1

Bird Migration Knows No Boundaries

With Imad Al Atrash, Executive Director, Palestine Wildlife Society and

Lukas Padegimas, Kirtland Bird Club
Introduction
Hi, my name is Lukas Padegimas and today is September 14, 2016 and Im here interviewing
Imad Al Atrash, who is the Executive Director of the Palestine Wildlife Society and a very
important conservationist. Without further adieu, please tell us more about yourself.

Part One: Early Life

[00:00:26]
Imad Al Atrash: I was born in a small town in Palestine in the Bethlehem area, where Jesus was
born on the tenth of September in 1958. My hobby was helping my Mom in the field, planting
crops and vegetables. We raised enough for our family and I helped her plant and sell it to our
neighbors.
Since my childhood until I was about twelve or thirteen years old, I went to agriculture school
and then on to my higher education, earning a diploma in agriculture. This was how I got
started connecting to my work in nature back home in Palestine.
I joined the Boy Scouts. The Boy Scouts taught us how to manage our country as a clean
country, and how to recycle, reduce and reuse. Plus, I had been traveling with them active in
walking nature trails, a program which I led later on in the Boy Scouts.
After graduating from the Agriculture Institute (Khadory Institute), I started to teach at
Bethlehem University, which is located in Bethlehem, also in Palestine, as a Biologist where I
was an assistant to the Professors of Ecology and Geology of Palestine.

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Plus, I arranged the field trips for the students to many different areas in Palestine. I started my
work at the University in 1979 and left there in 1992. During that time, I studied Biology also
and in England in 1982. While studying Biology, I discovered photography.
I love nature, walking nature trails, and photography. All three in one!

Part Two: Flora, Birds & International Film Award

[00:03:30]
Lukas Padegimas: Got it! So, how did birds come into the picture?
Imad Al Atrash: I started first in my life, classifying flora. Flora is in the ground, and we have
about 2,700 different species back home. I started getting interested in flora in 1984. Later on, I
published a book about the flora of Palestine in 1992.
After 1992, I was following my people in my generation who were hunting birds. Because of my
conservation background, in my mind and my heart, I had to protect my nature. I started to
stop them. At that time I shifted from flora to becoming an ornithologist. I became, in 2010, in
Brazil, a global ornithologist.
Lukas Padegimas: Got it! So it all starts in the 1980s when theres still hunting for birds in
Palestine and the surrounding regions?
Imad Al Atrash: Yes.
Lukas Padegimas: Not at all regulated by the government?
Imad Al Atrash: No. Because the hunting there is manual, not weapons or shooting, just
manual. People used rubber slingshots. But even a slingshot, I dont like. I like to keep
everything as nature intended it.
Lukas Padegimas: Of course!
Imad Al Atrash: I wrote about 15 books and booklets so far on nature preservation and
especially birds, breeding birds in Palestine. And in 2005, I produced a film, The Birds of
Palestine which won a Czech Republic Film Festival, International Environmental Champion
award presented by the Minister.
You can watch the film on YouTube. Watch it tonight.

Part Three: Palestine Wildlife Society and Conservation Education

[00:06:23]
Lukas Padegimas: Cool! So its called The Birds of Palestine? Make sure you check that out.
Very cool. And so, tell us more about the Palestine Wildlife Society. What exactly does this
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organization do?
Imad Al Atrash: It is similar to the National Audubon Society but in nature conservation. I
trained here in 1996 by the Quebec-Labrador Foundation/Atlantic Center for the Environment
(QLF) which is located in Ipswich, Massachusetts and I learned one word before I established
my organization. I worked there in conservation education and following up in my work in
nature conservation for flora and fauna starting with data collecting, through mobile and smart
phone.
Lukas Padegimas: So advanced!
Imad Al Atrash: I can teach you now. It is called, Observation International or ObsMapp.
I learned conservation starting with that collection and started working on the regional Action
Plans with Bird Life International and Important Bird Areas (IBAs). I started five IBAs in
Palestine out of fifteen in the region under the auspices of Bird Life International. For that
collection and up to the Action Plan for the site, we organized it as Habitats, Species and Site.
Now, we have a program to protect threatened global species, which is in Europe and Africa but
not in the United States to protect the Lesser Kestrel, smaller than the American Kestrel but in
the same family.
The Palestine Wildlife Society is about nature conservation. We focus on empowering people,
environmental sustainability, and for example, we do Biogas. I dont know if you heard about it,
using animal manure.

