Few political issues today are as controversial and difficult to solve as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ongoing now for 70 years. During my recent visit to Palestine, I learned more about the issue when I volunteered at Mashjar Juthour arboretum and ecopark in the West Bank. The project was founded in 2013 outside the village of Ein Kinya in the outskirts of Ramallah, the de facto capital of Palestine. Mashjar Juthour takes a different approach to the conflict by combining resistance of the Israeli occupation with environmental activism in an effort to preserve Palestinian heritage and biodiversity.
A major challenge is that the site of the ecopark is located in Area C of the West Bank, meaning it is under Israeli jurisdiction. It is difficult and expensive for Palestinians to buy land in Area C, and it is even more difficult to get building permits. But Area C comprises 60% of the West Bank, including much of the countryside and farmland. Because this countryside is so inaccessible to Palestinians, people are losing their connection with the land. As a result, traditional knowledge of how to take care of the land is being forgotten, while lack of environmental awareness creates problems such as littering. Mashjar Juthour is trying to change this and to reconnect Palestinians with nature and their own culture, while bringing back traditional knowledge and native trees and wildlife.
Preserving biodiversity and cultural heritage under occupation
The environmental cost of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is often forgotten. The landscapes of Palestine used to be covered in forests, but trees and other natural resources of the country have been abused for centuries. A major reason behind this abuse has been colonial oppression, first by the Ottomans who cut down oak trees to build railroads, and now by the Israelis who have confiscated agricultural lands and are limiting people’s access to land and water. When people can’t live on their land, they lose the connection with the land. At the same time traditional permaculture techniques are being forgotten, resulting in more environmental degradation.
Today the hills surrounding Mashjar Juthour are filled almost exclusively with olive trees, just like the site of Mashjar Juthour was before the project started. Mature olive trees require little maintenance, which is good because of the difficulty Palestinians face in accessing their lands. Other trees have been cleared away so that olive trees have less competition, and in the process the value of biodiversity has been forgotten. Even Palestinian tree nursery owners might not know the names of native trees in Arabic anymore. In this context, Mashjar Juthour offers refuge for the flora and fauna that has been lost and forgotten during decades of conflict.
My hosts at Mashjar Juthour are planting trees in order to create a type of natural reserve that encourages biodiversity. The focus is on planting trees native to Palestine, including oaks, cedar, cypress, pistachio and pine trees. Other trees are also sometimes planted, especially if they provide other benefits to the ecosystem. Some trees are chosen because they are favoured by birds or bees, while other trees are planted because they create a colourful fall foliage, which in turn can attract more people to nature. Some of the trees are food-bearing trees such as apple, pear and walnut trees, but this is not a priority as the goal is to show the importance of all trees. Traditional stone terraces help hold moisture, which makes its possible to farm in the hilly landscape.
One of the major challenges the project faces is access to water, and this was clearly visible during my visit at the end of the long dry season in December. Water in the West Bank is controlled by Israel, and the majority of the water goes to Israel or to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. What remains is sold to Palestinians at high prices, and Palestinians in Area C are not even allowed to collect rainwater. Mashjar Juthour gets its water from a nearby spring, but the site is technically not allowed to store the water. The composting toilet at the ecopark shows fellow Palestinians one way to conserve water, while also creating manure to improve soil quality.
Reconnecting Palestinians with the environment
Mashjar Juthour is a registered non-profit, and income for the project is generated mainly through a popular restaurant and bar in Ramallah. An important part of the work done by the NGO is environmental education. The ecopark provides the ideal setting for this education, and Mashjar Juthour hosts workshops, school field trips, family days, guided walks and other events at the site. These events aim to get people out of the city so they can reconnect with nature and learn about the importance of trees and biodiversity. All kinds of people have visited the site, from environmental experts and ministry figures to artists and students of all ages, as well as hundreds of local families.
The goal is to encourage people and communities to take more responsibility towards the threatened natural environment and also Palestinian heritage. The Israeli occupation is destroying Palestinian culture, just like colonialism has done all over the world. The name of Mashjar Juthour translates to “Roots Arboretum”, referring not only to the roots of trees but to the roots of the Palestinian people. Mashjar Juthour is reminding Palestinians of their roots and the important relationship the people used to have with the environment, so that more Palestinians start working towards a more sustainable future for themselves and their children.
