sustainable Jerusalem

The Educational and Cultural Center for Urban Environment in the Sergei Courtyard

In the heart of Jerusalem, a unique educational and cultural center for urban ecology is being planned. This center will generate activities and events that will add qualitative environmental content to the lively recreational culture already existing in the capital. The breadth and depth of resources and activities, combined with the natural magic of the Sergei Courtyard, will make the Educational and Cultural Center for Urban Environment a unique institution both for Jerusalem and for Israel as a whole.

More than ever, in today’s insecure climate it is of cardinal importance to strengthen the link between residents and tourists and the city of Jerusalem.

The Educational and Cultural Center for Urban Environment will include:

the Center for Urban Ecology and Environment

the Vilnai Center

the Center for Ecological Tourism

the Media and Environment Center

The Sergei Courtyard

The Sergei Courtyard was built as a hostel for the aristocratic Russian pilgrims who flocked to Jerusalem from the 1870s onwards, and was named for Prince Sergei Alexandrovich, son of Czar Alexander II. Today the Courtyard houses the Jerusalem Branch of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, the Council for the Preservation of Historic Sites and Buildings and the Gottesman Courtyard-Garden. This architectural treasure, designed in courtyard style with a beautiful sculptured garden, is a haven for people and a sanctuary for birds in the heart of a polluted city center.

The Center for Urban Ecology and Environment

This educational center will be the first of its kind in Israel to focus on the urban environment. The center’s activities will include:

1. An updated and computerized database on the subject of Urban
    Ecology including books, articles, scientific research and information,
    as well as material for use in events and activities.
2. Adaptable and expandable presentations on recycling, water and
    energy conservation, building and planning, and land preservation.
3. Video productions and programs for broadcasting on community
    channels.
4. Tours introducing different sections of the public to environmental
     issues in an urban context - sustainable development, historic
     conservation, transportation alternatives and recycling.
5. Hosting conferences, workshops and seminars.
6. Demonstration models of recycling, ecological building, and resource
     conservation.
7. Developing educational activities and programs for schools.
8. An interactive visitors’ center.

This center will serve as an information and guidance resource for teachers, educators, guides and other interested persons. Vilnai Center activities will include:

1. Developing an updated and computerized information library on
Jerusalem (past and present).
2. Courses, workshops and lectures on current and historical topics.
3. Research supervision for high school and university students.
4. Position papers on issues relating to Jerusalem.
5. Tours focusing on topics that have bearing on Jerusalem and its
environment.
6. Development and maintenance of an interactive website.
7. Instruction kits for guides and educators in Jerusalem.

Center for Ecological Tourism

This area will be used as an active cultural center for the following:

1. Development of a travelers’ center - sale of books, equipment and
    hiking packages to travelers.
2. Producing an “Environmental and Alternative Tourism” map and guide
    to boost public awareness and tourism in Jerusalem.
3. Hosting events for city festivals - ecological market, music festivals,
    movies and books.
4. Developing events for Earth Day, nature preservation week, building
    conservation week, Jerusalem Day, etc.
5. Creating a comfortable meeting point for cooperation and dialogue
    between ecological groups and members of the Sustainable
    Jerusalem coalition.
6. Producing an audio-visual presentation to be projected onto the
    physical walls of the courtyard, addressing the development of the city
    center, the Russian Compound and the Street of the Prophets from the
    mid-19th century to today.

Media and Environment Center

This center will train and professionally enrich producers of television programs dealing with Jerusalem from an environmental perspective. Activities will include:

1. Courses of the enrichment and development of video photographers
and editors in the field of environment.
2. Television magazines for community television and other channels.
3. Assistance to and cooperation with other media centers.

The Jerusalem Urban Field School is sponsored by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) as a center for environmental and communal education. It functions within the community, educates towards environmental awareness, develops environmental thinking skills, and encourages individual responsibility for the environment by means of participation in activities for and within the environment.

The Jerusalem Urban Field School holds various activities for diverse segments of the community, on relevant environmental issues that are chosen jointly by the SPNI and the local community.

It functions within both the formal educational system (schools, teachers) and the informal educational system (nature clubs, scout groups, parents, residents).

The staff consists of both young and more senior counsellors, as well as professional coordinators and administrators who have been trained in institutions of higher education and in the SPNI training program.

Principles of our educational activities :

The activity is continuous and develops from year to year.

The activity is based upon a combination of hands-on activities in the environment itself, and a learning process culminating in constructive activity in behalf of the environment and the community.

An ongoing dialogue between the community and the SPNI, bringing together the community's desires concerning concrete issues in their environment and the SPNI's professional knowledge and experience.

Frameworks in which these principles are put into practice :

Nature clubs (1st - 2nd grades) and young scouts (3rd - 4th grades) : first steps in getting to know the environment and its values.

