The Desert Tawny Owl breeds in the desert areas of the Middle East and is of high interest to birders from Europe and North America BIRDS KNOW (Photo: Roni Livne) NO BOUNDARIES Cross-border Environmental Projects in the Middle East for People and Nature

100 million bird lovers travel the world bird watching, with the Middle East a Muslim and Jewish students observing Cranes together in the Hula Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians dancing at the end of a joint Barn Owl favorite destination; in the photo Dutch birders observe the amazing raptor Valley (Photo: Ephi Sharir) Seminar in Jordan (Photo: Yossi Leshem) migration in the Eilat Mountains (Photo: Yossi Leshem) Satellite photo of the Middle East (Courtesy of NASA) One of the proposed projects aims at advancing birding tourism in the Middle East by means of joint projects with schoolchildren from Europe, Africa and the Middle East studying migration data by tracking migration on the Internet, satellite-based tracking with GPS, online cameras in birds’ nests, radars and more (Drawing: Az van Oyen) FOREWORD

If fish were in need of the Europe, Asia and Africa has made it an important bird governor’s leave to swim migration route, almost unsurpassed worldwide. Every If birds were in need of migrating bird that knows no boundaries constitutes government permits to fly for us a symbol of freedom and peace.

We would be left in a I have no doubt that especially in the Middle East, world without birds and partnerships on environmental topics in general, and without fish birding in particular, can forge bridges and create a unique model for the entire world. Thus, freely translated, wrote Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani The Bearded Vulture (“Peres” in Hebrew), whose name was in one of his poems. A sea without fish? The sky adopted by Israel’s 9th President Mr. Shimon Peres, went extinct Let us, the world leaders, follow the migrating birds, without birds? Clearly, this would be terrible! A world as a breeding species in the and protect the biodiversity of the multitude of species Middle East as of 1982. without dimensions, without movement, without In that year the last pair that fill the skies, the oceans and the five continents freedom? Fortunately, birds take to the skies without nested next to the Dead for all the generations to come. Sea in the Great Rift Valley. government permits. Reintroduction is planned in the Middle East region That harmony is the subject of this meeting. (Drawing: Martin Rinik) The top world leaders and economists meet at the World Economic Forum at Davos in order to discuss an improved economic future for our world. Yours truly, The Middle East comprises an international junction One billion birds migrate annually over the Middle East, Shimon Peres with a billion migrating and the region’s unique position as a bottleneck between The 9th President of the State of Israel birds annually

1 BACKGROUND

• The subject of nature protection and with the emphasis on birds, nature and This initiative constitutes collaboration on the subjects of education, environmental conservation in general, the environment in the Middle East, in conservation of birds and their habitat and research between the Tel Aviv and birds in particular, has the potential collaboration and with the assistance of University (Israel), the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), the Society for the to bridge between nations, especially additional international organizations Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI)’s Hoopoe Foundation for bird conservation, in regions of conflict. and foundations in Europe and North partners in Jordan (Amman Center for Peace and Development, ACPD) and America. the Palestinian Authority, and the Israeli Ministry for Regional Cooperation. • A number of very successful joint projects October 26th, 1994: Signing of the Peace are operating in the Middle East, for • Use art and music to involve artists, Treaty between Jordan and Israel over example, the regional project in which schoolchildren and the general public to two decades ago. Front row (from left to right): Jordanian General Mansour Barn Owls are used as pest control agents save and raise awareness to problematic Abu Rashid, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak in agriculture in order to reduce the use natural environments, such as the Dead Rabin, US President Bill Clinton, Jordanian of pesticides, communication via the Sea, the lowest place on earth, with the Prime Minister Abdelsalam al-Majali; back row (from left to right): Israeli Brig. Gen. Internet on topics of bird migration emphasis on regional cooperation. Baruch Spiegel, US Secretary of State and habitat conservation, and more. Warren Christopher, President of Israel Ezer These projects bring together farmers, • Present these activities around the Weizman, His Majesty King Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan schoolchildren and conservationists world, as a model for copying mainly in developing countries and conflict in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian The “Hoopoe Foundation” of the Society for the Protection of Nature in areas. Authority as a lever to promoting nature Israel was established with a generous donation by Racheli and Moshe conservation throughout the region in Yanai, as well as additional donors. The aim of the foundation is to • Raise funding for the six projects people-to-people activities. strengthen the subject of birding in Israel with the emphasis on education, presented here: 2 million Euros per the protection of birds and their habitat, research as well as the promotion • In view of our successes, our vision is to year for 5 years, a total of 10 million of joint projects with our neighbors, the Jordanians and Palestinians. promote a number of additional projects Euros.

