Zahidah discovered mangroves through her love of sailing, rowing and kayaking when she moved from Syria to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over years of living close to the mangroves, she saw the damage people were causing to them. She began taking friends and fellow artists to the mangroves and raising community awareness. In 2011, the war in Syria began. The fear and uncertainty Zahidah felt for her family, land and culture led her to make a connection between what was happening to the mangrove forest and the events in Syria. Feeling helpless and voiceless led her to do what she could to help the earth.

“Conservation was one outcome,” she says, “but I also wanted to see mangroves represented in the arts – to connect with and educate audiences, and to bring the arts and ecology closer together. Passion, emotion and fear was the drive.”

Zahidah and her artists collective toured the UAE with a multimedia exhibition in 2015–2016 to raise awareness of the mangroves, culminating in a mangrove festival in 2017.

“We tried to deliver a political message softly, beautifully – and it worked!”

The MFTW campaign contributed to the preservation of seven kilometres of threatened mangroves in Khor Al Beida, Umm Al Quwain. In 2020, the UAE announced its commitment to mangrove conservation, with mangroves taking centre stage during the 49th National Day celebrations. In 2022, MFTW gained international recognition by representing the UAE at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC.

Unfortunately, activism is not without risks. Zahida and her family had their UAE visas cancelled and they were compelled to relocate to Australia, her husband’s home country.

Geelong, where Zahidah settled, was also the site of mangrove forests – and they were also under threat. Zahidah began campaigning for mangroves in Australia, but her efforts were impeded by instances of racism within the community.

“Undertaking a PhD became a way for me to engage more deeply with the land and its cultures, providing the insight and understanding necessary to continue the MFTW campaign.”

Zahidah’s PhD was co-supervised by Associate Professor Toija Cinque. “Zahidah is a talented and committed researcher,” A/Prof Cinque says.

“Her work addresses the urgent environmental issue of mangrove degradation, while simultaneously advocating for ecological intimacy through artistic expression. It not only fosters an intimate connection with mangroves but also provides actionable insights for environmental education and preservation.”

For her thesis, Zahidah examined historical, ecological, philosophical and artistic elements to find ways to convince people of the mangroves’ significance and connect people to the environment. Her art involves sketching the mangrove forest from her kayak, with the kayak itself and the physical action of kayaking forming part of her embodied practice. “My argument is that this art practice can build ecological intimacy and cultivate meaningful human–mangrove relationships in support of mangrove protection,” she says.

“Drawing upon both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge systems, my thesis uses autoethnographic and interdisciplinary methodologies to challenge dominant epistemologies and enhance public understanding of conservation.”

Zahidah sought to make practical contributions to mangrove rehabilitation and education by exploring how interdisciplinary art practice can increase community and institutional engagement. And it has worked. Through her “action research”, Zahidah was able to bring together organisations that “have been disconnected, not working together, without a common goal.”

Thanks to her efforts, MangroveWatch, Parks Victoria, the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, and the Victorian Fisheries Authority are now in dialogue to explore ways of protecting Barwon Estuary’s mangroves. To safeguard the mangroves, a two-metre buffer zone will be established where the golf club meets the estuary, and there are plans to install one-person fishing platforms to help prevent trampling and damage caused by fishers. Zahidah also raised the impact stormwater discharge has on the mangroves, which she hopes will be addressed in future.

Zahidah has completed her PhD project and will soon graduate, but her work will continue. She still takes artists, writers and other creatives out to the mangroves to visit her “office”, as part of her ongoing volunteer work. And she hopes to continue working with Deakin in art spaces. “I believe in educational institutions; their part is very beneficial for environmental protection.” Zahidah has seen how her work with NYU Abu Dhabi laid a foundation in the UAE for mangrove preservation, and she believes Deakin can play a similar role.

“Knowledge sharing and education are important but should be accompanied by action. I would love to see The Project Space gallery at Waterfront used to support local artists, to make environmental issues visible through art.”

For anyone starting out their PhD or considering an academic career, Zahidah has some sage advice.

“Research and choose your supervisor/s carefully! You want to ensure that your supervisors are passionate about your project, and that they will protect your knowledge and support your career.”