Getting Involved – Nature Park Community Events in Palestine

Around 180 university students, women association members, members of different ministries of Palestine, experts in ecology and nature conservation as well as other nature lovers went on a 4 km hike, with a spectacular view of the core of the nature park of Beit Ellu. The participants were guided by four eco-tourism tour guides, all graduates from one of our eco-tourism courses, implemented within the PfP project. The tour guides highlighted the importance of nature conservation and answered questions about the area and specific species of plants and animals that were seen on the way. The hike ended in the core of the nature park with a picnic, where local bread and water was given to the visitors.

Our partner PWLS took university students, women association members and other community members and nature lovers on two trips, to two new nature parks in Palestine in March. About 330 visitors joined these two community events, hiking many kilometers from Hebron area to Wadi Quff Nature Park and from villages in the Ramallah area to Beit Ellu Nature Park. 

Guides from PWLS staff and graduates from the eco-tourism courses guided the hikes, informed visitors about the area, about the threats to nature in the Nature Parks, and helped identify various species. The guides stopped along the route in several stations and gave information about ancient sites, especially about valuable natural sites.

In the first week of April a Community Event with about 700 visitors took place in Um El Tut Nature Park, close to Jenin. University students, members of different associations and different Ministries, as well as families and other nature lovers of the area, were bussed to the event. Four graduates of the eco-tourism courses functioned as guides throughout the event, taking groups of people for a short hike through the park. On the guided tours visitors received valuable information about the park, nature and nature conservation of the area and learned how to identify plants and animals together with the guides.

In our Community Event series, nearly 1,300 people from Palestine enjoyed the nature in front of their doors in their sites respectively and their awareness for the necessity of cross-border nature conservation was raised. A high awareness is needed to enable the protection of valuable natural areas across borders.