2 FOR PEOPLE AND BIRDS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

A pair of courting European Bee-eaters (Photo: Aharon Shimshon)

General (Ret.) Mansour Abu Rashid with a new 600,000 White Storks (85% of the world message that the Barn Owls bring good and population) pass over the Middle East not bad luck as believed in the Muslim tradition (Photo: Thomas Krumenacker) (Photo: Motti Charter) A White-throated The entire Palearctic population of White Pelicans migrates over the Middle East Kingfisher, a common (Photo: Thomas Krumenacker) species in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority Palestinian students at the Jericho ringing station (Photo: Dubi Kalai)

Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian schoolchildren Prof. Alexandre with Mr. Bernard Weber from Switzerland in a Roulin from campaign to protect the Dead Sea the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, plays a key role in the cooperation (Photo: Motti Charter)

3 PROJECT 1 REINTRODUCTION OF FOUR VULTURE SPECIES TO THE MIDDLE EAST

A bad reputation was the main reason that Bearded Vultures disappeared in the Alps. In the scientific literature of the 19th century, this species was described as a bloodthirsty bird of prey that attacks lambs, sheep and even children. The authorities actively supported the eradication of this species by paying bounties for shot animals. Together with a lack of food due to the low densities of wild ungulates during this period, the population decreased dramatically in the 19th century and the species disappeared completely from the Alps in the beginning of the 20th century. The understanding that Bearded Vultures are not voracious predators but A Bearded Vulture, reintroduced to the wild from a European zoo A pair of Bearded Vultures from the captive breeding program highly specialized raptors which live mainly on the in a project of seven countries, soaring above the slopes of the Alps at La Garenne, Gland in Switzerland. The male was 47 years old (Photo: Hansruedi Weyrich) when he died in 2015, the female is 40. They have raised 26 bones of ungulate carcasses came too late for the offspring! With the aid of Mr. Peres, we are planning to reintroduce Alpine population. four species of vultures to the Middle East assisted by European breeding programs (Photo: Raoul Feignoux)

Luckily, in the 1970s, a group of scientists, conservationists nature lovers and conservation organizations work young Bearded Vultures, which began in 1986. While and representatives of governmental organizations closely together over decades, with very different further releases are required, the project is in a final and universities initiated an international project for stakeholders, and over international boundaries. stage and can be considered as a great success for the reintroduction of the Bearded Vulture to the Alps. Today, roughtly 200-250 Bearded Vultures live with 29 nature conservation. This project is an outstanding example of how a nearly established breeding units thanks to an international Four vulture species’ populations have been dramatically extinct species can be reintroduced to nature when Bearded Vulture program and the annual release of reduced over the past 50 years in Israel and the Middle

