Defending Israel–One Tree at a Time

Happy Tu Bishvat from the IDF! Tu Bishvat is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the new year of the trees. Meet the Nature Defense Forces project—the IDF’s initiative to protect the environment in which we serve.

Due to the increase in climate change, it is becoming more evident that we must protect the environment and natural areas. IDF army bases are scattered throughout the State of Israel and it is our responsibility as soldiers to protect these spaces from pollution or from being destroyed. 

Nine years ago, the Nature Defense Forces project was established under the IDF Technological and Logistics Directorate. The project was created in order to encourage soldiers and officers in the IDF to preserve the land that they serve on. The project is a joint collaboration between the IDF, the Defense Ministry, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Israel Antiquities Authority.

“Through our joint environmental projects, we’re encouraging IDF units to take responsibility for the land in which they work, train and operate on. We want to implement an understanding of environmental responsibility, especially in the face of climate change. Our projects are done with complete cooperation with various units, often at their own request. We are using the knowledge we acquire from these projects to build eco-friendly procedures that we can implement throughout the IDF.”– Guy Sal’i, the Civilian Director of the project

Today, the Nature Defense Forces operate in more than 60 local environmental projects across Israel in collaboration with the IDF. Some of their most significant and impactful projects are:

• The IDF Trackers Unit– Within the past year, IDF trackers have saved countless birds, mammals and other wildlife while operating extensively near Israel’s borders.

• The YALTAM Unit–This unit specializes in performing special missions deep in the sea, and is now taking on the task of cleaning the corals in the IDF’s naval areas and making it more safe for our sea creatures.

• The Israeli Air Force has implemented a comprehensive plan to avoid aircraft training in areas where bird migration is common in order to prevent unfortunate cases of bird and IAF aircraft collision. 

• Multiple combat units including the Golani Brigade, the Jordan Valley Regional Brigade and the Hermon Regional Brigade have rehabilitated habitats for wild animals.

MAJ Tomer, Commander of the Nature Defense Forces, believes that the project is helping the IDF become an example of taking ecological responsibility. “At its core, the Nature Defense Forces is an educational program. It's also a great example of the IDF’s ability to initiate social changes that are starting in the army and eventually trickling into Israeli society. Soldiers who take care of their surroundings, become more aware of the natural processes around them. After their release, they disperse their eco-awareness wherever they go and help society in their own way.”

"In the last couple of years, the IDF has realized that climate change is already upon us, and that there’s a need for structural changes to prevent further harm.”–Guy Sal’i

The Jewish holiday of Tu Bi’shvat is the new year of the trees, and one of its main traditions is for people to plant trees in Israel. The Nature Defense Forces uses the holiday of Tu Bishvat as an opportunity to reflect on their environmental activities throughout the year and plan for the year ahead. 

“Since we initiated the project, we have seen that wherever our environmental projects are taking place, the IDF is becoming more aware of the environment and the importance of protecting it.”–Guy Sal’i