EcoPhillics is an environmental hiking group that highlights the importance of preserving natural reserves by organizing environmental hiking tours and activities to clean up preserved areas and springs. The Group calls for reconsidering the current consumption patterns representing the increased use of plastics and other hard-to-decompose materials. It also organizes activities to collect these materials and eliminate their harm to wildlife.
The idea was initiated by six Biology graduate students at Birzeit University along with their professor Dr. Emilia Rabocholo. The initial objective was to learn about ecosystems and get to know the classification of plants and organisms in Palestine's natural reserves. With that, the idea of ecotourism and natural conservation through touring was born. However, while hiking the different routes of Palestinian reserves, they noticed the huge accumulation of waste, whether from the reserve visitors or other groups using these routes. In response, since 2018, the group has organized 14 tours during which litter was collected from several areas including Wadi Al Azraq, Al Alwi Reserve, Wadi Al Qaf Reserve, Um Al Tout Reserve, Marj Bin Amer valley, and Ain Areeq Village.
The group’s activities target all segments of society and all age groups. Tours are organized on a monthly basis and are announced on EcoPhillics’ Facebook page. The group aspires to expand its involvement in environmental awareness activities and advocating for the reduction of plastic waste. In fact, the participants in the tours organized by the group are always requested to bring along their own plates, utensils and to use cloth bags instead of plastic ones. In the coming period, they hope to spread this idea on a wider scale in Palestine and abroad.
The impact of the group's activities has now reached Germany as one of the group’s founders currently resides to complete her studies in evolutionary science, ecology, and classification of organisms. The first tour for EcoPhillics in the German state of Bavaria (Bayern) was conducted in early 2020.
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Volunteering Opportunities: Participating in activities announced on the Facebook page that includes tours and cleaning in Palestinian nature reserves.