And she has 8 million citizens! (just hit the mark) It is the same population as Ireland had at the verge of Great Famine and which was considered to be horrible overpopulation.
Yet is this small, densly populated and in 60% consisting of desert country there is still space for protected areas - 67 of them! Some are archeological parks, others are nature reserves. Wildlife is blooming in many places and is carefully and lovingly protected!
As most migratory birds are unable to fly on long distances over the sea in their yearly journeys to/ from Europe and they tend to choose the way over Turkey and Dardanele rather than straight through the Mediterranean Sea and only than turn towards Africa; Israel is on the road of their travels. Millions of birds come here every year (in fact twice a year) and are able to find their deserved rest.
In the first half of XX century Israel was still malarial country with marshes helping sustain great mosquito populations. Most have been drained and malaria, cured sistematically, disappeared. But some of the marshes were left specially to serve for the wellbeing of migratory birds.
During the time of fighting malarial marshes one of the Jewish immigrants from Australia remembered eucalyptus trees that can suck lots of water from the ground (or so it was believed). The trees were introduced. They didn't help with drying marshes as their roots went deep under to reach the reservoirs of fresh, clean water, but their presence in the country helped years later to introduce carefully coala bears. There are approximately 30-40 pairs of them (gift from Australian authorities) living free in Israel!
Israelis not only create and maintain the protected areas, they also love to visit them. And Rosh Hashana is the holiday when it is especially popular to visit natural reserves.
Let me show you some of my pictures taken in Israeli National Parks and nature reserves.
Today I just want to share the beauty of this amazing country :).
No comments:
Post a Comment