Scouting clubs (5th - 12th grades) : development of young environmental leadership via field activities.

Formal education - environmental education : emphasis on relevant ecological issues in the immediate environment, as well as other environmental issues on the public agenda.

North Jerusalem (Endangered Species)

A large construction project is about to begin on a natural meadow at the summit of French Hill. The meadow contains an abundance of indigenous plants, some of which are protected by law. Dismayed by the threatened destruction of this beautiful meadow, the Jerusalem branch of SPNI has taken the initiative to rescue these plants.

Biologists, botanists and professional gardeners believe it would be best to transplant them to a similar habitat (i.e. soil-type, rainfall, temperature, etc.). Experiments have indicated that Neve Yaakov would be suitable for this purpose, especially in view of the fact that the same varieties of plants grow there as well (at the edge of the Mir Forest).

Neve Yaakov also has suitable space for receiving the plants. Some time ago a petition signed by residents of Blocks 206, 207, 208, 209 and 210 on Neve Yaakov Blvd. was submitted to the Municipality asking that a one-dunam area adjacent to them be cleared of refuse and developed as a public park or garden. The Municipality responded favorably and its Sanitation Department did a wonderful job of cleaning the area. Furthermore, Mayor Ehud Olmert has repeatedly expressed his support for developing a community garden in Neve Yaakov and preserving the Mir Forest. The project has the support of the Neve Yaakov community center to involve the local schools and clubs. A strong community responsibility will ensure the future well-being of the plants and therefore the success of the "sanctuary".

Collection the seeds of native plants on French Hill in order to re-plant them in the new Neve Ya'acov sanctuary.

The project of replanting the native plants currently growing on French Hill would create a natural meadow in Neve Yaakov that can serve as an educational center for local schools and residents. Requiring only a minimum amount of water for the first few days after transplantation, this project would make a significant contribution to the “greening” of Neve Yaakov. The use of indigenous Mediterranean plants would represent a sustainable approach to gardening in our region. Requiring little or no water, they would nevertheless produce an attractive garden.

This “water-wise approach” to a Mediterranean garden would demonstrate the role of Eretz Yisrael as a source of food by showing the link between wild plants on the one hand and the produce sold in shops on the other (e.g. wild asparagus, zaatar, etc.). The educational, recreational and aesthetic benefits of such a garden would be very significant for the Neve Yaakov community and the City as a whole.

Partners in this project: SPNI & BUNDjugend

Subject: Sustainable City Development in the framework of Agenda 21 - Global cooperation of youth groups

Main goal of this model project is to show to the directly involved youth as well as to the public the global dimension of protection of the environment and opportunities how to become involved in ecological activities. With measures for protection of the climate only in one state you can't save it. So the efforts need to be widened in the global dimension. And particularly youth need to participate - the adults of the future - because we may not leave global sustainable development with the governments, where several other interests are represented.

Nevertheless up to now very few promising global measures were taken. For global results many local steps all over the world are needed. Promoting this idea among youth is the purpose of this project, that can be expanded after the model period on more schools.

Additionally in the framework of this project international contacts between youth can be established. They get to know different cultures, prejudices can be reduced. Also students are encouraged to use the internet as a learning tool. What is more, the student's knowlegde of the English language will be strenghtened.

Main target group are youth in the age of 15 to 18 at selected project schools.

After two years of partnership with exchange of knowledge in the field of ecological youth education now time has come to go further than just exchanging ideas. Both organizations are well experienced so now basics are given to implement an own joint project in cooperation with schools.

In both countries student groups are build up for the period of the model project. Simultaneously an opening seminar will be hold in Israel and in Germany. Participating pupils will get with it an introduction in the idea of the project. Connected via a video conference the groups introduce themselves to each other. Also they chose their tasks prepared by BUNDjugend and SPNI. After this seminar that should take place in March they start working in weekly meetings at their schools for a period of three months. The process of work as well as the final results will be presented in the internet. In the end an international jury assesses the results and awards a price according to their realism, creativity and presentation. In the framework of a new international summer youth meeting between BUNDjugend and SPNI participating pupils get the opportunity to meet their partners.

The subjects of the tasks will be connected to the topic of sustainable city development. Pupils will chose one specific issue out of the themes Waste, Energy, City planning, Protection of Nature and Transportation. A group on one side will (virtually) solve one of the problems in the other country, that means developing a solution concept. To succeed with it they need the help, inquiries and field research of the others. The exchange of information works via www.

Schedule - Timetable

March - Opening Seminar March - May - period of work in the weekly meetings April - break of about two weeks (Easter/ Pessah-holiday) June - Final Meeting in each country with announcing the jury decision (July/August - International Youth meeting)

All the rights guarded to the Sustainable Jerusalem Coalition 2001