The unit's activity is made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of KKL-JNF in Ireland, whose donation will now enable us to expand the unit and recruit more volunteers, purchase vital equipment for night activities, and set up apparati in the forest to tie up the horses as well as water taps for watering them.
"When I was still a boy, I used to ride a horse here in the forest," recalled the founder of KKL-JNF's Rangers Unit, Ronen Bar of Moshav Ben Shemen. "After many years, I started riding in the forest again with my daughter, and the thought came to me that I and the other riders could contribute toward protecting the region."
The Rangers Unit has about 30 volunteers who took a KKL-JNF training course, received uniforms, and started acting as forest guards. The Rangers show a presence in the area together with KKL-JNF teams, and even when the latter have a much more limited presence on weekends and holidays, when the forest is humming with a large number of visitors and hikers.
Dina and her horse. Photograph: Yoav Dvir
"It's very important to have a KKL-JNF representative in the area," stresses Gilad Mestai, KKL-JNF's Lowlands and Coastal Region director. "The Rangers report every hazard they see, and essentially act as our eyes in the forest whenever we aren't there."
Each volunteer comes from a different place and different background, but everyone shares a love - for nature, for the community, and of course, for horses. The meeting with the Rangers takes place close to the Guards' Monument in the Ben Shemen Forest, which commemorates the memory of horse-riding forest guards from the time of the British Mandate. "The dedicated volunteers are renewing the endeavor to preserve the forest and protect security, as was the practice many years ago," Mestai said.
Dina, Ronen and the Horses. Photograph: Yoav Dvir
"I love the forest and spend many hours in it with my horse, and if I can do something good along the way, everyone benefits from it," says Dina Dahan of Kiryat Ono, who goes out to the forest with her horse, Marco. "Ever since the Rangers got a reporting hotline, our updates are taken seriously and are taken care of. For example, when I reported a broken water pipe or places that are dirty."
Ronen Bar, who goes out with his horse Capon, shares his experiences in the forest. "One day, several hikers on the Israel National Trail got lost and had no water left. Of course we gave them to drink and guided them to the correct path. Another time, we found porcupines trapped in illegal hunters' traps and set them free. A group of our riders identified a stolen vehicle in the forest that had been hidden on the grounds, and thanks to them it was returned to its owners. We go out to the forest day and night, in the rain and during a khamsin. We ride quietly, without scaring the animals, because with the help of our horses we have become part of them. The rider is alert and so is his horse, and together we see everything. "The most touching thing is when hikers come over to us and tell us that thanks to us they feel safer. There is no doubt that it is a privilege to contribute."
From the left: Gilad Mestai, Dina Dahan and Ronen Bar. Photograph: Yoav Dvir
Thanks to the KKL-JNF Rangers, the forests in the center of the country are kept green, beautiful, clean and safe for the hikers. The volunteer riders help protect the forests, increase visitors' sense of security, and encourage the residents of the area to be involved and take responsibility for protecting the environment.
The unit operates thanks to a donation from the Friends of KKL-JNF in Ireland.