4 East, and we wish to copy the successful European activities with the general public and schoolchildren, Griffons’ nests in Israel 1999-2010 project to reintroduce the Griffon, Bearded, Lappet- and research using satellite transmitters throughout 100 faced and Egyptian Vultures to the Middle East, as the Middle East. In addition 250 Griffon Vultures will nests north 80 82 nests south was successfully achieved with the reintroduction of be imported to Israel from Mediterranean countries Linear (nests north) 75 73 71 the Bearded Vulture to the European Alps in the EU (for example, France and Spain) in the next five years. 60 65 R 2 = 0.9039 51 Life project with the seven countries within whose An important objective of this project will be the 4947 46 40 45 44 36 38 40 32 34 borders the Alps are located, and the Griffon Vulture protection of these four species in the Middle East 33 29 20 28 19 20 21 22 to the Massif Central in France, in cooperation with and eliminating the use of pesticides and poisonings # OF NESTING ATTEMPTS 15 European organizations. that have constituted and still constitute a major cause 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 resulting in their reduced numbers. YEARS The current status of these four species in Israel is as Graph demonstrating the steep decline in the Griffon Vulture follows: population in Israel

- Griffon Vulture: today 32 pairs remain out of the approximately 1,000 nesting pairs before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948

- Lappet-faced Vulture: extinct as a breeding species since 1989; about 30 pairs before 1948

- Bearded Vulture: extinct since 1982

- Egyptian Vulture: 40 pairs remain out of 200 nesting pairs in the past

The project will establish captive breeding programs, breeding and acclimation cages next to nature reserves, A poisoned Griffon Vulture (Photo: INPA, Eyal Bartov) A Griffon Vulture, in danger of extinction in the Middle East – feeding stations, a campaign aimed at reducing the use its conservation is one of the proposed cross-border projects of pesticides throughout the Middle East, educational (Photo: Pini Chemo)

5 USING BARN OWLS AND KESTRELS AS BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL AGENTS PROJECT 2 IN AGRICULTURAL FIELDS

The intensive use of agricultural pesticides throughout changing farming habits to become more sustainable 2015 - 3,000 nesting boxes Israel and across the region poses a grave threat to the and environment friendly. environment and its biological diversity, as well as to public Barn Owls and Kestrels are very common species in health. The region of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Israel, and especially in agricultural areas. For example, Authority, located at the junction of three continents, each pair of Barn Owls feeds on between 2,000-6,000 is an important diversity hot spot and is traversed by rodents per year, making them an efficient alternative one of the world’s principle bird migration routes (1 to pesticides for the farmers. As both species make billion birds annually). The aim of the project is a long- their nests in cavities, either natural or manmade, term significant reduction in the use of pesticides and they constitute perfect candidates for populating the specially-designed nesting boxes erected for this purpose. These considerations led to the initiation of the project Graph presenting rise in number of nesting boxes over the years three decades ago led by the Tel Aviv University and in cooperation with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), and its evolving to a national project as of 2008 with three government ministries. USAID, the European Union, three Israeli Government Ministries, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Lausanne Universities, the Addax-Oryx Foundation (Switzerland) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (Germany) have all supported this A Jordanian farmer holding a Barn Owl next to a nest box in the project over the past decade. In 2011 the Society for Graph showing that the amount of the Rosh-80 poison authorized Beit Shean Valley, Israel, part of the regional project for using Barn the Protection of Nature in Israel’s Hoopoe Foundation for use changed greatly over the years, but decreased in general Owls and Common Kestrels as biological pest control agents in with the rise in the use of the Barn Owls. (Dr. Yoav Motro) agriculture (Photo: Hagai Aharon) also began funding the project.

6 Over the last decade, through a leading people-to- people project involving farmers, schoolchildren and conservationists, we have succeeded in establishing 3,000 nesting boxes throughout agricultural fields in Israel, and 270 each in Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. This project has continued without a break, even during periods of conflict in the region. A central component of the project is education and public exposure in Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, via learning materials, movies and joint seminars, as 2010: President Shimon Peres learning about the regional project Barn Owls for peace: A Jordanian female Barn Owl (left) and an well as an internet site devoted to the subject and – using Barn Owls as pest control agents, Beit Shean Valley, Israel Israeli male Barn Owl (right) nested in the Beit Shean Valley and online cameras installed in Barn Owl and Kestrel nests. in the Great Rift Valley, with Prof. Yossi Leshem (center) and Shaul raised together 7 chicks in great harmony (Photo: Motti Charter) Aviel from Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu (Photo: Hagai Aharon)

When checking the success of the project in reducing the use of pesticides by examining the amounts of pesticides that farmers received licenses to use in comparison to the years before the erecting of nesting boxes, it becomes clear that the years since the initiation of the project have shown a sharp decline in their use, thus establishing the project’s success.

