Israeli nature lovers clean beaches, rivers

Oct 14, 2020

Israelis spent this Sukkoth holiday confined at home. No partying on beaches, no picnics in parks, no swimming in rivers. While many regretted deeply not being able to go out, some Israelis were happy, as it meant nature was spared all the trash during this holiday week. Still, they fear that once the lockdown ends, and if the weather stays as warm and dry as it is now, Israelis will flock again outdoors, and bring along their rubbish.

Evidently, this phenomenon of trashing nature is not new to Israel. But it seems that the coronavirus pandemic has considerably amplified it. After the first lockdown in March, thousands of Israelis went out to visit every possible nature reserve, stream or trail. With the pandemic still raging, they could not fly abroad, so they opted for vacation at home, in Israel.

“This summer, family, friends and I visited the Jilabun River in the Golan Heights. We were so sad to see all the litter left on the river banks — crisp bags, plastic bottles, etc. Then I came up with something. Let’s imagine that for every person leaving one trash item behind, another person picks up two. Picking up just two pieces of trash should totally clean the place,” Ben Adoram told Al-Monitor.

Adoram took his idea one step further, starting the Facebook group Cleaning Nature. On his page, he proposes to all nature lovers to go out to one of their favorite spots, equipped with a bag and rubber gloves, and pick up two pieces of trash and throw them in a garbage bin. “The idea is to generate a grassroots change — silent but profound — by the many people who love nature and who care about a nature free of litter. Some people are trashing — we will be the cleaners,” Adoram said.

Another interesting initiative is that of the Israeli Travel association in cooperation with Sabres Israeli Field Center shop. Yaniv Levy of Sabres explains that the shop — opened in Jerusalem some 10 years ago — aims not only at selling fine travel equipment, but also at engaging with the community and working for the preservation of the environment.