Keeping Israel's Forests Clean

Visiting KKL-JNF parks and forests, especially after a weekend or holiday, can be a frustrating experience. Visitors arrive at a spotless picnic site in a well-maintained setting. After enjoying their time there, they leave behind food scraps, crushed tin cans, empty plastic bottles, and plastic bags blowing in the wind.
This unpleasant sight is not the result of a natural disaster beyond anyone's control. KKL-JNF foresters and staff are repeatedly dismayed to discover that it is the result of the public's visits to the forests.
 
Let's keep our forests clean!

Whom does the forest belong to?

KKL-JNF, as the organization responsible for Israel’s forests, plants and tends these woodlands with professionalism and great devotion, for the benefit of the general public, the environment of today, and the environment of generations to come. The organization is well aware that fostering the bond between trees and humankind is a vital ecological and social objective. But the forest does not belong to KKL-JNF, but to each and every one of us.

Filthy surroundings are more than just an eyesore – they are an indication of a deeper problem. Litter impinges upon many areas of our lives: it is evidence of a lack of belonging, of neglect, of uncaringness. Research in many different parts of the world has shown that uncared-for surroundings instill a lack of confidence and promote violence. Those who litter the forest cannot do so with a clear conscience.
 

clean up campaign

10 Reasons not to leave litter in the forest

  • Spending time amid piles of litter is unpleasant.

  • After a number of hours, uncollected rubbish starts to smell bad.

  • The wind scatters litter in all directions.

  • Animals that live in the woodland become dependent on processed food, and their existence as wild creatures is compromised.

  • When they eat the leftover food, animals swallow packaging that is harmful to them and may even kill them.

  • Rubbish often contains toxins, which are absorbed into the soil and pollute the groundwater.

  • Disposable dishes disintegrate into particles that eventually make their way into the respiratory systems of human beings and animals alike.

  • Organic waste encourages uncontrolled proliferation of pests and disease-causing organisms.

  • Rubbish helps invasive plants and animals to gain a foothold.

  • Rubbish promotes forest fires.

A Message from KKL-JNF Foresters to Our Visitors

KKL-JNF staff work in the field out of a love for the environment and a desire to contribute to a pleasant, high-quality life in Israel.
Knowing that our forests and parks provide green spaces for the public to enjoy throughout the year, especially on weekends and holidays, motivates our work and makes it rewarding.
 
The forest belongs to all of us. Please leave it clean when you finish your visit and help us continue to care for and maintain it.
 
From now on, let's keep our forests clean!