We require project funding for the next three years with the emphasis on promoting regional cooperation A Barn Owl nesting box made from a recycled box. Each pair of In 2013 a male Barn Owl with two females (bigamy) resulted in with the Jordanians and Palestinians in this initiative owls feasts on 2,000‑6,000 rodents per year. 3,000 nesting boxes 17 nestlings that fledged out of the 20 eggs that were laid in an whose importance extends far beyond its research have been posted in Israel, 270 in the Palestinian Authority and abandoned waterhole on the Judean Plain. As far as we know, this and environmental benefits, to the people-to-people 270 in Jordan. A significant expansion of the project is necessary is the first documented case in Israel and perhaps in the world (?!). in the Palestinian Authority and Jordan (Photo: Amir Ezer) The breeding cycle and the photographs were recorded by Ezra interactions in a region ridden by conflict. Haddad, an inspector of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority

7 PROJECT 3 ARTISTS AND MUSIC FOR NATURE

The Dead Sea is a unique site worldwide as the lowest international interest, and especially because the Dead planning a bold new project to raise global awareness point on earth, and it is dying. The Dead Sea is one of Sea is part of the Great Rift Valley (GRV) that traverses to the plight of the Dead Sea. the most unique geographic formations in the world, 22 countries from Turkey to Mozambique. Therefore Established in 1990, Artists for Nature is a unique supporting unique ecosystems and harboring historic this project could compromise a model for copying in organization that brings together renowned international and cultural treasures. The long-term decline of the third world countries in Africa situated along the GRV. artists to produce art inspired by and created in water level is creating an ecological imbalance on both endangered environments. The events and donated land and sea that will eventually destroy this unique and The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) art are used to raise support and draw attention to precious resource. It also constitutes a common point of and the Hoopoe Foundation together with the Amman the need for protecting these areas and species, and contact for Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. Center for Peace and Development (ACPD, Jordan), to imbue nature appreciation as an essential element As such it attracts very high interest by Israel, Jordan and Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS, Palestine) and the of sustainable development. Artists for Nature has the Palestinian Authority specifically, and also very high international Artists For Nature Foundation (ANF) are participated in 14 successful projects, spanning four

Artist at work in the Hula Valley – 40 artists participated Watercolor on paper of cranes in flight by One of the artists next to her work Wolfgang Weber

8 Winter 2012: Paul Winter playing in the Hula Valley Festival to Paul Winter performing for 23,000 members of the Society for March 1994: for the 40th anniversary of the SPNI, Paul Winter 500 people part of his new composition “Flyways” the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) in the Negev Desert. Paul played for the Dalai Lama as a message of peace in the environment. Winter flew with a motorized glider alongside 4,000 migrating Over 6,000 people attended the event in the Eilat Mountains Storks from north Israel to the Negev in the south, and this was overlooking Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as the sun rose. the inspiration for his new composition “Flyways” Standing: Prof. Yossi Leshem, SPNI CEO continents and included over 130 artists who have in the open landscapes of the Dead Sea drawing and A special concert is planned with Paul Winter who garnered the organization international acclaim. During painting at Jericho (Palestinian Authority), Ein Gedi will perform his new composition “Flyways” that 2008 and 2009 we hosted over 40 artists in the Hula (Israel) and Wadi Mujeb (Jordan). In addition, there incorporates bird songs and varied musical traditions Valley who have produced a book and a collection of will be tours, lectures, performances and workshops from the countries along the Great Rift Valley migration postcards and posters of their drawings which has for students, artists and the general public. Thousands corridor. Paul Winter is a world-renowned concert been sold to the public with the profits donated to of people, including schoolchildren, will be exposed to musician, composer and recording artist. With his unique bird conservation projects in Israel and the Middle East. the multiple problems facing the Dead Sea via music genre of “Earth Music” he has introduced to a global and art. The ten day long festival will take place at audience the beauty of diverse cultures and the voices Fifteen internationally-renowned wildlife artists will visit different areas within each country and culminate in of the endangered species of what he calls “the greater the Dead Sea for ten days and work with Jordanian, an exhibition of their work that will form the basis of symphony of the Earth”. He has recorded 35 albums, Palestinian and Israeli artists in public events that will a travelling exhibition and a full color art book of the of which 11 have received Grammy nominations and draw in local visitors. The artists will spend each day project. 7 have won Grammy Awards.

