The Negev is covered by a cloak of green grass at this time of year and is adorned by magnificent carpets of red anemones. The 13th Scarlet South Festival (known in Hebrew as Darom Adom), which takes place annually during the month of February, is entitled “Israeli Scarlet South” (Darom Adom Yisraeli) this year in honor of Israel’s seventieth anniversary. The festival attracts many visitors to the region, who come to celebrate the anemones and to enjoy diverse activities in nature.
Guided tours, agricultural walks, cycling trails, arts and crafts workshops, sports and outdoor challenges, and a long list of activities for the entire family take place over the four weekends of the
Scarlet South Festival, and turn the region into a major tourist attraction.
“It’s really fun to be in this beautiful and green landscape, and especially to see the anemones,” said
Tehilla Oren, an 18 year-old from Efrat. Tehilla was on a morning hike at
Be’eri Forest, together with her two friends, 19 year-old
Tamar Rozevich and 20 year-old
Miriam Shizgal from Beit Shemesh.
Be’eri Forest covers an area of about 2,700 acres in the Besor region in the Western Negev and is also part of the ANZAC trail. The scenery in this region includes green fields, open spaces and badlands that were created by erosion of the soft loess soil. KKL-JNF cares for the forest and its unique sites with the help of its friends throughout the world, including from Germany, France and Australia.
“We came to enjoy nature, the flowers, the birds and the quiet here,” said Tamar. “It expands one’s heart when you see all this red before your eyes.”
“It’s heartwarming to see all the flowers and growth after the recent rains,” Miriam added. “It makes me happy to enjoy the quiet of nature.”
KKL-JNF is a central partner in the Scarlet South Festival along with government ministries and local authorities. Some of the most outstanding events at the festival are organized by KKL-JNF, including the anemones walk, the anemones race, wildflower walks, guided bicycle tours and an amongst-the-anemones bike happening.
“This festival has been happening for over a decade, and it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region,” said KKL-JNF Western Negev Regional Director
Danny Ben David. “During an entire month, it’s possible to enjoy the anemones, which are in full bloom, and lots of activities for the entire family.’
Ben David was in Be’eri Forest not only as part of his duties as regional director, but also as an amateur cyclist. The Be’eri Forest mountain bike marathon provides bikers with an opportunity to ride between the anemones on a 25-kilometer trail.
The group of cyclists included 13 year-old
Omer Wollach from Haifa. “The trail was amazing,” the boy said at the end. “It was great to see all the flowers. From a distance, the anemones seem like a huge red spot.”
Ilan Kinbursky from Kvutzat Yavneh took part in the riding event in the framework of the Israel Deaf Riders Club. “The bike trail was an incredible experience, especially thanks to the green scenery and the anemones,” he said.
Not far from here, at Shokeda Forest, there was a fair with many attractions for children, and hundreds of families attended. The parents loved the scenery while the children enjoyed a number of various activities, including ball games, trampolines, pony and camel rides, arts and crafts corners, and stalls with the very best of local agricultural produce.
Shokeda Forest was developed by KKL-JNF as a community forest together with the local communities that are situated on the Gaza border. It was dedicated in 2014 after long days during which the villages were in a state of tension and being constantly shelled during Operation Protective Edge. The forest includes archaeological sites, recreation areas and cycling trails.
“We came to enjoy the beautiful wildflowers and the wonderful weather,” said
Elhai Elul from Modi’in, who had come with his with wife
Maya, their little boy
Guy and Granddad
Yizhar. “There are warm people and there is beautiful scenery here in the Negev,” he noted.
Eight year-old
Yinon Abadyan from Beersheva had come to spend some time in nature with his family – his parents
Moran and
Shlomi and his siblings
Noa (8) and
Itay (2). “We saw a lot of beautiful anemones today,” Yinon announced. “It’s fun to be with my family in such a beautiful place. We had a prefect day.”