*Codes: ENVI – Environmental work, MTV – Long term volunteering, MANU – Manual work, ARCH – Archeological, AGRI – Agricultural, RENO – Renovation, SOCI – Social work
MID - LONG TERM VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
GoEco01 – WILDLIFE PRESERVE - 01/06/08-01/03/09 2 VOL MTV/ENVI
The mission of Yotvata Hai-Bar (Wildlife Preserve) Nature Reserve is to establish reproduction groups for populations of wild animals that are mentioned in the Bible; but have disappeared from the landscape, as well as for other endangered desert animals. The reserve is dotted with Acacia trees and includes a variety of desert habitats: an Acacia forest, a salt marsh, and sand dunes. The reserve has three parts: a three-acre penned-in open area, where herds of herbivorous animals live in conditions similar to those in the wild; the Predators Centre, where reptiles, small desert animals, and large predators are on display; and the Desert Night Life Exhibition Hall, where night and day are reversed so that visitors to the reserve can observe nocturnal animals during their active hours. Long-term volunteers are needed to join the Israel Nature & Parks Authority (NPA) staff with its on-going conservation and animal care work at the Wildlife Preserve. More
GoEco02 - GRIFFON VULTURE - 02/03/08-01/08/08 4 VOL MTV/ENVI
GoEco03 - GRIFFON VULTURE - 07/12/08-01/08/09 4 VOL MTV/ENVI
The marvelous landscape of Gamla Nature Reserve contains a host of animals and many well-preserved remnants of the past. The reserve boasts both a phenomenal concentration of birds of prey, some of them rare, living in a relatively small area, and the earliest known synagogue in the world. Scores of Griffon vulture pairs nest on the cliffs, making up the largest flock of Griffon vultures in Israel (and in the whole Middle East). The Israel Nature & Parks Authority (NPA) needs volunteers to participate in its efforts to save this endangered population of the Griffon vulture. In order to sustain and conserve these vulnerable birds, they conduct nest surveillance and reproductive surveys at Gamla Nature Reserve.More
GoEco04 - HAFEYOT WOODS - 01/06/08-01/12/08 4 VOL MTV/ENVI
GoEco and the Yaar HaFeyot Centre (Fairy Woods Centre) invite international volunteers to join this unique project and to take part in building a regional community centre. The centre will be the focal point for the community to learn about and to become aware of its natural surroundings and sustainable way of living. The project envisions a place that will remind people of nature on all its aspects. The aim is to start building a little “paradise” located in a rare oak forest, the last surviving forest from those which used to cover the landscape of the Holy Land centuries ago. The overall project includes the on- going construction of a stone theatre. The regional community centre will enable the local inhabitants, whether Jew, Arab or Druze, to interact with nature and among themselves. Knowledge of old agricultural methods and the wild life of the bio-region, remembered by the few remaining elderly people, can be passed on to the younger generation, who, for the most part, is completely ignorant of its past traditions. The project hopes to create integrative educational activities for all sectors of the population. As a volunteer, you will gain the opportunity to work on a project of major importance from its inception. You will have the opportunity to learn many different skills in building, land nurturing, grey water systems, stone work, forestry, organic agriculture, and traditional Jewish, Arab and Druze cultures. More
SHORT TERM VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
GoEco05 - WILDLIFE PRESERVE - 03/07/08-17/07/08 6 VOL MANU/ENVI
The mission of Yotvata Hai-Bar (Wildlife Preserve) Nature Reserve is to establish reproductive groups for populations of wild animals that are mentioned in the Bible; but have disappeared from the landscape, as well as for other endangered desert animals. The reserve is dotted with Acacia trees and includes a variety of desert habitats: an Aacia forest, a salt marsh, and sand dunes. The reserve has three parts: a three-acre penned-in open area, where herds of herbivorous animals live in conditions similar to those in the wild; the Predators Center, where reptiles, small desert animals, and large predators are on display; and the Desert Night Life Exhibition Hall, where night and day are reversed so that visitors to the reserve can observe nocturnal animals during their active hours. Volunteers are needed to assist the Israel Nature & Parks Authority (NPA) staff with its daily work and further enrichment projects at the Predators & Visitors Centers. More
GoEco06 - BEIT SHEARIM - 03/07/08-17/07/08 6 VOL ARCH
The Israel Nature & Parks Authority (NPA) would like to invite international volunteers to join our archaeological project in the ancient Jewish city of Beit Shearim, dating back 1800 years. Built on a low hill in the western part of the lower Galilee, Beit Shearim flourished from the second through the fourth centuries C.E. The residents of Beit Shearim dug an ornate necropolis deep into the ground. Courtyards, corridors, and staircases lead to the catacombs with their burial chambers and stone sarcophagi. The chambers and sarcophagi are decorated with bas-reliefs, epitaphs, and frescoes. The mouths of some of the caves were closed with hewn stone doors, shaped to resemble wooden doors. The bas-reliefs and drawings are representative of Roman-period Jewish folk art. The settlement of Beit Shearim was known as an important centre of Torah study, thanks to Rabbi Judah Hanasi (also known simply as Rabbi), the leading figure in the Jewish world in the third century C.E. Rabbi Judah Hanasi was considered the spiritual authority of the Jewish people during his time. Rabbi Judah Hanasi took up residence in Beit Shearim, making it the seat of the Sanhedrin (assembly of 71 ordained scholars, which served as both as legislature and as the Supreme Court). Volunteers' on this project you will have the opportunity to conduct archeological restoration with experts in their field. More
GoEco07 - ERETZ CARMEL - 14/08/08-28/08/08 6 VOL AGRI/ENVI
