| Motto | Because Loving Israel Is Our Nature. |
|---|---|
| Established | 1953 |
| Director | Avinoam Ben Yitzhak |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel |
The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (Hebrew: החברה להגנת הטבע, HaHevra LeHaganat HaTeva), or SPNI, is an Israeli non-profit environmental organization working to preserve plants, animals, and natural environments that represent bio-diversity, by protecting the lands and waters needed for their survival, and is Israel's oldest and largest conservation organization.[1]
The SPNI is most comparable to the Sierra Club in the United States.
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SPNI was founded in 1953 by Azariah Alon and Amotz Zahavi in response to plans to drain the Hula Valley. The Israeli government and JNF ultimately did drain a majority of the Hula Wetlands to prevent the spread of malaria (more of an invented reason as malaria was not an issue in Israel) and to create agricultural land. After 40 years of SPNI campaigning, some 10% of the Hula wetlands were re-flooded in the early 1990s. Several species of migrating birds became extinct in the meantime.
In 1980, SPNI, together with Azariah Alon, Amotz Zahavi and Yoav Sagi, was awarded the Israel Prize for its special contribution to society and the State for the environment.[2]
Best known to the public for sponsoring hikes (today, SPNI's hikes are guided in Hebrew - the only regular nature tours in English are through SPNI-Jerusalem branch), SPNI is also active in political and environmental improvement efforts. Projects have included working out an agricultural management plan for the Hula Valley to insure the health of migrating Common Cranes, and preventing the draining of a large area of salt pans, the last breeding site in Israel for Nubian Nightjars.[3] The recent campaign to create the 2004 Coastal Law, which forbids new development in any area within 300 meters from the coastline was a notable accomplishment. With almost 800 employees, SPNI is an enormous non-profit organization, with a wide range of activities, thus SPNI is known as well by its various divisions' names as it is by the name "SPNI".
SPNI’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) is the watchdog and advocate for the little remaining open space left in Israel. Why is it so vital to protect open landscapes? The answer is simple and potentially tragic: Israel’s already scarce land reserves are dwindling and, unlike the case in other environmental problems, the loss of open space to development is an irreversible process. Rapid uncontrolled growth has changed Israel for all time. Intense immigration has contributed to a drain on water resources, increased land usage for housing and industrial development, and major transportation congestion and pollution issues. No longer the pastoral setting exemplified by its kibbutzim and moshavim, Israel today is highly urbanized, with one of the world’s highest rates of population density. On a national level, the number of persons per square kilometer is very close to that of Japan, while the Tel Aviv area’s density is higher than that of Hong Kong. Public policy has not kept up with these changes.
SPNI’s pioneering role in finding creative solutions has become critical. Preserving Israel’s fragile ecosystem has reached a degree of urgency that demands immediate action. The range and the gravity of the issues have been increasing and the outcome of each of them can change the future of the country for generations to come. A few examples:
Land has become a precious commodity; the economic incentive for developers is highly enticing. SPNI is at the frontline, preserving the untouched land, still in its natural state, for wildlife, birds, and recreation, while promoting sustainable development, allowing residential areas to expand without clear-cutting the forests Israel has spent so many years planting.
With five hundred million birds migrating through Israel's skies twice a year, nature lovers have begun to take note of Israel's unique potential as an ornithology superpower, to which ornithologists flock as frequently as the birds. SPNI, through its Israel Ornithological Center (IOC) and International Center for the Study of Bird Migration (ICSBM), leads Israel’s partnership in the world of wildlife preservation and protection of bird species threatened by urbanization and economic development.
Israel Ornithological Center (IOC) - founded in 1980, the IOC works toward preserving endangered species such as: the Lesser Kestrel, the Cranes, and the Houbara Bustard. The IOC has several successful ongoing projects, including rehabilitating and conserving habitats for birds; leading research and surveying activities; and running numerous educational programs in schools throughout Israel.
International Center for the Study of Bird Migration (ICSBM) - the center at Latrun was founded by Dr. Yossi Leshem who was the Executive Director of the SPNI from 1991 to 1995, and is the center's director and a Senior Researcher at the Department of Zoology in the Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University. ICSBM - Latrun is the joint initiative of SPNI and the Tel Aviv University. The center deals with many cutting edge and creative educational projects, such as migration research, flight safety, eco-education, eco-tourism, and international cooperation.
SPNI’s education programs reach Israelis of every age and sector - over 50% of Israeli children and teens are involved in SPNI education programs! SPNI believes that by fostering young people's connection to the land, heritage and to their own communities, we grow a generation that gives back to Israel in establishing a strong society, concerned with preserving Israel's natural treasures for all time.
Spearheading environmental activities in Israel’s major metropolitan areas is integral to SPNI’s overall endeavors. Field-based and hands-on, SPNI staff run urban eco-centers from which they work with residents to raise awareness of environmental issues and run educational activities for children, youth and adults to promote a sense of pride and belonging to the land. These centers also serve as the core from which SPNI assembles and coordinates grassroots activities, takes part in regional planning activities and promotes environmental issues with local government bodies. SPNI's major branches are located in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be'er Sheva, Haifa and Modi'in.
SPNI is probably best known for its network of field schools, established adjacent to Israel’s Nature Reserves and National Parks. Tens of thousands of Israelis and tourists participate in SPNI guided hikes and walks focusing on nature study. SPNI's Field School system combines three main areas of activity: education – teaching youth and adults about the region; conservation – protecting the region’s natural environment; and research – gathering information about the region in conjunction with SPNI’s various departments. Field Schools are an integral part of SPNI’s operations, a focal area for local eco-activities, and play a leading role in Israeli environmental tourism and education.
English-language tours are offered weekly by the Jerusalem Bird Observatory.
The ITC marked and actively maintains 10,000 kilometers paths, 950 kilometers of which represents the Israel Trail. A few full-time SPNI employees out in the field mark and repair trail markers, from the Galil to the Negev.