Israel, 7 February 2015
After the project “Bringing Life to the Desert”, we decided to continue our commitment towards nature. As it turned out, many of us had long wanted to visit the desert in order to clean it up.
One day in winter, two people of our group went for a walk in the desert to relax and enjoy the beautiful view. At this time of the year, everything was turning green and the first blossoms appeared. However, the pristine beauty of the landscape was spoilt by litter scattered everywhere – glass and plastic bottles, cups and rags. Our friends felt an immediate urge to tidy up the desert, and just after their return the idea was proposed to the group.
On a Saturday in February, twelve volunteers gathered on site, carrying garbage bags, gloves and water. North Park, a recreational area for the local residents, was the starting point from where the group gradually moved into the desert by following tourist routes.
The weather could not have been better. The sun was shining and gently warming the group, who felt fully supported by nature.
The tourist route led towards a gorge, where building materials and parts of cars were found.
The wholehearted commitment among the participants was noticeable. The experience of doing something useful and making a small contribution towards the environment filled everyone with joy.
This was definitely not the last project of this kind, and we are planning to go back again in order to liberate the park or desert from the conveniences of civilization.