Khaled Sawalha has been awarded the 1000th Rufford Small Grant for Nature Conservation.
The main aim of this project is to establish an ecotourism site, conserving national plant biodiversity by developing a botanic garden, which can also be used as site of scientific research and demonstration. The proposed site is ideal of Mediterranean environment and the wild local flora faces many environmental challenges. For example, drought, over-harvesting, over-grazing and pollution are real threats. Priority of conservation will be given to economical plants (like olives and almonds) and mainly to wild medicinal and herbal species (like thyme, sage).The proposed site near Bani Naim town is part of the rural area of the West Bank, 5km east of Hebron (city of Prophet Abraham) and 40km south east of Jerusalem holy city. The town is located on the top of flat southern Palestinian mountains. Eastern slopes of Bani Naim are semi dry nature leading to the dry environment of the Dead Sea in the Jordan valley.
Eastern slopes of Bani Naim, the slopes start with Palestinian mountains in the middle of the West Bank towards Jordan valley and the Dead Sea; characterized with hills, valleys and mountains.
General view of eastern slopes toward the Dead Sea with extreme hard and dry environment for natural flora.
The location within the eastern slopes of Bani Naim where the proposed botanic garden and botanic museum will be established for conservation and ecotourism.
Botanic museum: first dried plant specimens of the botanical museum of the project decorated nicely in clay pots, the specimens are wild grasses with dark brown and small spikes and lavender of Palestinian flora.
A style of traditional life living among rare wild trees in the eastern slopes of Bani Naim, a water well is used to collect rain during winter season for family survival.
One famous wild native plant of the Palestinian flora is Coridothymus capitatus, a thyme species grown in the Palestinian mountains, adapted to hard environment and blooming time during summer with purple mass of small labiatea family.
Wild red poppy grown naturally on white carbonated soil on Palestinian hills.
Walking in eastern slopes of Bani Naim (the targeted area of Rufford funded project) and collecting wild plants; wild brassica of yellow flowers and conifer shrubs during spring season of 2007.
In field class of botanical identification in the rock botanic garden of Al-Quds University.
International slogans like of the BGCI: invest in nature and plants for the planet are adopted along side with national Palestinian traditions and folkloric culture; which respect nature and love natural life. Collection of wild herbs as food, medicine or source of energy is practiced for centuries. This project will activate and revive these traditions to express more positive attitudes of the public towards nature. Therefore, biodiversity is a key stone of the food security and health care.