9 MIGRATING BIRDS KNOW NO BOUNDARIES – PROJECT 4 ECOTOURISM AND A TOOL FOR EDUCATION

ECOTOURISM 2. For the past five years we have held the Crane Race, from Arab and Jewish schools in Israel as well as from The Israeli Government approved funding to the an educational project which combines sport with Palestinian and Jordanian schools have run around amount of 10 million dollars (2011-2015) to set up a raising awareness to bird watching and migration. the Agamon-Hula Lake in north Israel and enjoyed network of seven new national birdwatching centers Several thousand runners including professional bird watching activities. in Israel that will significantly advance birding tourism athletes, army soldiers and officers, schoolchildren by expert birdwatchers for nature lovers from around the world and also for Israelis of all ages. Expanding the birdwatching network to be suitable for the public will necessitate further support and funding, and our aim is to extend this to the Palestinian Authority and Jordan as well under their leadership. Then we will be able to offer overseas tourists a package deal that will include visiting Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan all in one for birding.

Following are two examples: 1. The Champion of the Flyways competition, organized by the SPNI’s Israel Ornithological Center (IOC), has attracted high interest worldwide since its inception in 2014. During 24 straight hours, about 30 teams compete to spot the highest number of bird species in the Negev and Eilat. The income of about $50,000 from the event was dedicated to a project for bird conservation and habitat protection. Birdwatchers from all over the world flock to Eilat to see the spring migration (Photo: Yossi Leshem)

10 2 Merom 1 Hagalil Hula Lake Park 3 Afek

5 4 Ma'agan Kfar Rupin Michael

6 Tel Aviv 7 Ayalon Park 8 Latrun 9 Jerusalem

December 27th, 2015: Israel’s 9th President, Mr. Shimon Peres, sets the runners off in the Every year a delegation of Jordanian runners participates in the 10 Crane Race in the Hula Valley (Photo: JINI Photo Agency, Ancho Gosh (KKL)) Crane Race running together with the Israelis (Photo: JINI Photo Ein Gedi Agency, Ancho Gosh (KKL))

EDUCATION 11 West Negev 12 Thousands of researchers and educators study bird Sde Boker 13 migration on a variety of levels throughout the world. We Hatzeva have approached Google, NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and others to develop technologies under one umbrella to make bird migration accessible to students and the general public to track online and encourage

14 people-to-people communication across borders. Lotan The Osprey, due to its cosmopolitan range and popularity, was selected as a flagship species to provide an opportunity to engage and link communities across the world and 15 Eilat to provide new and exciting educational opportunities. Location of 15 national birdwatching The Palestinian and Israeli Sunbirders team with their trophy at the Champion of the Ospreys have been the subject of numerous tracking centers Flyways competition (Photo: Yuval Dax) 11 Osprey brings a fish to his nestlings in Tiran Island in southern Swifts at Schiff House in Tel Aviv where online camera have been Sinai (Photo: Yossi Eshbol) installed in their nests (Drawing: Tuvia Kurtz)

