KKL-JNF volunteer help move a herd of cattle. Photo: KKL-JNF volunteer rangers group
A unique group of mounted volunteer rangers known as the Guardians of the Forest is active in Ben Shemen Forest. They extinguish the still-smoldering embers of abandoned bonfires that visitors neglect to put out properly, locate litter deposits and hand out rubbish bags to visitors. Because of their love for the forests, they are dedicated volunteers motivated by a sense of mission and their devotion to their homeland.
Today the rangers helped herdsman Abed Mughrabi and KKL-JNF foresters to move a herd of 120 cattle across open ground from the Shoham Community Forest to the Ben Shemen Forest near Modi’in.
Because controlled grazing by cattle reduces the amount of undergrowth in the woodland, thereby preventing fires from spreading, the herd is transferred from one section of Ben Shemen Forest to another in accordance with the forester’s decision as to which areas most urgently need grazing. This ecological forest management, apart from reducing the necessity for herbicide sprays and mechanical tools, introduces another attractive element into the pastoral scene.
KKL-JNF thanks the volunteer rangers for herding the cattle on their arduous journey and the herdsman, too, for ensuring that the move was carried out successfully!
Read more about Preventing and Fighting Forest Fires in KKL-JNF Forests >>