Part Four: Bedouins and Sustainable Energy Sources

[00:09:21]
Lukas Padegimas: How interesting! I may have heard about the concept before but I dont
know anything about it and I dont think its used often here in the United States, but that is
very interesting.
Imad Al Atrash: The leader, hes American, and he came to Palestine in 2010 and he came to
teach me through the American Consulate in Jerusalem.
Lukas Padegimas: Interesting. So, an American comes up with this idea and then you are one of
the first to implement that technology
Imad Al Atrash: He attracted us and we attracted the idea. Because of our Bedouin, similar to
what you call indigenous people, they are living in the wild and there is a lot of livestock,
goats and sheep and they dont use the manure. I went to them and we talked about if they
would be able to use it for themselves.
They were shocked. The same as you were. And then I suggested to them that this would make
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an easier life for them and they agreed but they opened their eyes on me, if I would succeed or
not.
Now, we have about one hundred and sixty-five digestive systems working back home
supplying daily hot water and cooking food using biogas and it cost you nothing.
Lukas Padegimas: Wow. So, its fueled by the manure? Wow. Isnt that crazy?
Imad Al Atrash: Yeah, it is a little bit crazy!
Lukas Padegimas: In a nomadic society, the Bedouins go on living a way of life for thousands
and thousands of years and all of a sudden, heres the twenty-first century using manure to
power things!
Imad Al Atrash: Its an easy way for them with small daily efforts to bring only the manure
inside the water tank and thats it. The gas will come to the lady in the kitchen - easy come,
easy go. No complicated issues.
And also we trained younger generation facilitators from the University and relocated among
the families. So there is no need for me to travel from district to district to address issues. The
families can manage and maintain their system all year round. This is an example of the type of
sustainable work we do.
Plus, as we see here with solar panels, we are advising our people in the countryside to use
solar panels, even my office which is two floors, have working solar panels.
We also have grey water systems to reuse the greywater for irrigation or reuse it for the biogas.
You can see the water drop will be in a circle and all the time and you do not need to push from
the bottom of the water system more and more water. We are seeing that the stability of the
Three Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - we are already there. We are training the ladies, the
housewives, and the youngest generation, the ObsMapp method of collecting data.
We also have a smaller project called, Animals Helping People. We are trying to help the
donkeys to be strong donkeys because they are there doing the job of vehicles, they are the
official transportation like cars are here in the U.S. We are getting a small amount of help from
The Donkey Sanctuary in the UK (United Kingdom) and from the Society for the Protection of
Animals. We are trying to help the animals there because they are a good support to the
farmers in the field.

Part Five: Conservation Practices and National Politics

[00:14:57]
Lukas Padegimas: Right. You had mentioned the use of graywater, as you call it, through the
cycle of many different things and I understand there has been a water issue in the whole
entire region. Can you tell us more about it?
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Imad Al Atrash: Yes, it is kind of political. Palestine is still occupied by Israeli government and
85-86% of the water resources, the groundwater, is controlled by the Israelis. The residents
have a very small access to their own water resources. This makes it a little hard for them in the
summer time. In the summertime the temperature is like Phoenix, Arizona.
Lukas Padegimas: Okay, so very warm!
Imad Al Atrash: If you can imagine Phoenix or Tucson in July, when the temperature is very
high and being without water. This is the big challenge for us there. So, if we can use the
greywater or reuse the water that will be helpful at least for the people in the countryside away
from the cities or a house. Its a real conflict there.
Lukas Padegimas: Right, and this summer was one of the warmest in the region, I heard record
temperatures? So, it exacerbated the problem.
Imad Al Atrash: Yes, of course. We have a similar area to Arizona called Jericho and their valley
it will be unbelieveable temperature in the warm area there.
Lukas Padegimas: Like 40 degrees celsius and higher?
Imad Al Atrash: It is around 50 to 55 degrees celsius.
Lukas Padegimas: 50 to 55 celsius. And without water. It sounds like a very big problem.
Imad Al Atrash: Can you imagine?
Lukas Padegimas: No, I cant imagine 50 degrees celsius, I have a hard time imagining 40
degrees celsius because 35 - as hot as it gets here - that is pretty bad and we have plenty of
water with Lake Erie being only a few miles away. But 50 degrees celsius and no water makes
one think about how to use it best.

