#HimaEcoMedia

The conservation community in Lebanon and beyond is mourning the loss of Mona Khalil, one of the country’s most inspiring environmental champions, whose life became synonymous with the protection of sea turtles and the preservation of Lebanon’s southern coastline.

Khalil passed away after succumbing to injuries sustained during an Israeli airstrike on 4 June 2026, leaving behind a legacy that transcends projects, institutions, and campaigns. Her name has become inseparable from the beaches of Mansouri and from one of Lebanon’s most successful community-based conservation stories.

Her remarkable journey and enduring impact were recently highlighted in an article by New York Times journalist Ishani Desai, which traced Khalil’s lifelong dedication to safeguarding endangered sea turtles and protecting one of the Mediterranean’s most important nesting habitats.

For more than three decades, Khalil devoted her life to conserving the Hima Qoleileh–Mansouri coastal stretch, a seven-kilometre expanse of sandy and rocky shoreline that hosts dozens of endangered loggerhead and green sea turtle nests every year. Through perseverance, courage, and an extraordinary connection with nature, she transformed what began as a personal commitment into a nationally recognized model of community-led conservation.

Her work brought together municipalities, local residents, fishermen, youth groups, volunteers, environmental organizations, and international partners around a common vision: protecting biodiversity while empowering local communities.

Among those who knew her best was Assad Serhal, Director General of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) and one of the leading architects of the modern Hima movement. Reflecting on her passing, Serhal offered a tribute that captured the essence of her life:

“There are people who work for conservation, and there are people who become conservation itself. Mona Khalil was one of those rare individuals whose life, spirit, and daily existence became inseparable from the cause she dedicated herself to.”

Serhal’s words reflect a relationship built over decades of shared work, field missions, and conservation struggles. The Orange House in Mansouri, founded by Khalil, was not merely a place of hospitality; it became a gathering point for conservationists, researchers, volunteers, and environmental leaders working to protect Lebanon’s natural heritage.

Together, SPNL, local municipalities, and community partners helped establish and strengthen the Hima approach in Qoleileh and Mansouri, creating a pioneering model that demonstrated how conservation succeeds when local communities become its guardians. At the heart of this effort stood Mona Khalil — a true “Hamiat Al Hima” whose dedication embodied the very philosophy of stewardship and coexistence between people and nature.

Working under exceptionally difficult conditions in South Lebanon, she remained steadfast despite conflict, instability, economic hardship, and environmental pressures. She defended the coastline with determination, monitored nesting sites with unwavering commitment, and inspired generations of young conservationists to believe that protecting nature is both a responsibility and a source of hope.

Those who worked alongside her recall her fierce determination, strong convictions, and uncompromising commitment to wildlife. For Khalil, sea turtles were never simply a conservation target; they were a living trust that she protected with extraordinary devotion. Every nest mattered, every hatchling mattered, and every successful return to the sea represented a victory for nature.

Her contribution extended far beyond species conservation. Through her efforts, environmental protection became a vehicle for community engagement, education, local pride, and sustainable development. She helped demonstrate that conservation is most effective when it is rooted in people, culture, and local ownership.

Equally significant is the broader movement within which her work flourished. Under the leadership of Assad Serhal, the Hima approach evolved from a traditional heritage concept into a nationally and internationally recognized model for community-based conservation. Across Lebanon, dozens of communities embraced the Hima philosophy, proving that local stewardship can play a transformative role in protecting biodiversity and advancing sustainable development.

Mona Khalil was among the most inspiring examples of that vision in action. She translated principles into practice and transformed a vulnerable coastline into a symbol of resilience and environmental hope.

Today, her legacy lives on in every protected stretch of beach, every empowered volunteer, every engaged community, and every sea turtle that returns to nest along the shores she spent a lifetime defending.

As future generations of hatchlings emerge from the sands of Qoleileh and Mansouri and make their first journey toward the Mediterranean, they will unknowingly follow paths secured by her dedication and sacrifice.

Mona Khalil leaves behind more than memories.

She leaves behind a living legacy — etched into Lebanon’s coastline, carried forward by the Hima movement, and sustained by all those who continue the mission she embraced with courage, conviction, and love.

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon, conservation partners, local communities, and Homat Al Hima across the country join together in honoring her extraordinary life and enduring contribution to Lebanon’s natural heritage.

Her footprints may fade from the sand, but her impact will remain woven into the future of conservation in Lebanon for generations to come.