studies and as a result their migratory habits are now of these birds, and understand that the phenomenon well-understood with the tracking data readily available of migration is the same over the world and in many online from satellite transmitters and online cameras in cultures. nests, therefore providing a unique “live” educational Another project involves Common Swifts, Peregrine opportunity and the potential to enable students across Falcons, Common Kestrels and Lesser Kestrels that nest the world to engage with bird migration in a new and throughout urban environments and can be used to exciting way. expose communities to these birds and their habitats. Our website www.birds.org.il plays a key role with These birds nest in public buildings, churches, mosques hundreds of schools in Israel and is being developed and synagogues throughout the world and can be used for a larger scale platform. We have developed an as a platform for global cooperation, also by Muslim,

international program that involves pupil-to-pupil learning Map of migrating Osprey from Finland, carrying a satellite Jewish and Christian religious authorities. with students from different countries following the transmitter on its back, showing his flight route to Africa through Online cameras have already been installed in Swifts’ migrating Osprey and other birds on its international Israel (Source: Prof. Pertti Saurola) nests in Israel, in Osprey and additional birds nests in journey. Using the internet, classes can track the progress Europe.

12 88 pairs of Swifts nest in the Western Wall, the holiest Jewish site in Jerusalem Schoolchildren track Swifts, which nest in city houses, via online cameras (Photo: Amir Ezer)

The Rabbi of the Western Wall blesses the Swifts on their return Nir Barkat, Jerusalem’s Mayor, also participated in the ceremony June 2013: Children from an elementary school in Kfar Kama in the from Africa Galilee (Circassian school) performing the “Dance of the Vulture” in the concluding ceremony of 100 schools that took part in the “Yes to the Bird” project in Northern Israel. Half the participating schools were from the Arab sector

13 DATABASE FOR MONITORING THE EASTERN FLYWAY USING A NETWORK PROJECT 5 OF RADAR, RINGING STATIONS, BIRDERS AND GPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Conservation consequences as a result of climate fall. The main migration influx over the area is part of detrimental factors that lead to bird population declines change are expected to be particularly severe in the the Eastern European and Western Asia Flyways. Some and the measures needed to mitigate these negative Middle Eastern countries because species biodiversity in 280 Eurasian species of migratory birds pass through trends depend on our ability to assess these factors at this area is high due to the unique geographic position Israel during each migration season or winter in Israel. the non-breeding areas. In this sense, the Middle East, of this region at the convergence of three continents. Many of these species are of particular conservation where a large proportion of northern breeding bird Moreover, this area also serves as major nexus for at concern because of rapidly declining population trends population pass and over-winter, may play a significant least 500 million migrating birds in each spring and at their breeding grounds. Our understanding of the role in the fate of northern breeding bird populations and, more generally, northern latitudes biodiversity. Over the past three decades, monitoring and migration research has significantly advanced our knowledge of birds and bird migration in Israel. Radar, ground observers with data of 35 years of monitoring soaring migrating birds, bird ringing stations, motorized glider, satellites-based tracking and data loggers are now used in conjunction as part of a multi-faceted and detailed project aiming to quantify migration at multiple temporal and spatial scales.

In 2014 and 2015 Israel and Germany held two joint workshops on how climate change will affect birds and bird migration. We are devising a new collaboration for The migration route of the German White Stork “Princessa” Migrating White Storks over Israel tracked by a motorized glider 2016-2020 between European and Israeli researchers, from Loburg, Germany to Cape Town, South Africa – (Photo: Jerry Young) almost the same route used for 13 years (1993‑2005) to further investigate this important topic.