Part Six: Disease Knows No Boundaries

[00:17:35]
Lukas Padegimas: Another question I have, and you mentioned the constant conflict with the
ground water, the whole region has seen a lot of conflict in the last half century. In your work,
have you seen conflicts like this impact migratory birds? Perhaps in the wars in the 1960s and
1970s in the Levant region?
Imad Al Atrash: As for birds, we have to think realistically. With the Avian Flu, for example,
when the birds would come with the Avian Flu viruses they will not ask a gentleman if he is
Jewish or Christian or Muslim. It will come to anyone. And this is the big challenge to all of the
people in our region.
Its not easy and as you know, its a conflict. How do you want to pass over the conflict with
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Avian Flu? You will not be able to. You have to face the problem as a region and this is the
biggest challenge. Its not only the Avian Flu, its many different diseases. The viruses do not
know about boundaries. Nature does not know boundaries. Environmental pollution knows no
boundaries. If the pollution starts in Tel Aviv, the one living in Jerusalem, or Bethlehem, or
Jericho, the wind will bring all the pollution to them. That means there are no checkpoints, no
boundaries, all the people will be affected by the pollution.
Pollution, nature, environment, flues, viruses, these know no boundaries 100%. For that reason,
a little bit, as the countries, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, even in Egypt, and Lebanon, they have to
think about how to solve the environmental issues. Starting with the virus to the pollution.
Through, and admitting, the water issue. The water issue is also connected to the human being
in this region. If it is polluted, that means that everyone will be sick or ill.
Lukas Padegimas: Certainly. Have you seen any chances for cooperation, despite so many
conflicts, so many divides, to work on these common problems?
Imad Al Atrash: Yes, the Avian Flu, the environmental problems, there are many different
issues - and they are, at high level issues they are working under the table to solve all the
conflicts.
Lukas Padegimas: Yes, thats a good thing!
Imad Al Atrash: Yes, for sure. There are many big issues. With the Avian Flu, every single
organization is very aware of the Avian Flu. Because its everywhere - no boundaries.
Lukas Padegimas: Certainly, its a public health risk.
Imad Al Atrash: And economic. Economy, health, environment, human health, wildlife, and so
on.

Part Seven: Together for People and Nature

[00:21:45]
Lukas Padegimas: Can you tell me more about additional smaller challenges that you and your
organization have helped to resolve or mitigate?
Imad Al Atrash: At a national level or a regional level?
Lukas Padegimas: On a local level around Bethlehem. Maybe smaller issues like desertification
happening and plant use practices to combat that...
Imad Al Atrash: Our office is located in Bethlehem. But our work is national in the West Bank
and Gaza.
Lukas Padegimas: Okay, so it just covers that whole entire region?
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Imad Al Atrash: Yes, the whole region. Now, what is the biggest issue, and of course we are
thinking all the time and advising the school's, first of all, to establish the Eco Club, the
environmental eco club among the schools. We have around five hundred schools belonging to
our network.
And the second issue, is if we were to go to Jericho, there is very intensive agriculture because
it is located in the Jordan River Valley, one thousand two hundred feet below the sea level, and
there is a lot of pesticide use there, chemicals, which has polluted the food, the soil, the water,
the air, the health, and we thought that if we can advise our farmers to think about the
biological control. Do you know what this means, biological control?
Lukas Padegimas: To a certain extent, but please explain it for us.
Imad Al Atrash: Now, because we have very intensive work in agriculture in the Jordan River
Valley, there are a lot of rodents. And because of the rodents, they are eating the crops and the
vegetables, the farmers will go to use the chemical pesticides a lot, in high density. We thought
that if we can advise the farmers to use a barn owl or kestrel boxes, that means we will attract
these birds, they will come and breed, come and have chicks, and come have family.
Every single owl, eating a day, ten rodents, and if you have a family of seven that means a day
seventy rodents. If you have ten boxes provided for the owls and kestrels, each with seven
members of the family, that means you have seven hundred owls, and that means seven
hundred times ten and that means seven thousand rodents every day eating from the field and
there is no need for the farmer to use chemical pesticides. No pollution to the water, the
vegetables, the crops and by the end of the day, no pollution for the human.
So, we admit to teach the farmers, which in our culture, is a little hard to explain to the old
people, the seniors, that this is an owl because we know owls to be bad luck for us.
Lukas Padegimas: Oh, no! So, that is part of the challenge, that this will really not be bad luck
but it will be good luck! You are not going to have any rodents and there is just going to be
more to grow and everything else will benefit.
Imad Al Atrash: No costs, no pollution. This is how our Wildlife Society thinks about how to do
sustainable work. How to be so friendly to our nature and our people. This is the main point:
together for people and nature. This is our slogan. This is our mission for Palestine Wildlife
Society: to raise up the awareness and to be very close to nature. Nature does not need you.
But you need nature. Do you see?
Lukas Padegimas: I think I agree with that slogan. Having the capacity to, well, destroy nature
many times over, we have a responsibility not to. And that we are destroying ourselves and we
dont really have the right to even though we can.
Imad Al Atrash: This is some of how we deliver our message to our people: conservation,
education. By the way, you are implementing something that never ever happened in Palestine.
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Second, you start to have a good number of people who are supporting you, even by sending
their kids to our activity, or they are participating with our activity. Its a long, long, long
journey. Its not one year, or ten years, it is so far, seventeen years, but I am there and I hope
that God gives us the life, and we are doing something for our society.
Lukas Padegimas: Wonderful. So, we have a start to the journey and hopefully, there will be
more and more people that will take on the baton and continue it forward.
Imad Al Atrash: Yes.
Lukas Padegimas: Thank you very much!

