Eco-tourism, environment, ecology, and education are good starters for ABC Wednesday's E-Day.
The Jerusalem Bird Observatory is a wild acre in a prime location at the heart of the city.
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Even its buildings are ecologically sound, very "green."
See the roof of the Visitors Center? It looks like a prairie!
When the winter rains come that will all hopefully be green and flowering.
It is a real "living building."
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Enlarge the photo and you can see the red tile roofs of the Nachlaot neighborhood in the distance.
Inside the bird watching hide.
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Here is what everybody was looking at.Birds on the trees, birds on the birdbath and the feeder.
There is also a pond out there.
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Behind this special wall will be nest boxes and bat boxes.You can see flecks of bright colors. These are the recycled colored bottle caps the material is made of!
Behind the rustic bench, the new gift shop offers nature books and T shirts, maps, and many nice things for kids too..
The JBO is the national bird-banding (ringing) center. In fact, they have a USAID grant for a joint Israeli-Palestinian ringing project.
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Let's let their website explain:
"The JBO has four main goals: (1) environmental education (2) conservation research (3) eco-tourism (4) creation of a common forum for Jews, Christians, and Moslems. This project is the first of its kind in Israel and promises to fill a vital role currently lacking in Jerusalem's environmental framework."
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"Birds know no geographical nor religious boundaries. Their conservation and the pleasure they offer are a true common denominator that can bring people together: Jews, Christians and Moslems.
The JBO is situated physically and symbolically in the heart of Jerusalem, between two of the most important institutions in the State of Israel: the Knesset and the Supreme Court.
The JBO serves as a meeting place for people from all religions willing to practice tolerance between one another and towards the environment.
By promoting joint conservation and educational projects, the JBO is a useful tool for bringing people together. "
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More photos, more birds, at the 21c Israelity blog.
And a good video, 3 minutes, at YouTube, including the new-born babies of the JBO's resident porcupine!
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