14 The Russian weather MRL-5 radar at Latrun converted for A network of ground observers 36,000 Lesser-spotted Eagles in one day as Radar showing nocturnal migration over an area of using to track the flocks of migrating birds has been monitoring the migration seen by the Russian radar at Latrun 30 x 30 km crossing the Mediterranean coast at midnight near of raptors, Storks and Pelicans for Tel Aviv, as seen by the Ben Gurion Airport approach radar 35 consecutive years

Among the project objectives are to: Palestinian and Jordanian researchers, conservationists 7. Develop Citizen Science projects for migratory species 1. Examine the usage of stopovers sites by migrating birds and educators. such as Storks, Pelicans and Turtle doves in Israel, in relation to the intense human-related development 4. Compile an “Atlas of Migration of the Birds of Israel”, Palestine Authority and Jordan and integration of in the Middle East by using existing data sources for such as the recently published German Bird Migration the data through a website with advanced visual birds and climate. Atlas. capabilities to produce dynamic migration maps for the general public. 2. Develop a nationwide monitoring system to study the 5. Process climate data from the past three decades, effects of climate change on the Eastern European obtained from governmental agencies, meteorologists 8. Develop educational and touristic program and integrate Flyway using integrated network of electronic tracking and atmospheric models to examine the effects of researchers’ findings into existing environmentally devices such as radar, satellites, data loggers, thermal meteorological and climatic factors on bird migration friendly agriculture and flight safety projects as well sensors, as well as ringing stations and a network of at multiple timescales. as climate change mitigation measures. ground observers. 6. Expand the soaring bird migration survey to include 9. Involve the European Space Agency (ESA). 3. Establish the relevant infrastructure in the Palestinian both the autumn and spring. Authority and Jordan, including the training of

15 PROJECT 6 BAT CONSERVATION IN THE JORDAN VALLEY

In October 1994 the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan was signed resulting in the IDF abandoning many of its bunkers which have been gradually adopted by bats. It was discovered that 12 bat species, some rare and endangered, had populated the bunkers, in some cases one of the only meeting places for African, Asian and European species. As the bats found it difficult to hang onto the smooth ceilings, work to conserve the bats was done by adding gripping areas, protecting the bunkers at critical periods, research, monitoring, and public awareness projects. Since this discovery more than 15 old bunkers have been converted into homes for bats.

This project was adopted as one of the projects of the “Army for the Protection of Nature April 2014: General (Ret.) Mansour Abu Rashid, Chairman A female Trident Leaf-nosed Bat in Israel – Commanders Take Responsibility for the Environment”, and soldiers of the of the Amman Center for Peace and Development (ACPD) in hanging from the ceiling of a bunker Rift Valley Brigade joined up with the Home Front Command battalions to converting Jordan, learning about the bats in bunkers project with IDF in the Jordan Valley, holding a baby officers in a bunker near Abdallah Bridge (Photo: Yossi Leshem) close to her chest (Photo: Eran Levin) these abandoned bunkers to a bat paradise. Soldiers of the Home Front Command brought in their unique search and rescue skills, using heavy engineering equipment to create new openings into the bunkers for bats to enter. In addition, the ceilings and walls were covered with mesh and other features to provide the bats, hanging upside down, with gripping areas for their legs. The success of this project has crossed the border, and our neighbors in Jordan are planning a similar initiative. General Mansour Abu Rashid, Jordan, is leading this initiative in Jordan, and learning about the bat conservation project, with the aim of implementing on the Jordanian side of the border. (There are nine insectivorous bat 1000’s of bats already enjoying the bunkers Officers of the Rift Valley Brigade working to species in danger of extinction in the region!) (Photo: Eran Amichai) convert the bunkers into roosts suitable for the bats (Photo: Shmulik Yedvab) 16 Eurasian Hoopoe (Photo: Thomas Krumenacker)

November 2015: A historic meeting in Singapore between President Ma Migrating Cranes on the background of the snow- of Taiwan and President Xi Jinping of China after 66 years of conflict. covered Mt. Hermon, along the Great Rift Valley on For additional details please contact: the border between Syria, Israel and Lebanon. 500 Prof. Yossi Leshem million birds migrate over this mountain range twice [email protected] If they can, then we can as well! a year (Photo: Dror Galili) office: +972-3-6406010 • mobile: +972-52-3257722 www.birds.org.il billet.co.il Drawing: Tuvia Kurtz