their families through the stories of plants and preserve this knowledge for future generations.

Open to students aged 14 and above from all nationalities across the UAE, the project calls on young people to document conversations with parents, grandparents, and community members, capturing how plants have shaped everyday life, traditions, and well-being. Submissions may reflect connections to plants from any country, not just those native to the UAE.

Selected films will be showcased as part of a special event at Terra. All submissions will also be featured across Terra's programmes, digital platforms, and future exhibitions, forming part of a long-term knowledge platform exploring the relationship between people and nature across the UAE.

The initiative forms part of Terra’s wider strategy to elevate the role of native and culturally significant plant species, promoting their presence across its landscape, bringing them to life through on-site experiences, and building knowledge around their ecological and cultural value. From the use of miswak (Salvadora persica) as a natural toothbrush passed down through generations, to resilient species such as salt cedar (Tamarix aphylla) that have long supported life in arid environments, Terra's landscape reflects how plants carry both ecological value and cultural memory.

“Across cultures, knowledge of plants has always lived within families, shared in kitchens, gardens, and everyday rituals. Today, much of this knowledge risks being lost,” said Marjan Faraidooni, Chief of Education and Culture, Expo City Dubai. “Know Your Roots creates a platform where young people can rediscover these stories directly from their families, while contributing to a wider body of knowledge that reflects the UAE’s diversity. In doing so, the programme not only preserves heritage, but strengthens the connections that carry it forward.”

At its core, the initiative draws on ethnobotany, the study of the relationship between people and plants, bringing this field to life through personal storytelling. By capturing stories across cultures, the initiative contributes to a deeper understanding of how plants shape identity, food systems, healing practices, and intergenerational knowledge, while supporting their preservation for future generations. For Terra, these stories, from any origin, reinforce a shared understanding: that the bond between people and the natural world is universal, and that preserving this knowledge is as important as preserving the plants themselves.

Terra continues to reinforce the role of cultural preservation in advancing nature conservation and environmental goals, where landscapes are understood not just through science, but through the stories and experiences that give them meaning.

All submissions must be uploaded by a parent or teacher. The deadline for submission is 12 June 2026.

Applications are now open and can be submitted via:https://terra.expocitydubai.com/en/poi/know-your-roots

TERRA

Terra- The World’s Living Wonder- is one of the UAE’s icons of sustainability and a hub to drive climate action, environmental innovation, and increase awareness about sustainability, biodiversity, and conservation. Born out of a vision of a world where nature and humans thrive in harmony, Terra invites visitors to embark on an emotional adventure to be inspired about ways to protect our planet and witness how small, daily actions can and do have a big impact on planet Earth. It is a living embodiment of sustainability through its structure that produces its own energy and water, and its mission to awaken minds, inspire hearts, and drive meaningful action to ensure a sustainable and thriving future for all.

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