Eretz Carmel, a non-profit, non-political, grass roots organization, initiates & promotes models of sustainable growth and revival of the environment, while at the same time preserving quality of life and building for a better future. Eretz Carmel is currently implementing practical daily-life solutions through its 3 projects: (1) Compost Hakerem – a new and unique model for recycling of organic garbage in which the individual becomes a partner in solving the problem of organic garbage, by separating organic household garbage which is collected and converted into compost by Eretz Carmel. (2) Education program – a perfectly balanced outdoor ecological environment which serves as an educational centre offering lectures, workshops, and programs on the importance of social and environmental harmony, sustainable ecological agriculture, the recycling of organic garbage ("Kerem Compost" project), the need for ecological building, and more. The centre aims to educate through experience. (3) Ecological Agriculture Project – methodology of vegetable-growing and organic orchards while preserving the environment, using the Eretz Carmel model to create sustainable agriculture. The project offers a practical solution to the problems of modern agriculture and the need to preserve open areas and nature resources. More
GoEco08 - FAUZI AZAR - 14/08/08-28/08/08 5 VOL RENO/SOCI
The Fauzi Azar house is a beautiful 300 year old Ottoman building that was converted into an inn in 2005. The Fauzi Azar Inn promotes ecotourism in Nazareth and works with the community to contribute to its development in various areas. The inn uses local resources to create new work places, to raise the self- image of the local community, and to encourage economic growth while preserving the universal values of natural and cultural preservation. The aim is to introduce in Nazareth, which is the largest Arab city in Israel, a new model of tourism and thus "bridge the gap" between Arabs and Jews. More
SPECIAL VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
GoEco09 - BIBLICAL ZOO - 03/07/08-17/07/08 6 VOL ENVI/MANU
GoEco10 - BIBLICAL ZOO - 14/08/08-28/08/08 6 VOL ENVI/MANU
The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo houses a large variety of animals from around the world, although its main focus is animals mentioned in the Bible. The majority of these animals became extinct in the Middle East, mostly in the twentieth century (e.g. bears, lions, Mesopotamian fallow deer, Arabian oryx, cheetah and the Nile crocodile). The JBZ coordinates a number of unique projects that involve preserving rare species, whose origins are in the Land of Israel and, where possible, returning them to the wild (e.g. fallow deer, sand cats, Negev tortoise). Volunteers on this project will have the opportunity to work with some of these fascinating species, while gaining practical conservation experience under the guidance of experts in their field. More
GoEco11 - BUSTAN - 14/08/08-28/08/08 6 vol ENVI/SOCI
Against the background of the magnificent desert scenery of the Negev, there exists the long standing, historical confrontation between the traditional nomadic life-style of the nomads (Bedouins) and the modern life-style of the 21st Century. From the time of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the modernization of the Negev desert was central to the development policy for the area. Modernization meant the introduction of modern agriculture techniques, the building of new towns and villages and the development of modern infrastructure such as water, electricity, sewage and roads. Modernization often clashes with the nomadic life-style of the Bedouin. Their free movement in the desert is curtailed. They resist efforts to be settled in a permanent location and hence are obliged to find their livelihood on unauthorized and unrecognized villages without any basic infrastructure or social services. Bustan is committed to cultivating sustainable models which promote the fair allocation of public resources and to heighten public awareness of the problem. Since March 2008, Bustan has initiated an exciting course geared towards participants from unrecognized Bedouin villages. In this three-month course, through theory and hands-on practice, participants meet weekly to learn the principles of permaculture and its application to desert settings. Participants will gain the tools of analysis and planning to respond to local issues, implementing projects that are sustainable and appropriate. Following completion of coursework, participants will complete supervised projects implementing permaculture principles in their own communities. These projects will demonstrate environmentally sound solutions to ecological problems in the Negev, particularly those due to unrecognized status. Graduates will receive an internationally recognized permaculture certificate. Significant scholarships will be available to all accepted applicants. Target participants will be residents of the Negev's unrecognized Bedouin villages. Approximately 15 students will be accepted to the course. BUSTAN would like to invite international volunteers to join this ecological initiative to assist hands-on with various innovative projects. More
GoEco12 - TEL DOR - 29/06/08-01/08/08 10+ vol ARCH
The Tel Dor project is devoted to investigating one of the largest coastal cities in ancient Israel. A new consortium, consisting of two Israeli and several American universities, as well as a large multi-disciplinary and multi-national team of scholars and experts, has reopened the excavation, using it as a testing-ground for new techniques and technologies for extracting information about the past. In addition to continued archaeological exploration of this fascinating site, the consortium is committed to bring the finds of the previous expedition to final publication, and to begin to conserve the site and prepare it more fully for public access. Participants are world-class investigators in their respective fields, committed to create at Dor a community of students and professionals of diverse backgrounds in different sub-disciplines of archaeology and allied fields (biblical archaeology, classical archaeology, art history, archaeological science, Bible study, classics, anthropology). The combination of this exceptionally qualified group of experts and the singularly extensive, stratified, competently excavated and recorded data base already existing at Dor is what makes this project unique. More
GoEco13 - TEL ASIF - 06/07/08-01/08/08 10+ vol ARCH
Tell es-Safi is a commanding mound located on the border between the Judean foothills and the coastal plain, approximately halfway between Jerusalem and Ashkelon at about 100 acres in size, it is one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in Israel. Most scholars identify Tell es-Safi with Philistine Gath, known from the Bible as the home of Goliath and Achish. Archaeological surveys indicate that the site was inhabited pretty much continuously from the Chalcolithic period (5th millennium BCE) until 1948. In addition to participating in all facets of the excavation process, participants will be provided with the opportunity to learn excavation techniques, to hear lectures about the archaeology of Israel, and to go on field trips to nearby sites of interest. Students from all over the world may earn university credits through Bar Ilan University.More