Postlude: Leadership and Community Cooperation

Imad Al Atrash: Did you like it?
Lukas Padegimas: Yes, I do. That is very cool in terms of what you do. Just all of the different
projects. Ive never heard about the manure being used, and Ive heard about the Bedouin
people, I knew they are nomadic and very tied to their traditions but this introduction to
something so new, so avant garde into their society, and theyre accepting it! Most importantly,
its a wonderful start.
Imad Al Atrash: Of course. You need to be grateful (patient), to let them accept it.
Lukas Padegimas: Right! I can only imagine!
Imad Al Atrash: Its not easy. You know with the Chief, and the responsibility of every single
community with the Bedouin, it is taking a lot of time to explain to him. And if by the end of the
explanation, he said to you, No, that means No. You will not be able to get inside the
community. But, if he says, Yes, you will be working with him, his family, his daughters, his
women, all of his community will work with you 100%.
Lukas Padegimas: So, I understand you managed to take some of those communities to change
by allowing them to have access to this resource. But, what are the chances of success when
approaching a Bedouin community? I would imagine there are a lot of different things that have
to be taken care of to convince a Chief to allow this within his community, right? Working
within the core, and working with an open minded individual? Or, for him to see the benefit to
his community?
Imad Al Atrash: I think the people who are in charge of the community, first of all, they are not
educated in a school or a university. They will be by experience, a Chief, or a Shaykhs, we call it.
And of course, with some of them because they have a lot of problems, they can solve any
issue. They will face it among the community. And with the cooperation of other Bedouin
communities in the same region.

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Now, for myself, with the hotspot issues, I will go by myself. I have the capability to look at you
and to go with your mind and your heart. Whatever you start with me, I have a great
experience with how to deal with you immediately. You know, even sometimes like a hyena,
one time I put my hand, this hand, to his mouth and you cannot imagine if the hyena will bite.
Lukas Padegimas: No hands?!
Imad Al Atrash: Yes, no hands. Within seconds. I can show you the photos. I put my hand inside
his mouth. No one can do it. I have, thanks to God, my great spirit for dealing with animals, with
birds, with people - at a high level.
Lukas Padegimas: Got it! So, you can see them, you can understand what kind of animal or
person youre dealing with. Whether theyre a nice animal or not-so-nice animal and what will
make them do something that you want them to do?
Imad Al Atrash: Yes. For sure, for sure.
Lukas Padegimas: Nice.

Imad Al Atrash, Founder and Executive Director, Palestine Wildlife Society

Imad Al-Atrash whose educational background includes degrees in Agriculture, Biology and
Environmental Education, has worked in environmental protection in the West Bank for over
three decades. Atrash is also a nature photographer.
He is a member of various international environmental organizations including the
Ornithological Society for the Middle East-UK, Birdlife International-UK, OISCA-Japan, Palestine
Chapter; International Union for Conservation of Nature; Global Council for Birdlife
International; National Protected Areas in Committee and the Palestinian Ministry of
Agriculture, among others.
In his capacity as Global Councilor of Bird Life International ( www.birdlife.org ) Imad is in
charge of a joint program of activities for the Middle East, which includes implementing an
exchange of data collection on wildlife with a focus on birds and the migratory routes, or
flyways, from Europe to Africa through the Middle East and the Important Bird Areas (IBAs)
which are the areas used as feeding and resting sites for migrating birds.
Imad also founded a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in the town of Beit Sahour where small
animals and birds in need spend time recovering before being released back into the wild again.
The Palestine Wildlife Society (PWLS) is a Palestinian non-profit NGO involved in conservation
research and education within Palestinian society and the region. Founded by Imad Al Atrash in
1999 and based in the town of Beit Sahour, Palestine, the organization promotes education as
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an essential element to achieve environmental and sustainable outcomes. To that end, the
Palestine Wildlife Society seeks to raise awareness and educate Palestinians about the
importance of conservation and conserve and enhance Palestinian biodiversity & wildlife.
Palestine Wildlife Society objectives include:
Conservation and management of native species and habitats
Monitoring and promoting important bird areas
Education and promotion of wildlife and nature
Work with local communities in conservation, sustainable development and
eco-tourism.
One of the results of its success has been the inclusion of environmental studies in the
Palestinian national education curriculum. Palestine Wildlife Society is also part of the National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for Palestine in conjunction with the Ministry of
Environmental Affairs.
Recommended Resources
Imad Al Atrash http://www.wildlife-pal.org/ImadA-CV.htm
Birds of Palestine, movie https://youtu.be/XkWKRmbi-L0
Palestine Wildlife Society www.wildlife-pal.org/
Bird Life International www.birdlife.org
Ornithological Society for the Middle East-UK http://www.osme.org/
International Union for Conservation of Nature https://www.iucn.org/
Global Council for Birdlife International
http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/news/new-birdlife-global-council-elected
The Donkey Sanctuary https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

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