How a flock of sheep could solve Tel Aviv's biodiversity problem ++REPLAY++
139 views · Published 29 December 2018 · 6:27 · Indexed 4 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(24 Dec 2018) LEAD IN: More commonly found on a hillside than in a city, could urban sheep grazing be the answer to helping protect biodiversity? The municipality of Tel Aviv thinks so - they now have their very own shepherd and a flock of sheep to do just that. STORY-LINE: At first glance, this grassy knoll could be mistaken for the rolling hills of Scotland. But just beyond the greenery lies the bustling coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, where sheep are not usually known to graze. The green hilltop is part of Tel Aviv's main Ganei Yehoshua park, whose biodiversity ecologists are trying to protect. They've enlisted the help of these wooly creatures, their trusty shepherd and his dogs. Once a week, for three hours, Tel Aviv's only shepherd, Asaf Gal comes here with his two border collies. Chaos, responds only to English and Fauda takes command in Hebrew. Together, the pair of them guide the flock of sheep grazing on the grass. The pilot project was initiated by Ganei Yehoshua park's ecologist, Liav Shalem, who saw similar initiatives in New York and Paris and decided to bring it back to Tel Aviv. Shalem says the sheep eat away at weeds that prevent the growth of the area's natural biodiversity. "They know how to eat the weed that is a problematic weed that grows very, very fast and not eating all kinds of geophytes for example like anemone that lives here and all kind of flowers that we want to see the bloom of those flowers in the spring," explains Shalem. Sheep present the ideal solution for the park because machines can't get to some areas in Ganei Yehoshua park. Pesticide use is out of the question because the park is so close to a residential area. As an additional benefit, weed control helps prevent the spread of fires. Shalem says he also feels it's important to involve the community in the process and encourages schools to participate in the project. Asaf Gal, the shepherd, makes a living as a dog trainer and never imagined that his dream of becoming an urban shepherd would come true. "To play with sheep and dogs in the middle of such beautiful days, it's all the time nice and that's the main reason why I joined this project and to train my dogs on the sheep next to my house, it's really nice and cool, so that's it." Both Gal and Shalem are eagre to see results in the spring. If successful, they may even widen the pilot scheme to other areas of Tel Aviv and perhaps bring more nature to this urban jungle. Israel is already experiencing a water crisis after five consecutive years of drought. While many argue about the causes of the drought and are weary of blaming it on global climate change, the effects of rising temperatures are visible both in the country's south, with dropping levels of the Dead Sea, but also in the northern Sea of Galilee. More and more bodies of water are drying up - the result of climate change, growing populations and the increasing use of its water for agriculture. Late last year the water level in the Sea of Galilee stood at 703 feet (214 metres) below sea level, several feet (about a metre) below the point at which ecologists predict damage to the ecosystem and water quality. As of mid-July of this year, the lake sits at 699 feet (213 metres) below sea level, just below the lower red line. The drying up of waters also affects the migration of birds and wild animals. Shalem says the area around the Yarkon river in Tel Aviv is an important corridor used by wild animals from the hilly north to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/3f58083c32047ba1c3cd58b5da485043
