Reforesting Israel, Restoring Israel

Feb 22

Feb 22 Reforesting Israel, Restoring Israel

“In 1948, forests covered two percent of Israel’s territory. Today, trees cover eight and a half percent of the land — approximately 247,000 acres.” (Prof. Alon Tal)

"Tree-planting is an ancient Jewish tradition, mentioned in the Talmud as being more important than greeting the Messiah. With over 240 million planted trees, Israel is one of only two countries that entered the 21st century with a net gain in the number of trees, due to massive afforestation efforts. Israeli forests are the product of a major afforestation campaign by the Jewish National Fund." (IsraelisLegitimate.org)

Israel's reforestation efforts have not only been tremendously successful, they've restored local biodiversity, hydrology, food production, and ecological security. Below is a collection of videos and articles showcasing various aspects of Israel's remarkable restoration efforts, plus a bonus video on permaculture-based restoration in Jordan. Tikkun Olam! --Chris Searles (editor)