SPNI March 19-24 2023

Activities:

Activities:

• Welcome and introduction - Meet your tour guide and group members at the hotel lobby for tour introduction.

• Nili and David Jerusalem Bird Observatory - In 1993 two young birdwatchers discovered a banded migrant bird from Sweden and so started the Nili and David Jerusalem Bird Observatory, a center of education, science and community located next to the Knesset. Over 50,000 visitors, from around the world and all sectors of society, flock to visit the JBO. You’ll be joining them to experience an unforgettable up close bird banding activity and learn about Israel’s vitally important spot
  on global bird migration fly routes.

• Gazelle Valley Park - Located in the heart of Jerusalem, in the shadow of the infamous Holyland apartment block, the Gazelle Valley was saved by SPNI and turned into a world-class urban wildlife site. It’s a very special type of park, and a haven for the endangered Israeli mountain gazelle. Amir Balaban, our Director of Urban Nature, will tell you the story of how the park came to be and how it’s being used as a model for urban sustainability in Israel and around the world.

• Levi Eshkol House - Levi Eshkol is arguably Israel’s most underappreciated Prime Minister. We will give you a guided tour of Israel’s Historic Prime Ministers’ Residence – where Ben Gurion and Golda also resided!
  -- where you will learn about Levi Eshkol’s impact on Israeli-American relations and building the National Water Carrier. Also the home of SPNI’s Jerusalem community, we’ll have lunch with some community professionals hear about SPNI’s work on the municipal level.

• Tour of Jerusalem Hills to see Wildfire Recovery - Over 6000 acres of the Jerusalem forest was torched by wildfires in August. With an SPNI
  professional, you will hike in places affected by the fire first hand to witness the recovery and
  see how resilient nature is. You’ll learn about Israel’s misguided afforestation policy and what
  SPNI is doing about it.

• Return to hotel to freshen up before dinner as a group

• 7:30 PM Touro Restaurant

• Overnight Inbal Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Head north

• Visit to Start Up Nature Project - Start Up Nature is one of SPNI’s most ambitious initiatives – to create an artificial wetland that will support mass bird migration and global biodiversity. At Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin you’ll see migrating birds in their glory, and you’ll hear about the complexities of creating and managing a nature reserve from former fishponds, and SPNI’s bold goals for replicating this model nationwide.

• Lunch at Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin

• Maagan Michael - Tour the coastal wetlands of Kibbutz Maagan Michael, the second site of the Start-Up Nature rewilding project, and see what’s so urgent about it.
  See the migrating shore birds and SPNI’s Carmel Coast Field School.
  We will meet Gershon Peleg, a member of the kibbutz former CEO of SPNI and former chair of the SPNI board.

• Return to Jerusalem estimated at 6:30-7:00 PM

• Evening to be spent at leisure in Jerusalem - Restaurant recommendations: Ha'tzot,Hasadna, Adom, Eucalyptus, Tzemah (meal and transfers are not included)

• Inbal Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel and check-out - Breakfast will be served from 6:15 AM.

• Travel to the Judean Desert

• Dead Sea Boat Ride - Join the Dead Sea Story for a unique boat ride on the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. You
  will see first-hand the dramatic geological changes, salt crystal formations and sink holes from
  the vantage point of the sea itself, and learn about what is being done to protect this natural
  wonder.

• Ein Gedi oasis nature hike - Enjoy an easy hike to David’s waterfall, one of the many trails in the area. Learn about the
  natural and biblical history of Ein Gedi during a 60-90 minute walk up this ancient desert spring,
  and see SPNI’s first Field School.

• Lunch at SPNI Ein Gedi Field School

• Tour Masada National Park - Take the cable car up to Masada fortress. In the days of the Great Revolt, the last of the rebels against Rome entrenched themselves at Masada and turned their desperate fight into a symbol of the struggle for freedom. You will ascend this world UNESCO heritage site by cable car and learn the tragic history of this famous
  Jewish stronghold.

• 7:00 PM Dinner at the hotel

• Nevo Dead Sea Hotel

Activities:

• Breakfast & check-out from hotel

• Travel south to the Arava

• Hatzeva Field School - Traveling south to SPNI’s Field School in the middle of the Arava desert, you’ll be introduced to a most curious flock of birds, the Arabian babbler. These birds maintain a rigid social structure and
  were the topic of SPNI co-founder Amotz Zehavi’s Ph.D. research into evolutionary behavior.
  These birds are used to human presence so look forward to getting extremely close to these friendly avians.

• Lunch at Hatzava

• Kibbutz Ketura - You will visit Kibbutz Ketura, the epicenter of Israel’s solar energy industry. You’ll tour the
  kibbutz and learn about Israeli solar technology and about the balance that needs to be found
  between clean energy and protecting open spaces.

• Lantern tour at Timna park - Come and discover the desert at night, on a spectacular guided tour of the Park's sites.
  We will drive in a convoy, led by the guide, visit one of the Park’s sites and of course the majestic Solomon’s. Pillars, illuminated with dramatic lighting to enhance them in all their glory. The tours explain of the ancient world that once existed in the Park and allows visitors to enjoy a unique desert experience and enjoy the beautiful star filled skies!
  The tour ends at Timna Lake, which is also illuminated with gentle lighting, here visitors can fill bottles with colored sand as a souvenir of their visit, and enjoy a cup of herbal tea.

• Travel to Eilat & check-in to your hotel

• Dinner and free time on your own - (meal and transfers are not included)

• Royal Beach Hotel, Eilat

Activities:

• Breakfast at the hotel

• Eilat International Birding and Research Center - You’ll enjoy a VIP tour of this birding hotspot, one of Eilat’s top tourist attractions. Visiting at the
  beginning of the spring migration you will get a chance to see many different bird species,
  including flamingoes, and hopefully including some seasonal rarities.

• Lunch break

• Coral Reefs - glass bottom boat ride - Enjoy a ride on a glass-bottom boat to see Eilat’s coral reefs. You’ll receive expert insight about why Israel’s corals are so resilient and the experimental techniques scientists are using to protect and regenerate them.

• Farewell group dinner

• Royal Beach Eilat

Activities:

• Breakfast and check out from hotel

• Return from Eilat to Jerusalem - As time allows we’ll break up the drive with stops at various points of interest along the way
  including within Machtesh Ramon, the Ramon Crater. We will also stop for lunch in Mitzpe
  Ramon.

• Arrive in Jerusalem or Ben Gurion Airport in late afternoon

• We look forward to hosting you again in our beautiful country!