Concluded, ongoing, and upcoming projects Inbox

10/26/2019 الصفصاف

Below is a very brief outline summarizing our just concluded projects,
our ongoing projects, and future planned projects to help Palestine and our
planet. Your support is greatly needed (go to

http://palestinenature.org/volunteer and/or

http://palestinenature.org/donations and for a short video on our earlier
work (before 2017, see https://youtu.be/BPhFLOsEIM0 ).

*Just concluded projects:* the past year we concluded several projects
including on climate change education (though this is still ongoing), on
cultural heritage, a community garden project, on biodiversity and more (of
course all projects continue and expand even after funding concludes). For
example, today we had a ceremony to conclude our project (funded by Rotary
International) for a community garden at PMNH and for helping refugees and
others with greening their surroundings. Another project “Building the
Capacity to Protect Palestinian Land and Heritage through Museology and
Eco-Tourism” (funded by The British Council Cultural Protection Fund),
researched, conserved and restored threatened cultural heritage (tangible
and intangible) related to nature and agriculture. As a result we
established both an ethnography section of our museum was created with
hundreds of objects and a website for the intangible heritage ( http://
turathna.palestinenature.org). We built capacity of local professionals to
be able to manage and promote cultural assets which will benefit the local
economy. Thousands of local people were engaged to learn about and value
and protect our cultural heritage through for example visiting the new
exhibits and through interactive games on mobile applications (

http://apple.co/2n5f1Ww,

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pmnh.learning.game ).

*Ongoing projects: *We have several ongoing projects this year including a
project for medical zoology (animals of medical importance), building an
exploration playground, a children room and children library,
rehabilitating injured or poached animals and releasing them (just released
three kestrels yesterday), protected area management and ecosystem
services. For example our project “Biodiversity Conservation and Community
Development in Al-Makhrour Valley in Bethlehem, Palestine” is ongoing to
2021 and helps the Palestinian communities surrounding this world heritage
site to value and conserve ecosystems, revive traditional farming, and
enhance ecotourism activities. This is already showing great results in
promoting sustainability of humans and nature in the area (Battir, Husan,
Al-Walaja, and Beit Jala). See http://almakhrour.palestinenature.org

*Upcoming projects: *We have new projects starting from starting work to
build green museum building, herbal and medicinal gardens, and research,
education and conservation projects. A major project funded by the EU and
others of nearly 1 million is to set up a biodiversity center, a human
diversity center, and an education center. The three centers (at PIBS/PMNH,
Galilee Society, and Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People)
will work to enhance sustainability of people (via peacemaking & enhancing
human diversity) and natural ecosystems. Another project starting in
December is to build human capacity and develop British (Natural History
Museum NHM, London) and Palestinian (Palestine Museum of Natural History
PMNH, Bethlehem, Palestine) collaboration in three areas important for
environmental conservation and sustainable community development: Research,
Education, and Conservation. For example the conservation efforts include
expanding and leveraging use of research and education in ways that combat
climate change and other human induced activities via reach to decision
makers, media, political leaders, and students. Finally, we do want to
build the Palestine Action for the Planet group and need your support (see
https://www.palestinenature.org/palestine-action-for-the-planet/ ).